Letters to the Editor: Let’s hope public access doesn’t destroy Hollister Ranch beaches

To the editor: With about 40 million people now living in California, one has to wonder just how much longer the beaches at Hollister Ranch in Santa Barbara County will remain pristine now that state-mandated public access looms in the near future.

Although “pristine” is a relative term in this age of plastics and our throw-away mentality, these beaches are special. But I doubt that special quality will last much longer once the hordes gain greater access.

To the designers and implementers of the coming access plan, I say please think long and hard before you open the floodgates. In the words of John Muir, “one must labor for beauty,” not some sense of public deprivation and long-thwarted entitlement.

Rich Lewis, Ventura