The annexation of the Santa Margarita Ecological Preserve by the city of Temecula is a good thing for area residents. It comes before the Riverside County Local Agency Formation Commission on Thursday. Write letters in support of it.

By opposing the dirty industrial complex proposed by Granite Construction, Temecula has demonstrated its desire to keep our surrounding hills pristine. Not only are these hills the reason so many people live here, the city is trying to save the 6,600 tourism jobs that exist because our community is beautiful.

The reason for annexation is so that our community can be in control of what happens to our surrounding hills. As it is now, those decisions are made by people who live in Palm Desert, among other places. Perhaps Paul Jacobs is correct that the City Council didn't go far enough to challenge the last LAFCO ruling, but the city is still trying to protect the remaining non-quarry lands.

Granite, the megacompany that wants to put in the massive Liberty Quarry, an asphalt plant and a concrete plant in those same hills, could care less about our community and how its operations will ruin it, but it has not publicly opposed the new annexation bid.

Company officials are spreading propaganda daily and trying to be a "good neighbor," so opposing an annexation bid that doesn't include their land would look bad. Enter Carl Burke, the apparent Granite spokesman.

In his June 13 Community Forum, Burke does not mention he is a member of the Temecula Murrieta Club, which has publically stated it is pro-Liberty Quarry.

Burke does imply that Temecula will be on the hook for planning more community services to the region, which is a stretch. Riverside County already supplies police services to Temecula, like it does to the proposed annexation lands, so the city of Temecula won't have to organize these services or hire new police officers. Taxes from San Diego State University will offset any services provided to the ecological preserve, just like they do now.

Also, Burke questions why there is no environmental impact report for annexation.

EIRs occur when a project may alter the environment. For example, the draft EIR bought by Granite states its project will have unavoidable impacts on air quality, among other things.

A city doesn't need an EIR just to take over jurisdiction, but if the city allows more industrialization, that company would need to produce an EIR. More EIRs will be needed if Riverside County is in charge of the lands. If Temecula is in charge, fewer EIRs because there will be less industrial development.

Burke was sending up smoke screens and implying falsehoods in an effort to derail the annexation process, and it is clear that he is doing so on behalf of Granite ---- a company that is showing it is not a good neighbor for our community.

We need to preserve our crowning glory ---- our beautiful hills. The city is right to think forward and try to annex them so they can protect them.

ROBERT LOCKE lives in Temecula.