Negotiators Hopeful About Wetlands Deal

Hopeful that a firm deal is at hand, federal and state resource officials are busy planning a gathering Tuesday morning in a Bolsa Chica parking lot to salute the expected public purchase of the long-embattled wetlands next to Huntington Beach.

The guest list includes U.S. Assistant Interior Secretary George Frampton and California Secretary of Resources Douglas P. Wheeler.

But planners quickly add a caveat: The event won’t go on unless talks continuing through this weekend produce a hard-and-fast deal.

The announcement faxed from Washington on Friday evening contained a bold-faced warning to reporters and television crews: “Subject to cancellation by prior notice through Monday.”

Negotiators are racing to forge a deal so that the State Lands Commission on Wednesday can approve the state’s purchase of 880 acres of Bolsa Chica from landowner Koll Real Estate Group.

While many officials on Friday were sounding more optimistic about the deal than they have in months, they also were fretting that it could self-destruct at any time.

“It’s always possible that another shoe drops, or another issue comes on the table,” cautioned one participant in the talks.

Added another source close to negotiations: “I’m not going to declare victory in my own mind until Sunday night or Monday morning.”

Environmentalists have long pushed for public ownership of Bolsa Chica, California’s largest unprotected coastal wetlands south of San Francisco.

Fueling the current rush are fears that nearly $40 million in Port of Los Angeles money, virtually half of the funds needed to buy and restore the land, could evaporate forever unless a deal is struck within days.

A major breakthrough came Wednesday night when two oil companies and Koll Real Estate Group agreed on a way of dividing up pollution cleanup responsibilities at the wetlands-turned-oil field.

Sources confirmed Friday that a deal is now nearly within reach, and that both public and private parties now appear to agree in concept.

Said Koll Senior Vice President Lucy Dunn: “I’m very excited that we’re so close.”

Susan Hersberger, spokeswoman for oil operator CalResources, added: “We’re very optimistic, very optimistic, that we’re going to come to a successful conclusion on this.”

Negotiators were geared up to work today and Sunday, faxing thick legal documents around the country, from government agencies in Sacramento and Washington to Koll’s Orange County offices, to oil company offices in Bakersfield and Bartlesville, Okla.