Letter to City Council

From: Jason Mraz
Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2017 3:05 PM
To: City Council
Subject: 7 generations thank you.

Dear Mayor Wood and honorable city council members,

I am writing today to ask for your grace and patience. As a resident of Oceanside for 13 years, I am excited about the Ag potential for our unique region.

I understand we are in a period of transition: from retiring farmer to new, from mono-crops to diversification, hass avocados to exciting specialties like coffee, wine and cannabis. With these new changes I believe much value will come to our region - so much so that I believe it will attract new growers and visitors to Oceanside.

I do understand the current landowners' need to make his/her ends meet, but I hope we have a little more time to implement the needed improvements while finding new customers/landowners to help honor and save our precious resourceful agricultural land.

Please don't be quick to allow a rezoning for medium or high density development. Please don't sell out Oceanside's precious green reserve. Once we pave over it, it's never coming back. 

The museum tour at Mission San Luis Rey begins with a scene of Luiseño Native Americans who lived in our river valley for thousands of years. They were able to dwell for so long because they made their decisions carefully, always considering the next 7 generations.

When the colonists arrived a little more than 2 centuries ago, we ignored the wisdom of the natives, dammed the river and covered much of the natural world with asphalt and unsustainable homes. Will council choose to pave over what's left?  I hope not.

Will future generations grow here? Or will our food sources become an import?
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Please help save a precious resource and be on the good side of history.

Thank you,
Jason Mraz

References:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_generation_sustainability
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-marijuana-cultivation-20160510-story.html
http://www.cacoffeegrowers.com/new-page/