But Banning Ranch is also a rare remnant of Southern California coastal ecosystems that have been largely destroyed by roads, shopping centers and neighborhoods. Steve Kinsey, a Marin County supervisor who is chairman of the Coastal Commission, remarked that "some of this highly disturbed area wouldn't be my definition of ESHA ." Martha McClure, a Del Norte County supervisor, called the oil field a "400-acre mess." The future of the Newport Banning Ranch site, where developers want to build a hotel and hundreds of homes, now rests with the California Coastal Commission — which is engaged in its own struggle for identity. "I reject any suggestion that my comments were intended to pressure staff," he said — emphasizing that in his email to Sarb, he had stated that Coastal Commission "staff have complete autonomy" in making recommendations.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 07, 2016 04:29 UTC