City of los angeles general plan

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CITY OF LOS ANGELES CONSERVATION ELEMENT

Adopted September 2001

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The study has found that, although SMMNRA is a largely undeveloped

area, wildlife corridors and habitats have been encroached upon and

fragmented by urbanization. Some corridors have been eliminated,

forcing animals to cross roads or use culverts and roadway underpasses

to access their territories. The study is monitoring the use of such

introduced passageways. Other studies have arrived at the same

conclusion. In recognition of the impact new transportation systems can

have on wildlife corridors, the U.S. Congress (1998) authorized funding

under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) for

wildlife corridor protection relative to proposed federally funded

transportation projects, including mitigation of potential vehicle and

animal conflicts, e.g., construction of animal tunnels.

Ocean habitat. See Ocean Section.

Coastal wetlands. Wetlands are transitional lands between water and

land systems where the water table is usually at or near the surface or

the land is covered by shallow water, e.g., marshes and bogs. Wetlands

in the city are associated with springs, streams, rivers (e.g., Tujunga

Wash) and lakes, as well as the ocean. Among the largest and most

threatened wetlands are the coastal wetlands. Wetlands filter and

cleanse water of pollutants and provide wildlife habitats. During the

20th century an estimated 95% of the wetlands along the Los Angeles

coast disappeared, largely due to water being diverted by flood control

and drainage systems, development of wetlands, encroachment, water

contamination and other impacts associated with urbanization. 

Only remnants of coastal wetlands have survived in the city. The

largest is in the Westchester-Playa del Rey community. It is the

Ballona wetlands, an identified SEA. Approximately 374 acres of the

wetlands are within the Playa Vista development project. Much of the

wetlands, Ballona Creek Channel and associated dune and habitat areas

are proposed by the project for habitat enhancement, including wetlands

restoration, creation of a freshwater marsh and establishment of a

riparian corridor.

Within the Venice community is the Venice Canal System, which is an

SEA, a city historic monument and an important part of the wetlands

system. The Venice Local Coastal Program, Venice Community Plan and

Venice Coastal Zone Specific Plan contain policies and regulations to

guide public and private canal enhancement and protection. 

The Ballona Lagoon is part of the system. It connects the canals to the

Pacific Ocean. Over the century since the canals were built as a part

of a unique subdivision (1905), accumulated sediments have impacted

water circulation and pollutants and human activity have damaged the

ecology of the canal system. In 1988, concerned citizens formed the

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CITY OF LOS ANGELES CONSERVATION ELEMENT

Adopted September 2001

II-33

Ballona Lagoon Marine Preserve (BLMP) to protect and restore the

lagoon. BLMP's efforts led to the lagoon restoration and enhancement

project (1997), which is nearing completion. To gain greater control of

the lagoon, the city swapped city-owned lands for private land on the

west bank and, along with the California Coastal Conservancy, acquired

additional land control through easements. Upon completion of the

project the city's Bureau of Street Services will assume responsibility

for maintenance of the lagoon. Plans for additional enhancements and

public access improvements are under consideration.

In 1993 the Bureau of Engineering completed the Venice Canals

rehabilitation project. Begun in 1991, it included dredging of the

canals to improve water circulation, construction of new canal banks,

reconstruction of several bridges, replanting canal banks with

indigenous and compatible vegetation and improvement of public access,

including construction of bikeways and pedestrian paths. Upon

completion of the project the Bureau of Street Services assumed

responsibility for canal maintenance.

Habitat protection legislation.

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). CEQA requires evaluation

of potential impacts of proposed projects on biodiversity, habitats,

wildlife dispersal and migration corridors. Potential negative impacts

are to be avoided, minimized or mitigated to a level of insignificance.

Off-site mitigation may be employed to reduce on-site mitigation

burdens on a project.

The Bolsa Chica Restoration Project in neighboring Orange County is an

example of the application of off-site mitigation for a Los Angeles

based project. Bolsa Chica is a combined federal-state management

project headed by the California Coastal Conservancy. The project

includes the purchase of approximately 880 acres of oil fields and

restoration of almost 600 acres of wetlands to establish a habitat

preserve. Although a variety of agencies and private parties are

contributing funds to the project, the bulk of the funding for land

purchase and restoration is from the ports of Los Angeles and Long

Beach. They have contributed millions of dollars, as part of their CEQA

mitigation requirements, to compensate for natural resources lost

within the harbor due to harbor expansion.

Development of the city's Geographic Information System (GIS) will

greatly assist in CEQA evaluation and the mapping of environmental

data. In a cooperative effort, the planning department and other public

agencies are recording data from a variety of information sources for

every parcel of land in the city. Environmental and other

geographically based data will be accessible by system users, including

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