I reside in beautiful Santa Clarita, CA. The SCV, as it is known, is one of the fastest growing cities in California. But more than just people have been moving into the area. Man made lakes in the posh Valencia community of Bridgeport have attracted a a growing population of a bird that looks much like a small duck. Well the exploding "Coot" population has spurred residents to ask the HOA to relieve them of some of the Coot population. It should come as no surprise that the local, and even out-of-area enviro-nazis will have none of that. My wife Christine,  penned an editorial for our local paper the Santa Clarita Signal that I would like to share with you now.

Who Gives A Coot?
By Christine Korenthal

Now, let me just say that I love animals. I really do. I adopt from shelters, donate to the ASPCA, and love to see animals in their native habitats. I have very fond memories of going to the park with my Nana and feeding the ducks at the pond near her old home in Santa Monica. I think that conservation is important and that animals deserve the right to live in relative peace in their own territory. I am also, however, a big fan of individual rights, specifically the right of people to own private property and to do with that property what they choose, with little interference from outside forces. Unfortunately, in today's culture of the "Nanny" society, everyone seems to think that they have the right to tell others what to do with their property, their pets, their children, what they should and should not eat and anything else that strikes their fancy. It makes me very uncomfortable to see strangers increasingly inspired to tell me when I have done something "bad" and making a stink over what should be none of their business.

Enter the coots. These birds are lovely to watch. I would imagine that to someone walking or driving by the water in the Bridgeport community, they appear beautiful. A piece of wildlife right in the middle of our growing city. However, to the property owners, these birds have become a menace. Imagine having to lay down sod every year after these birds have gone, because they have destroyed your landscaping. The lawn that you look at every day, ruined. The yard you bought for your children to play in, picked clean. Your property value decreased. Finding the time and money to fix it. Imagine piles of dung left on your neighborhood sidewalks, yards, and driveways. You resolve to consult your HOA and your neighbors, who agree that certain steps must be taken to remove these pests and you go through the legal steps to do it. Then, local environmentalists, who are not affected by the damage, step in telling you to "just deal" and "leave the coots alone". Well, these residents shouldn't have to put up with it and no one should expect them to.

Saying that people should just ignore it is easy when the property is not yours and you are not the one affected. It is easy to simply appreciate the birds and say they are beautiful and then go home to your clean, polished yard. When I visited my father's house a few years ago and heard the geese fly overhead that first morning, I couldn't wait to get a look at them. And I was in luck! They were in the park, right behind his house. I thought their noises were charming, at least on the first morning or two. I thought it would be neat to go see them up close, but I was unaware that they would get aggressive if you came out while they were in the park. So after finding that out, I waited until they left and tried to take my daughter to the park. What a mess! The grass was a sea of goose droppings. Yuck, talk about a reality check! But there was a difference. The park was a city park, not a man-made waterway on private property. Dad couldn't appeal to an HOA and the birds weren't actually damaging his property, so he left well enough alone and put up with it. The residents of Bridgeport do not have to. The birds are on their turf. Coots are not an endangered species, therefore eradicating them should not be a public issue. In fact, they are quite prolific and will carry on in other areas. The homeowners ought to be able to protect their investment and do with the birds what they will. Anyone who has a problem with it should just deal....or build a pond in their back yard and invite the coots to take up residence there. Any takers?

Christine Korenthal is a 20 year resident of Santa Clarita. She is a stay-at-home mother and blogs at SoCalPundit.com.