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Rivers & Mountains Conservancy - March 2024 |
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A Message from the RMC's Executive Officer
Dear Friends,
In 1999, the idea of a state conservancy tasked with the acquisition and preservation of open space and parks along the San Gabriel and Lower LA rivers was quite controversial. In 1998, State Senator Tom Hayden introduced SB 2010 which would have allowed the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to manage projects along the San Gabriel River. The bill passed the Senate but failed in the Assembly. Local leaders from flood prone areas vehemently opposed the bill, and it was worried that the Malibu based conservancy couldn’t adequately represent local interests. The next year, women with incredible political ability and vision united local interests, legislators, environmentalists, and the community to create the RMC as we know it today, our agency’s founding mothers.
After the defeat of Senator Hayden’s bill, the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments sought to create a new conservancy that would serve as a clearinghouse for public and private grants to restore and protect the San Gabriel River, along with the Arroyo Seco in Pasadena. The effort was led by Monrovia Councilwoman Lara Blakely, who recognized the urgency of acquiring open space for the preservation purposes before developers. The COG began talks with then State Senator Hilda Solis about introducing legislation. As a child in La Puente, Solis would often visit Marrano Beach near Montebello to play in the river, she knew that the river could become a destination for the millions of residents living nearby. Shortly after Senator Solis introduced a senate bill, Assemblywoman Sally Havice introduced a similar bill that also included the lower half of the Los Angeles River in the new conservancy’s territory.
While groups from the San Gabriel Valley envisioned a park lined naturalized river, city officials from lower-lying portions of the river remained more concerned with the river’s use as a flood control channel. After months of negotiations, brokered in part by State Secretary of Resources Mary Nichols, the competing Assembly and Senate bills eventually mirrored each other. The conservancy’s governing board would include members from both sides of the flood control issue, and its territory would be expanded to include the Lower LA River and portions of Orange County that are part of the greater watershed. Senator Solis’s bill and Assemblywoman Havice’s companion bill were signed by the Governor in 1999 creating the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy we know and love today.
In May of 2010 during the RMC’s 10 year anniversary celebration, then-U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis was recognized for her many groundbreaking efforts to protect and enhance the health of the San Gabriel Mountains and watershed. The Hilda L. Solis River Overlook was dedicated in her honor, and remains a popular location for visitors to the mountains today. This Women’s History Month, we pay homage to our agency’s founding mothers, and recognize the contributions of all women who play a role in the preservation of our state’s natural resources. We also remember the generations of women who preceded them paving the way to empowerment, and celebrate those who carry on their legacy. Happy International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month!
See you on the trails,
-Mark
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Cudahy LA River Area Improvement Project
 In January the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy Board approved a $2.1 million Proposition 1 grant to the City of Cudahy for its LA River Area Improvement Project, which will support the transformation of three key sites for community access, habitat restoration and water management near the Lower LA River.
The first project site’s enhancements include safety and lighting upgrades to the Lower LA River Bike Path and adjacent area along River Road, improving 98,427 square feet of degraded river parkway with over 5,000 drought tolerant native plantings. Other amenities include pedestrian upgrades, a robust community engagement process with interactive art workshops, bioswales and passive irrigation for water capture, public seating, and more.
The second project site, Clara Bridge Slopes, removes over 50,000 square feet of concrete to construct terraced California native plant restoration gardens that provide habitat for LA River birds, pollinators and small mammals. The project will help manage stormwater and increase groundwater recharge in an area that is prone to flooding. 42 large shade trees will be planted to promote carbon sequestration and reduce the urban heat island effect.
The third project site, the Otis Avenue Pocket Park, will convert an empty lot into a new recreation and gathering space near a dense residential neighborhood. The pocket park will include 15 shade trees and over 6,000 square feet of native landscaping and grasses. Work on this project has already begun, RMC funding will complete the latter portion of the total project scope. Cudahy residents can look forward to this project’s completion by as soon as November 30, 2024.
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Welcome Karen Diaz
 Welcome to the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy’s newest Conservancy Project Analyst, Karen Diaz!
As an Angeleno, Karen (they/she) is thrilled to join the RMC and work on projects rooted in community building, accessibility to urban green spaces for communities of color, and native California landscape stewardship. After graduating from UCLA with dual Master’s degrees in Urban and Regional Planning and Public Health, they served as a Relationship Manager for NeighborWorks America. Here Karen managed a portfolio of community development and housing non-profit organizations providing technical assistance, board governance, grant opportunities, and leadership development so that their work can have a bigger impact in their respective neighborhoods. Karen is also a yoga teacher and enjoys taking dance classes, long walks along the LA River with their corgi (Blue) and visiting National Parks. They are so incredibly excited to contribute to RMC’s mission of accessibility to open spaces, education, and restoration.
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Azusa Wilderness Park Temporarily Closed,
Wildfire Prevention Grant
 Two atmospheric river events in February saturated the hillsides at Azusa Wilderness Park, home to WCA’s El Encanto headquarters and a popular hiking trail. Shortly after a rain event, a massive landslide completely blocked the park’s main trail in dramatic fashion. Los Angeles County, responsible for maintaining the park’s trails, has begun its assessment of the situation and plans for trail restoration.
Assessments of the park’s trees will also be conducted. As soil is saturated with water, tree roots can become unanchored which can lead to trees falling unexpectedly as they lean out of balance. Fortunately no structures have been damaged and no injuries were reported as a result of the landslide.
Recent wildfires have contributed to the likelihood that such landslides will continue to occur. According to the California Department of Conservation, burnt soil and vegetation on slopes more than doubles the rate that water runs off which raises the risk of slides. In January the RMC awarded $8.7 million in wildfire prevention grant funding to the Watershed Conservation Authority. Under this grant, WCA efforts will focus on areas at of risk for wildfire, such as the forest areas of the San Gabriel Mountains, brush along urban waterways and vegetative overgrowth in the Puente Hills and Palos Verde Hills, and areas in upper Orange County. The WCA will support its community partners in increasing their resilience to wildfire and improvement of fire safety. Additionally, these funds will be used to promote sustainable land use, investment in wildlands management, and the protection of cultural resources vulnerable to wildfire.
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State Coastal Conservancy Approves Land Exchange
 On February 16h the California State Coastal Conservancy Board approved the highly anticipated land exchange agreement between Los Cerritos Wetlands LLC, and the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority. The exchange, while still awaiting the State Department of General Services and LCWA’s Governing Board’s approval, would result in nearly 150 acres of the upper Los Cerritos wetlands being transferred to the authority. Plans call for the creation of a visitor center, trails, and the restoration of what are currently oil fields, transforming them back to healthy wetland habitats. This agreement will allow for public access to the wetlands which have been under private ownership for decades. In exchange, Los Cerritos Wetlands LLC will receive a 5-acre parcel currently used for commercial purposes, with a deed restriction that will prohibit any future oil operations. Additionally, nearby oil operations will cease 15 years earlier than previously expected or required.
This is an important milestone for an exchange years in the making, stay tuned for additional details and updates as this land exchange is finalized by the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority, the State of California, and LCW LLC.
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 For more information on this opportunity, please visit CalCareers
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