As Caltrans District 11 director, I want readers to know that the settlement agreement achieved what Caltrans had been seeking from the Jamul Indian Village for the past three years – a commitment that the tribe would follow the department's same processes that would be expected from any property owner with potential impacts to the highway. This includes participating in the encroachment permit process and producing a detailed environmental document showing the various alternatives. When such a document is prepared, public input would be solicited from concerned community members. Readers should not be misled by this editorial – there are no secret deals or yielding of public control.

PEDRO ORSO-DELGADO