>> >>PEGGY: THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION IS EXPECTED TO MEET ABOUT THE CITY'S PLAN
TO USE A YEAR ROUND ROPE TO SEGUE REG ATE HARBOR SEALS AND BEACH GOERS AT THE CHILDREN'S
POOL PIN LA JOLLA.
ED HARRIS JOINS US TO TALK ABOUT AN ALTERNATIVE BOULDER BARRIER.
THANKS FOR JOINING US HERE TODAY.
I THINK PROBABLY THE FIRST THING IS WE HAVE TO EXPLAIN WHAT IS THIS BARRIER?
>> >>: IT'S A SEPARATION.
THE SALES ENJOY THE BEACH IN THE WINTER TIME, BUT THEY DON'T LIKE IT WHEN IT'S HOT IN THE
SUMMER CHILDREN DON'T USE IT IN THE WINTER, BUT THEY WANT TO BE DOWN THERE IN THE SUMMER.
BOULDER BARRIER SEPARATES DIFFERENT PERCENTAGES OF THE BEACH AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE YEAR,
AND THAT WAY THERE'S ACCESS TO ALL.
THE SEALS ARE PROTECTED BETTER, IT'S NOT JUST A ROPE YOU CAN GO UNDER AND OVER.
>> >>PEGGY: MAYBE WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THE MAP IS WE'RE LOOKING AT.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT?
THIS IS THE CHILDREN'S POOL IN LA JOLLA.
>> >>: YOU'RE LOOKING AT A SUMMER EDITION OF THAT PLAN.
IT KEEPS ABOUT 25% OF THE BEACH, WHERE THE SEALS TEND TO LIKE THE MOST DOWN BY THE WALL,
AND SURROUNDS THEM WITH A ROCK BARRIER SO THAT WE WON'T HAVE PEOPLE PETTING THEM, THEM
AND GOING UP TO THEM.
>> >>PEGGY: THAT'S WHAT THIS IS SUPPOSED TO DO.
PROBLEMS WITH THE ROPE BARRIER RIGHT NOW, IT SEEMS LIKE OBVIOUSLY THE PEOPLE WE KNOW,
THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO STOP.
>> >>: THE ROPE BARRIER, THERE'S NOT A LAW, PEOPLE WALK UP AND SEE A COMPLETELY OPEN BEACH
WITH NO SEALS ON IT, OR THEY WALK OUT OR SEE THE SEALS ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE BEACH OR
AND THEY WALK PAST THE ROPE UP TO THE SEALS.
>> >>PEGGY: YOU'VE BEEN OVER AT THE CHILDREN'S POOL FOR YEARS AND YEARS, WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN
AS FAR AS HARASSMENT OR INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR EITHER BY THE VISITORS OR THE SEALS THEMSELVES?
>> >>: HARASSMENT OF THE TOURISTSÊ NOBODY HAS A RIGHT TO MAKE KIDS CRY.
MY LIFEGUARDS HAVE BEEN PUT ON YOUTUBE, THEY'VE BEEN HARASSED.
BUT PEOPLE CONTINUE TO YELL AT KIDS, TO YELL AT PEOPLE AND TO INTERJECT THEMSELVES AS AN
ACTIVIST WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO SO.
>> >>PEGGY: THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO PROTECT THE SEALS OR SEA LIONS THAT ARE
THERE YELLING AT EACH OTHER.
HOW ABOUT TOWARDS THE THE ACK ANIMALS?
>> >>: I DON'T SEEÊ I SEE INNOCENT NAIVE PEOPLE TRY TO PET THEM, TRY TO DO OTHER THINGS
STUFF LIKE THAT, BUT BOTH GROUPS ARE GUILTY OF HARASSING.
>> >>PEGGY: ALL RIGHT.
HARASSING EACH OTHER WE SHOULD SAY.
IS THIS A DANGEROUS SITUATION HERE?
I HAVE PERSONALLY OVER HEARD PEOPLE SAY THEY'RE MORE AFRAID OF US THAN WE ARE THEM AS FAR
AS THE SEALS GO, IS THIS DANGEROUS?
>> >>: THE SEALSÊ IN THE WATER AREN'T AFRAID OF YOU AT ALL.
THEY COME UP, SCRATCH YOU, PLAY WITH YOU, AND DO ALL KINDS OF STUFF.
ON THE LAND, I BELIEVE THEY FEEL VULNERABLE.
I THINK THEY NEED A PLACE BEHIND THE BOULDERS WHERE THEY HAVE A PLACE OF THEIR OWN WHERE
THEY CAN RELAX.
>> >>PEGGY: HOW BIG ARE THESE BOULDERS?
HOW DO YOU MOVE THEM AND HOW MUCH IS IT GOING TO COST?
>> >>: THAT'S THE NICE PART ABOUT IT.
IT'S CITY EQUIPMENT.
WE MOVE THOUSANDS OF POUNDS OF SAND EVERY YEAR FROM ALL OVER THE BEACHES.
IT CAN BE MOVED WITH EXISTING STAFF, THEY MEED MOO NEED SOME AUGMENTING MONEY TO AUGMENT
THE STAFF, BUT IT'S NOT A BIG PROCESS.
TWICE A YEAR, YOU LIFT THE BOULDERS, MOVE THEM OVER, CLEAN UP SOME OF THE SAND CONTAMINATED
WITH FECES.
YOU HAVE TO IMAGINE THAT IF NOBODY CLEANED UP THE DOG PARK YOU GO TO EVER.
WE HAVE 300 SEALS AND NO ONE'S CLEANED UP THE CONTAMINATION.
>> >>PEGGY: SO THERE IS CONTAMINATION IN THE CHILDREN'S POOL, BACTERIA LEVELS, IN THE WATER
AND ON THE SAND.
>> >>: THE POOL IS A MAN MADE STRUCTURE.
IT'S THE ONLY PLACE I KNOW IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THAT'S NOT FLUSHED OUT BY THE NORTH, SOUTH,
OR WEST SWELL.
YOU HAVEÊ JUST LIKE WE BUILT IT, IT'S ARTIFICIAL, WE HAVE TO CLEAN IT.
>> >>PEGGY: YOU'RE GOING TO BRING THIS TO THE LA JOLLA COMMUNITY PLANNING BOARD TOMORROW
NIGHT.
IS THAT ENOUGH TIME TO GET IT BEFORE THE COASTAL COMMISSION?
>> >>: IT WILL ACTUALLY GO TO THEM TONIGHT.
IT'S ALREADY BEEN TO PARKS AND BEACHES.
ALREADY THE COMMUNITY GROUPS HAVE VOICED THEIR OPINION NOT TO SUPPORT THE ROPE.
WE'RE CONCERNED THE COASTAL COMMISSION MIGHT COME IN AND VOTE SOMETHING THAT'S NOT EMBRACED,
I GUESS, TBHIE COMMUNITY ITSELF.
>> >>PEGGY: IF THEY SAY NO TO THE ROPE, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY SAYING YES TO THE BOULDERS?
>> >>: CORRECT.
THAT WHD GIVE US TIME TO GET THE GROUPS TOGETHER, BOTH SIDES BACK TO THE TABLE AND PRESENT THE
PLAN.
IT'S SOMETHING EVERYBODY CAN BE HAPPY WITH.
IF THEY BUY INTO IT, THEY'RE LESS LIKELY TO FIGHT, WHICH IS SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE, SOMEWHERE
REASONABLE.
>> >>PEGGY: ED HARRIS, THANKS FOR JOINING US.