Letters to the Editor

The below is a copy of an email I sent to Parks & Recreation in hopes of bringing attention to the circumstances, with the hope of some resolution. I have yet to get a reply from anyone. It is my hope that if you can somehow make this public then people will pay attention & seek a resolution. Thank you in advance for your assistance.

To Whom It May Concern: 

My name is Henry T. Benoit. I have been a resident of San Pedro, CA since 2013. I reside at 4026 S. Gaffey St. I am just a few hundred feet from Point Fermin Park. It is a beautiful location that I have been enjoying for the 13 years I have lived here.

I am writing you out of concern for what I have witnessed at Point Fermin Park. I often stroll around the park. The problem: There has been a remarkable increase in the population of squirrels in the park over the last few years. It has gotten to epidemic proportions. 

It is astonishing to see the number of squirrels that have populated the park. I don’t know whose responsibility it is to monitor the condition of the park, but what I have noticed is the eroding of the soil and vegetation that supports the concrete fence on the south side of Point Fermin, which is the result of the squirrels tunneling underground where they live. Inevitably it is most likely that the fence will come down when there is no more foundation to support it.

What is contributing to this rapid population of growth is the fact that many people are feeding the animals. Some of them are being fed so well that they are literally “fat”! But this is the least of the problems. I am afraid that with adults & children feeding the animals that someone will be bit. Then the city will have a large lawsuit on their hands.

As I said earlier, I like to stroll around the park for exercise but now I don’t like going over there because when I sit down to rest the squirrels come gathering around looking for me to feed them. I have to chase them away.

I know this all may sound silly and humorous but it is a serious problem that some day will come back to bite the city. I would like someone to look into this matter to see the problem and make a determination of how to resolve it.

There are terrific events that happen at Point Fermin annually that attract a lot of people, but with the population of squirrels as it is and continues to grow, I don’t believe that people will be comfortable visiting the park. Please, do something!

Henry Thaddeus Benoit