Conservation issues past and present
of concern to
CNPS San Gabriel Mountains Chapter
As of January 25, 2012
Below are some of the conservation issues in our territory (the San Gabriel and eastern San Fernando Valleys). They are in various stages of planning and development. Some are open for hearings and comments. Some are not and are listed here for reference only.
If you know of others or if you know of meetings dates, please contact us and we will update this page. The order in which items are listed does not necessarily indicate priority.CNPS STATE CONSERVATION PAGE
CNPS is active at the state level in many conservation areas. Click here for the CNPS state web page.
PETITION IN SUPPORT OF IVANPAH VALLEY ACEC
The following comes to us from the CNPS State Conservation Chair on February 17, 2012:
“I am writing to all today to ask you to consider signing a petition, created by desert conservation groups, to elevate BLM land management protection for the whole of Ivanpah Valley, in CA and NV. The Ivanpah Solar project represents a "threshold" project heralding the review and possible approval of more massive projects in the area. To prevent further ecological damage to this desert valley identified as core, intact desert habitat by recent studies, there is a petition to nominate the valley as a BLM Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). There are significant rare plant populations and plant communities threatened in this valley, and these are described in the ACEC petition. This nomination campaign needs individual signatures, which can be provided on-line. Please consider signing the petition, and forwarding the sign-on website to your Chapter members so more plant and wildlife conservation advocates can sign on as well.”
Relevant links:
- Basin and Range Watch
- Wording of the petition
- Sign the on-line petition
RIM OF THE VALLEY CORRIDOR
Rim of the Valley Special Resource Study
The National Park Service is conducting a "special resource study" of the area known as the “Rim of the Valley Corridor.” This is the area that generally includes the mountains encircling the San Fernando, La Crescenta, Santa Clarita, Simi, and Conejo Valleys of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties in southern California. See the National Park Service web page for details.
For current status, see the summary of comments and calendar of events in the NPS Newsletter No. 2, Summer 2011.
SAN GABRIEL WATERSHED AND MOUNTAINS
Special Resource Study
The National Park Service is conducting a “special resource study” of portions of the San Gabriel River watershed and the San Gabriel Mountains.
The NPS is extending the public comment period for the Draft San Gabriel Watershed and Mountains Special Resource Study and Environmental Assessment to February 13, 2012.
There are several ways to comment. You can provide your comments online at http://nps.gov/pwro/sangabriel, you can send an email to pwr_sangabriel@nps.gov, or you can send a letter.
For further information, see the NPS Special resource study web page.
DEVIL’S GATE RESERVOIR SEDIMENT REMOVAL AND MANAGEMENT PROJECT
Environmental Impact Report
A project to remove sediment from behind Devil's Gate Dam is vital to the health of the Arroyo Seco flood control system. In March 2011, in recognition of stakeholder and environmental concerns, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors directed LACFCD to complete an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) which would assess the impacts associated with removing sediment from within the reservoir. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors also directed that an Interim Measures Project (IMP) be implemented each year to reduce downstream flood risk until the EIR is completed and a sediment removal project is implemented. Details of the IMP can be found in the Devil's Gate Board Motion Report. In 2011, 13,000 cubic yards of sediment was removed from the dam face and is temporarily being stored in Johnson Field, a decommissioned spreading basin.
Public Commenting and Scoping Period Has Ended: The public commenting and scoping period for the Initial Study has ended. LACFCD will now begin work on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR), incorporating the comments received during the scoping period into the document. See the L.A. Dept of Public Works web page on this subject.
See also the Urban Network web page for a counter argument.
MONROVIA HILLSIDE WILDERNESS PRESERVE
Comment period closed
Wilderness Reserve EIP, RMP moving along: The Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is available for review. Click here (final) for the official notice and final documents. The original Draft documents from August 3rd are also available and can be found here (draft).
Please click here for the Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Hillside Wilderness Preserve. This page includes the plan and the presentation to the Community Services Commission on Tuesday, December 13th.
SAVE THE MONTEBELLO HILLS
Comment period closed
Sierra Club Montebello Hills Task Force: We will continue to fight the development of the The Montebello Hills, the last large area of open space left between the Los Angeles River and the Rio Hondo — approximately 480 acres. See the Sierra Club web page.
Montebello Hills Specific Plan: The City of Montebello is currently processing an application for the Montebello Hills Specific Plan. The area encompasses the 488-acre property owned by Plains Exploration & Production Company (PXP), covering the Montebello oil field. The Montebello Hills property is located in the northeastern portion of the City of Montebello, near the cities of Rosemead and Monterey Park to the north, and unincorporated areas of the County of Los Angeles and the Whittier Narrows Flood Plain to the east. For details, see the City of Montebello web page.
WALNUT CREEK HABITAT AND OPEN SPACE PROJECT
The Walnut Creek area encompasses approximately 60 acres of natural habitat and wildlife. This project area is important for its potential visitor recreation opportunities, open space values, ecological diversity, wildlife habitat, and native plant communities. See the City of San Dimas web page, and also the Watershed Conservation Authority's bulletin.
PROPOSED LA TUNA CANYON SEDIMENT PLACEMENT SITE
The Los Angeles County Flood Control District (LACFCD) is no longer separately pursuing the development of the La Tuna Canyon Sediment Placement Site. See Urbanwild Network's page.
WHITTIER NARROWS NATURE CENTER
a.k.a. San Gabriel River Discovery Center
The San Gabriel River Discovery Center is being developed to provide a hands-on, indoor and outdoor learning experience where more than 100,000 local students, families, and nature enthusiasts per year will learn the story of the San Gabriel River Watershed.
Grant request rejected (see L.A. TImes article of April 16, 2011): California State Parks authorities have rejected a request for a $7-million grant needed to begin construction on a controversial $22-million, 14,000-square-foot Discovery Center at the Whittier Narrows wildlife sanctuary in South El Monte.
WATERSHED CONSERVATION AUTHORITY
The Watershed Conservation Authority's web site describes plans developed or being developed for the following areas (some of which are covered above):
- Azusa River Wilderness Park — along Highway 39 in San Gabriel Canyon near the northern boundary of the City of Azusa. [More details]
- Duck Farm — along the San Gabriel River on the northern portion of the former Woodland Duck Farm site in La Puente [More details]
- Walnut Creek Habitat & Open Space Project — 60.9 acres located in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County adjacent to the City of San Dimas.[More details]
- Whittier Narrows Recreation Area — in the flood control basin behind Whittier [More details]
SOUTH PASADENA NATURE PARK
A small piece of land along the Arroyo Seco in South Pasadena was saved from development through the work of a group of determined citizens. In October of 2004 the three-plus acre nature park was opened to the public. See Weeding Wild Suburbia blog.
VULCAN AZUSA ROCK EIR
Vulcan Materials Company or its subsidiaries owns several parcels of land in Azusa. Three parcels make up the 190 acres allowed for mining under the current Conditional Use Permit (CUP). Vulcan wants to expand the mining operation by adding the west-most 80 acres to a new CUP. See the Save Our Canyon web site.
OAK WOODLANDS
In Los Angeles County: The primary goal of the Los Angeles County Oak Woodlands Conservation Management Plan (OWCMP) is to develop a consistent policy for the management of oak woodlands that can be incorporated into the Los Angeles County General Plan and other relevant planning documents. Developing a comprehensive and cohesive strategy for dealing with loss and creating opportunities for recovering oak woodlands at a commensurate rate should be the focus of planning and community efforts. The OWCMP provides the platform to accomplish the following goal: “Oak Woodlands are preserved and restored so that they are conserved in perpetuity with no net loss of oak woodlands.” We understand that an implementation plan is under development.
In the City of Arcadia: Early in 2011 an oak woodland in Arcadia was removed to make way for the dumping of sediment from Santa Anita Reservoir and other reservoirs in the area. Click here to see the letter we submitted to Los Angeles County Supervisor Antonovich.
