June, 2008                                                      IMPORTANT ALERT!

Dear Members and Friends of Los Cerritos Wetlands:

During the past few months, the Long Beach Department of Development Services surveyed Long Beach residents about updating the Southeast Area Development and Improvement Plan known as SEADIP.  Its report has been submitted to the City Manager,  Mayor and City Council. Craig Beck, Director, states:

The survey responses indicate there is broad support for updating SEADIP (Yes=79 per cent).  The survey also provides some key themes for consideration.  In order to move forward, staff intends to take the following next steps:

• Meet with environmental and wetlands groups to determine the needs and characteristics of a successfully restored wetlands.
• Meet with Coastal Commission staff to determine their areas of concern and expectations of a revised SEADIP.
• Meet with area property owners to determine their interest and willingness to participate in a process to update the zoning and designate the wetlands within the SEADIP area.
• Ascertain the cost and feasibility of a Jurisdictional Delineation (JD) to determine wetland boundaries.

I anticipate this will take about 45-60 days.  With a better understanding of the various interests and costs associated with updating SEADIP, a study session would be scheduled with the City Council to discuss a recommendation for moving forward. (See full report at: www.longbeach.gov/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=18997.)

Those who participated in the survey strongly favor preserving Los Cerritos Wetlands. This does not, however, assure the most favorable legislative results.  Before any vote on the matter, we want to remind our Council members:  1) how important these wetlands are to the city, not only aesthetically, but also economically, and 2) how much their constituents care about preserving the wetlands.  The members of the Board of Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust will continue to do their part in the first task--informing the Mayor and Council about the importance of this vital area.  We cannot, however, do the second job as well as our members and friends:  emphasizing to the Mayor and individual Council members how much their constituents care about what happens to the wetlands.

We ask, therefore, that you print, fill out and mail to us the form that follows.  We will deliver the returned forms to the City Council members.  In this way each will learn there is a substantial number of constituents who take great interest in Los Cerritos Wetlands and who watch the Council’s votes on matters affecting the wetlands and their surroundings.

Please complete the form and drop it in the mail now; and please tell your family, friends and neighbors.

Be sure to check our website regularly for the date when SEADIP will come before the City Council.  We will need your attendance at that Council Meeting.

Thank you for your continuing support.

The Board of Directors

Dear Councilmember:

I ask that any plan for the Southeast area of Long Beach include the following

zoning decisions: (check as many as concern you)

___   Purchase, preserve and restore for the public all remaining wetlands.

___   Undertake no new development on open lands (wetlands).

___   Limit the height, footprint and density of redevelopment projects

          to current levels or less.

Comments:________________________________________________

Name/Signature:____________________________________________

Address:__________________________________________________

Zip Code ____________Council District, if known_________________ 

Please mail to:      Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

                                   for Long Beach and Seal Beach

                              P.O. Box 30165

                              Long Beach, CA.  90853