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times, I am just a plane ticket away from throwing in the towel.
Not being one who is encumbered by property or children, at any
time I am free to leave San Diego in search of greener pastures.
Considering that green pastures no longer exist in coastal Southern
California, finding "greener" pastures would not be
difficult.
 If things
continue on their current course, sooner or later, we will all
be environmental refugees. It is often said that extinction is
forever, but until that moment there is always hope. Case in
point is the recent discovery of a local species of fish that
was thought to be extinct for at least 50 years. The species
of which I speak is the anadromous Oncorhynchus mykiss,
also known as the southern steelhead trout. Native to California's
rivers from Santa Maria to the Mexican-American border, this
species has all but disappeared from fresh water courses south
of Malibu Creek in northern Los Angeles county.
Although
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Department
of Commerce and the National Marine Fisheries Service have declared
steelheads to be presently in danger of extinction, due to "widespread
degradation, destruction, and blockage of freshwater habitats
within the region, and the potential results of continuing habitat
destruction and water allocation problems." Because the
Marine Fisheries Service has yet to admit that steelhead exist
in San Diego County, it doesn't honor any struggling populations
with protection under the Endangered Species Act.
If in fact
steelhead no longer existed in local waters, this would be a
non-issue. But considering that a small population was discovered
last year in Camp Pendleton's San Mateo Creek, being recognized
by governmental agencies is incredibly vital to that population's
continued existence. According to the 1996 status review of west
coast steelhead, coauthored by the National Marine Fisheries,
the bureaucracy that won't acknowledge the existence of southern
steelhead, "in years of substantial rainfall, spawning steelhead
can be found as far south as the Santa Margarita River."
Perhaps if the Santa Margarita River was restored to a fraction
of it's former self, steelhead would also return there as well.
If ever
there was a reason to hope, this discovery of a few fish is it.
Thought to be history, unlike many other species, this one has
actually managed to retain a tenuous grasp on survival, despite
all the machinations of humans. Now I know I am usually the king
of doom and gloom, but let it be said I know a positive thing
when I see it. Better yet, if it is a remote possibility to pull
the California condor from the brink, why not steelhead trout,
the California gnatcatcher, fairy shrimp, and the Quino checkerspot
butterfly?
This is
why I refuse to move to Cuba. I believe that if enough Californians
decide that native animals are worth saving, then it can be done.
I also believe that if those of us who have been fighting the
good fight were to concede defeat, it would be that much easier
for the bulldozer boys to finish developing the little open space
that remains. Perhaps this is why the local steelhead population
is being ignored: if agencies actually acknowledged the presence
of this critically endangered species, they would have to adopt
measures to protect them and their diminishing habitat.
Imagine
the legacy we could leave future generations of Californians
if we were to harness all the energy that we put into destroying
the environment, and redirect it to the effort of restoring it.
If you ask me, that task is more daunting than putting men on
the moon, and twice as rewarding. Not only will it prove the
measure of our ingenuity, it will also evidence our capacity
for compassion.
But where
to start? I suggest the first thing on our agenda is to let the
responsible agency know this species matters. To do this, the
Southern California office of the National Marine Fisheries Service
should be flooded with phone calls and letters. I would also
encourage letter writers to forward a copy of all correspondence
to their congressional representative. It also wouldn't hurt
if local elected officials were asked to chime in. If we are
to save steelhead trout from extinction, Californians have to
mount a concentrated effort on their behalf. Anything short of
that would be too little, too late. Not only do we owe this endeavor
to our children, but to ourselves as well. Saving this local
species from immediate extinction is the test of a lifetime.
Personally, I think we're up to it.
Please
write to: National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Region,
Protected Species Management Division, 501 W. Ocean Blvd. Suite
4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213; or call (562) 980-4000. 
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