Become a member of (or renew your membership in) the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust. Being a member means you are helping protect our local wetlands. Plus you get to do cool things, like vote in our upcoming Board election.

If we have your address, then you probably received our annual membership renewal letter by now. But if we only communicate with you via email (the environmentally friendly way to go 'cause we don't waste paper) then sign up to be a member by clicking the Donate button. An annual membership costs only $15 ($10 for seniors or students) and every member we get makes a difference. Then after you join or renew, mark your calendar to attend our annual meeting on March 30th. Look for further details in future emails, but for right now don't forget to join(or renew) your membership in the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust today.

I thank you, and the plants and animals that depend on the wetlands to survive thank you also.

It's not too late to attend this fun event, where you can enjoy art, wetlands and wine!

There is still time to make plans to attend this great art event hosted by wetlands advocates Eric Zahn and Taylor Parker of Tidal Influence. In partnership with Fourth Street Gallery and the Pike restaurant, they are sponsoring the 2nd AnnualWetlands Day Celebration this Saturday, February 27th at6:00 PMat the Fourth Street Gallery. The photos on display at this event showLong Beach's greatwetlands in some new and interesting ways.

Click here to see the flier about the event linked tothe Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust website.

Fourth Street Gallery is located at 1850 E. 4th Street near Cherry and next to the Pike restaurant. Should be a great time and a chance to connect with other wetlands activists and environmental advocates.

For more information about the event email info@tidalinfluence.com

Proposed tank farm removal goes before Planning Commission this Thursday. Please attend.

Tank Farm Adjacent to Wetlands

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

The tanks above have been around for a long time. They were constructed during a time when our society was less aware of how important wetlands are to the health of an ecosystem. In today's world, something as large and potentially dangerous as these tanks would not likely be permitted so close to a fragile habitat area. So...while on the face of it, it would appear to be a good thing that the tanks (or at least some of them) are proposed to be removed, as always, the devil is in the details.

Doesn't it just make sense to have as much information as possible about the tanks and how best to remove them before you start that process? Of course it does, and that's why we think that a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR) should be done before the tank removal process begins. And in this case, it is also the moral thing to do since the tanks sit so close to two schools. The potential exposure of children to any hazardous materials that might be released if this project moves forward is a serious concern and should be addressed before anything else.

Unfortunately, the City of Long Beach, so far, doesn't see it that way. The city has proposed the land owner be allowed to pursue the less rigorous route of environmental review known as a mitigated negative declaration. We think this is wrong and have sent, in partnership with University Park Estates Neighborhood Association (UPENA), an updated letter to the city telling them why a full EIR is necessary. Click here to read our letter.

Since the city still persists in pursuing the irresponsible path of less information, the issue of the tank farm removal comes before the Planning Commission this week. We hope you will attend and ask the Planning Commission to tell the tank farm owner that they will require a full EIR before this project is allowed to move forward. It is the sensible, moral and legal thing to do.

• What: Long Beach Planning Commission Meeting
• When: Thursday, February 18th, 5:00 PM
• Where: Long Beach City Council Chambers
  333 W. Ocean Blvd
  Long Beach, CA 90802

Click here for a map.

Why: To help tell the city Planning Commission that a full Environmental Impact Report is necessary before demolition of the tank farm can begin.

Hope to see you there.

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

P.S. If you can't attend the meeting but want to let the City of Long Beach know that the tank farm removal proposal merits a full EIR in order to fully protect our wildlife and community, please send an email to city planner Craig Chalfant at craig.chalfant@longbeach.gov.

Everyone knows either oil or grease and wetlands don't mix!

If you read the District Weekly, or LBReport, or any of the other local media outlets, you probably know about the oil/grease spill(s) on our local wetlands, and not just on any part of the wetlands but on the parcel that is perhaps to be traded to the city as the major part of the proposed land swap.

Not only does this concern us because of the terrible harm oil (or grease) can do to wetlands habitat, but it also reminds us that it is very unclear how much of the land that is supposedly under protection would remain off limits to the public due to the ongoing oil drilling that would be allowed under the proposed land swap. Wouldn't it just make sense to have in advance that sort of information before the city starts committing scarce resources to this badly thought out proposal? That's what we think, and we hope you do too.

To read more about the oil/grease spill(s), click on the links below.

Click here to read former Los Cerritos Wetland Land Trust Board member Ann Cantrell's take on this issue in LBReport.com.

Click here to read the story in the District Weekly. Their article contains some interesting quotes from the land owner's lobbyist.

And for those of you who like your information straight from the California Emergency Management Agency, you can click here to read their official report. BTW they used the phrase oil spill, a small one yes, but nevertheless, an oil spill. We are lucky it was small this time, but what about the next one?

Enjoy art and photography. . . and wetlands. And maybe even have a glass of wine. I know I will.

Check out this fun event that wetlands advocates Eric Zahn and Taylor Parker of Tidal Influence are promoting. It's art. It's photography. It's wetlands. It's art and photography about wetlands. It's the 2nd Annual Wetlands Day Celebration, and it's happening on Tuesday, February 23rd and Saturday February 27th, 6:00 PM at the Fourth Street Gallery.

Fourth Street Gallery is located at 1850 E. 4th Street near Cherry and next to the Pike restaurant. Should be a great time and a chance to connect with other wetlands activists and environmental advocates.

Click here to see the flier about the event linked to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust website.

For more information about the event email info@tidalinfluence.com

2^nd Annual Wetlands Day Celebration

Click here to learn details about the 2^nd Annual Wetlands Day Celebration.

Studebaker Tank Farm Removal Project

Click here to see the most recent comment letter from the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust and the University Park Estates Neighborhood Association regarding the proposed Studebaker Tank Farm Removal Project.

Celebrate Valentines Day by getting outside and showing your wetlands some love! Check out the educational and stewardship opportunities below.

Steamshovel Slough at the Los Cerritos Wetlands. 
Photo: Cindy Crawford

Dear Friend of Los Cerritos Wetlands,

There sure has been a lot of rain lately--rain we need and that the wetlands need also. But unfortunately rain brings a lot of trash into our wetlands and we could use your help cleaning it out andhelping to restore them. A great way to do that is to participate in one of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Stewardship public events. There are several planned for this month, and you are invited to participate.

MonthlyTrash Clean Ups: Save Our Beach is hosting trash clean ups staring at 9:00 AMon Friday, February 19th and 26th. Meet at the corner of 1st and PCH in SealBeach to help rid our wetlands of trash anddebris. Email kim@saveourbeach.org for more information or to RSVP.

Habitat Restoration:

Los Cerritos Wetlands Stewards are hosting wetlands restoration eventson Fridays at 3:00 PM and on Saturdays at 10:00 AM. Upcoming events are scheduled for February 12th,March 6th and March 12th.Meet at Shopkeeper Road and Second St. to participate. Email eric@tidalinfluence.com for more information or to RSVP.

Birdwalk at Gum Grove Park: Don't miss this opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy the places we are working to protect. Join our birdwalk and check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands from the Orange County side on an early springbird/nature walk in Gum Grove Park in Seal Beach.It's a wonderful time of the year to enjoymigratory ducks, shorebirds, herons, egrets. and songbirds.If you have questions, pleasecontactMary Parsell ateldoradoraudubon@yahoo.com

• When: Saturday, Feb. 13, 8:00 a.m., RAIN CANCELS.
• Where: Gum Grove Park, off Pacific Coast Highway at the border of Seal Beach and Long Beach. Meet at theAvalon Streetentrance of the park.

Tank Farm Removal Moves Forward to Planning Commission on February 18th. Sure, it would be nice for the tanks to be gone; but it must be done in an environmentally responsible way.

Tanks next to the wetlands.

The tanks are ugly. The tanks are full of toxins, and who knows what. The tanks are old and falling apart and should be dealt with. Yes, all that is true. But removing the tanks is a big task and could pose threats to human health if done improperly. The removal should be done in an environmentally responsible way. So then, why is the city proposing the tank removal be done without a full environmental impact report (EIR)? We and the University Park Neighborhood Association (UPENA) both think that is a bad idea. We have sent one letter to the city outlining our concerns, and now that the project has changed, we plan to send another letter.

Click hereto read our first letter to the City and stay tunedfor the next one.To quote from the letter prepared for us by the law firm of Chatten-Brown & Carstens "The proposed Studebaker Project would have potentially significant impacts on the biological resources, air quality, traffic, hazardous materials and land use regulations. It is located. . .less than a 1/2 mile from two schools, and adjacent to the Los CerritosWetlands. . . . Therefore the City must require preparation of a legally adequate EIR before the city proceeds further with its considerationof the Studebaker project."

We encourage you to share your thoughts with the city regarding the importance of the city planners requiring a full EIR before approving this project. Take a moment and send a letter tocraig.chalfant@longbeach.gov. Mr. Chalfant is theplanner assigned to this project.And it sure wouldn't hurt to send a copy to your local councilmember, whom you can find by clicking here.

News: Once in a while it can be funny. See below.

It is important to remember that robust wetlands play an importantrole in protecting communities from the effects of global warming because they can absorb water and mitigate flooding caused by sea rise. But with this recent spate of cold weather, some have questioned if global warming is still real. Steven Colbert, famous for his "tongue in cheek" analysis of the news, has a very funny response entitled "We're off to see the blizzard" and you can see it if you click here . Our Valentine's Day gift to you is this very funny video clip. Enjoy.

And if you want to give the Los Cerritos wetlands a Valentine's gift, we now have a link to PayPal on our website, which you can access by clicking here. PayPal is a safe, secure way to donate to help the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust continue to be a forceful advocate for our local wetlands. So if you are able, pleasemakea donation by clicking here.

Happy Valentines Day and thank you for caring about our local wetlands.

Join Our Birdwalk at Gum Grove Park.

Don't miss this opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy the places we are working to protect. Join our birdwalk and check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands from the Orange County side on a winter's bird/nature walk in Gum Grove Park in Seal Beach. Gum Grove Park borders on property that the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority hopes to purchase. RSVP to Mary at eldoradoaudubon@yahoo.com

When: 8:00AM, Saturday, February 13th
Where: Gum Grove Park, off Pacific Coast Highway at the border of Seal Beach and Long Beach. Meet at the entrance of the park.

Directions from Long Beach: take PCH to Mar Vista; left on Mar Vista; left on Coastline; right on Catalina; left on Avalon; Avalon dead ends in the parking lot. Click here for a map.

Rain cancels.

Our General Meeting is Tuesday, January 26th. You won't want to miss it.

Steamshovel Slough at the Los Cerritos Wetlands. 
Photo: Cindy Crawford

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

In the course of working for so many years to protect the environment, I have been privileged to meet a lot of interesting and passionate people. One of those people is Paul Arms, now President of the Bolsa Chica Land Trust. He has been involved with Bolsa Chica over a decade, and will share the story of Bolsa Chica and his love of the people who helped save this important Southern California wetlands.

The Bolsa Chica Land Trust was formed by a small group of Californians who believed that one of the last standing wetlands ecosystems in Southern California was worth preserving for future generations. The Land Trust now includes more than 5000 members from throughout California and twenty other states. Through hard work, community activism and vision, the members of the Bolsa Chica Land Trust engaged the public in the process of saving the Bolsa Chica ecosystem.

The mission of the Bolsa Chica Land Trust is to acquire, restore and preserve the entire 1700 acres of the mesa, lowlands and wetlands of Bolsa Chica and to educate the public about this natural treasure. The Land Trust conducts educational programs to build awareness about the role of the Bolsa Chica wetlands system in the natural and urban environment and to tell the story of its rich history. The Land Trust's Bolsa Chica Stewards have been working since 1996 on the mesa re-vegetation project. To understand the scope of the Land Trust's work, consider these facts: over 2,000 volunteers have spent more than 15,000 hours replanting more than 8,000 native plants on the mesa. Volunteers of all ages are bringing the mesa back to life. The Bolsa Chica Land Trust is still fighting.

Over the many years that I have known Paul, he has been unfailingly focused, cheerful, and optimistic, convinced that by working together people can win and prevail....no matter what environmental cause we are championing.

We are excited to share with you the news that Paul Arms will be our featured speaker for the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust's upcoming Tuesday evening general meeting. I urge you to attend and hear, first hand, how smart strategy and hard work helped bring about the protection of the Bolsa Chica wetlands and how we too, by working together, can achieve the same victory for our local wetlands.

Mark your calendars and plan to join us:

• What: Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust General Meeting
• When: 7:00 PM, Tuesday, January 26th
• Who: Special Guest Speaker, Paul Arms, President, Bolsa Chica Land Trust
• Where: Belmont Shore Mobile Estates Community Center. Belmont Shore Mobile Estates is located on Loynes between Studebaker and PCH.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Elizabeth at ejlambe@verizon.net.

See you there!

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust letter to the City of Long Beach

Click here to read the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust letter to the City of Long Beach regarding the proposed conservation easement.

Notice of Final Action that the City of Long Beach sent to the Coastal Commission

Click here to read the Notice of Final Action that the City of Long Beach sent to the Coastal Commission earlier this week.

Latest on the Illegal Grading at Loynes and Studebaker.

Illegal Grading Issue Headed to the Coastal Commission.....Maybe.

We were very disappointed to hear that the City of Long Beach thinks it has done enough to hold the land owner accountable on the illegal grading issue for a "Notice of Final Action" to be filed with the Coastal Commission.

As you may recall, after a lengthy hearing on the matter, the Planning Commission asked their staff to come back to them with a remediation plan for the parcel. Ms. Van Horik, one of the Commissioners, spoke for most of us by saying "Enough is enough," after hearing the story of what happened at the time of the grading in March of 2009. It was clear to everyone we have talked to and the reporters covering the hearing that the requirement for a remediation plan was a condition of the Planning Commission's approval of a retroactive permit for the capping of the methane leak that 2H Construction caused with their illegal grading. BUT, since the language was imprecise (which happens sometimes after an intense 4-hour meeting) the city has decided they can uncouple the remediation plan from the approval. And with that they have sent on to the Coastal Commission a "Notice of Final Action." Click here to see the notice on our website. The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust is certain that this action on the part of the city goes against the intention of the Planning Commission's vote at a very fundamental level. It is likely to be illegal as well.
We think it's too bad that, once again, the Coastal Commission has to be the arbiter of an issue that could easily have been better handled at the local level, but wasn't. What is particularly galling in this case is that at the time of the grading there was not only a big outcry from the public but also from many council members. And yet it appears that, once again, the city is willing to give this influential land owner a "free pass".

Note: Los Cerritos Land Trust, Audubon, and others asked for restoration; the Planning Commission's final wording was "remediation." There is a difference between restoration and remediation. Restoration is the ideal because it returns the land to its previous state, which is what we are seeking for this important habitat area.

We will, of course, appeal the city's actions to the Coastal Commission. But we wish we didn't have to. We wish the city would hold those who break the law accountable, and not allow special exemptions for some.

As we learn more we will keep you updated.

Best Regards,

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Yet Another Turn in the Road for the Proposed Land Swap.

In what appears to be an effort to avoid dealing with approval by the Coastal Commission of the new lot that the land swap would create, the city's latest idea is to create instead a conservation easement.

What? You might be thinking that a conservation easement is exactly what the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust wanted in order to guarantee that the wetlands would be safe and protected while awaiting transfer someday from city ownership to the public trust. But this latest proposal is not the kind of conservation easement we had in mind, and it is on the wrong parcel of land. This conservation easement is being proposed solely for part of the 4 acres next to the In-n-Out Burger, land that was added at the last minute to meet an acreage requirement of this ill advised deal. And it appears to us that the purpose of this proposed easement is to avoid having to go before the Coastal Commission...who might have a lot of tough questions for the land swap proponents.

Our attorney sent a letter to the city, outlining our concerns, which you can see by clicking here, and we will share with you the city's response when we hear back from them.

We think this poorly conceived conservation easement is just more evidence that the land swap doesn't contain sufficient guarantees for the protection of the land, is too expensive for the city, and has too many unresolved soil contamination problems. Rather than keeping on reconfiguring this deal, the city should back out and let the land owner deal directly with Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority, an agency whose sole purpose is the acquisition and restoration of Los Cerritos Wetlands.

(Please note, that this item was on the city council agenda for the Tuesday, January 19 meeting, but the item has now been "pulled".)

Read the Latest News

Click here to read what LBreport.com has to say about the latest twist in the land swap proposal.

Good news for fellow wetlands protectors...the Bolsa Chica Land Trust. Click here to read the details in the Press-Telegram.

There is always interesting information on Heather Altman's blog, Egrets Not Regrets. Click here to read her take on the illegal grading and more.

Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust and University Park Estates Neighborhood Association letter to the City of Long Beach

Click here to read the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust and University Park Estates Neighborhood Association comment letter to the City of Long Beach.

2009 is on it's way out, and 2010 is just about to begin.  It's a good time to let you know the latest regarding the Los Cerritos Wetlands

Tank Farm Adjacent to Los Cerritos Wetlands

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

We have wondered for a while what might eventually be proposed for the large "tank farm" area that was once proposed as a Home Depot. And now we know. What the land owner wants is a vehicle storage/auction/junkyard kind of thing. What we and other wetlands supporters would like to see there is a project or development compatible with a wetlands natural resource. However, what is being proposed is another disappointing, short-sighted and inappropriate project.

As in the past, this time the potential impacts of this proposal appear to threaten the health of humans and wildlife. The area with the tanks is full of toxins, toxins that the Department of Toxic Substances Control has determined need to be cleaned up. Now the land owner wants to dismantle the toxin filled tanks, break them up and haul them away, grade the land and cover it with gravel. While we can certainly see the benefit in getting that area cleaned up, it must be done in way that is responsible to the local community and the wetlands. What makes sense is for the city to require an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). An EIR would fully evaluate the effects of dismantling the tanks, hauling them away, and covering the site with gravel.

But so far the city doesn't see it that way and has agreed to a lesser review process (known as a mitigated negative declaration), We disagree and so does the University Park Estates Neighborhood Association, so we have sent a letter to the city outlining our concerns and advocating for the fuller environmental review process. Click here to see our letter to the city. Since the city has recently decided to delay the process on their end, we are hopeful that they are coming around to our point of view. But we don't know for sure. So in the meantime we are keeping up the pressure, not only on behalf of the wetland creatures that may be affected but for local community members also. A special concern is the students at the two schools located nearby. Don't they deserve the fullest environmental review and protection possible? We think so, I'll bet you think so, and the city should think so also.

See you in 2010!

Best Regards,

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust


P.S. We hope one of your New Year's resolutions will be to make a tax-deductible donation to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust. Click here to make a safe and secure donation via our website.

Media coverage of this latest threat to our wetlands.

For more information check out the links to local media coverage of the car storage/junk yard proposal.

Click here to read the latest on LBReport.com which includes a great map of the area and details about the city's slipping timeline on the project.

Click here to read the Long Beach Press-Telegram's story on the proposed development.

You will always learn something new by checking out Heather Altman's blog, Egrets, Not Regrets. Click here to get Heather's perspective on this latest issue and more.

Happy Holidays from the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust and a look back at 2009.  Whew!  What a year.

photo credit: Cindy Crawford

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

2009 brought a lot of challenges for those of us committed to protecting the fragile Los Cerritos Wetlands. From standing up to the bulldozing of habitat at Loynes and Studebaker, to watchdogging an ill advised land swap to challenging the proposed development at 2nd and PCH, it has been a busy year! Our heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who has given time to write a letter, take a friend on a wetlands bird walk or help to spread the word about the importance of protecting Los Cerritos Wetlands.

It hasn't been easy standing up to those who seek to exploit our local wetlands. After all, there is much money to be made from taking this natural resource and using it for profit and personal gain. But one thing I know for sure, and that is the wetlands would look very different today if it weren't for the strong support from the community for wetlands protection and restoration. Without community support, a giant Home Depot Design Center (defeated in 2007) may well have been looming over our wetlands. Without community support, the portion of the wetlands that is on it's way to being in the public's hands might never have happened. I know I speak for all of us when I say that we look forward to the day when Los Cerritos Wetlands will be protected and restored and be a valued place not only for threatened and endangered species but people to enjoy as well. For an example and for a fun holiday experience, take a walk around the wetlands of Bolsa Chica, stroll along the edge, bring your family and friends and maybe a pair of binoculars to check out the birds and have a great time. Then imagine being able to do the same, here locally, over at Los Cerritos Wetlands. Imagine a wetlands that have been robustly restored, with nature trails, a nature center and educational programs for schools, scout groups and community groups to enjoy.

It is not an impossible vision. Not at all. It is a vision that we can obtain by working together, sticking together and fighting back as many times as it takes to to halt the relentless march of development that threatens this important and fragile area. And we can't do it without you! So thank you and see you in 2010!

Best Regards,

Elizabeth Lambe
Exeuctive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

P.S. I encourage you to give mother nature a gift this holiday season by contributing to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust. If you received our holiday appeal in the mail, I hope you will mail in a contribution as soon as you can. Remember, your donation is tax deductible. Or you can contribute electronically by clicking here!

Planning Commission's common sense vote means justice (we hope) for the illegally graded habitat at Loynes and Studebaker.

More than 9 months after the parcel of land at the corner of Loynes and Studebaker was illegally scraped bare, the case was finally heard last night by the City of Long Beach Planning Commission, and their vote, which came after three hours of testimony, was the right one. The Planning Commission voted unanimously to issue a retroactive permit for the necessary capping due to methane gas that was unleashed during grading. They coupled that permission with a directive that the land owner restore the land to what it once was. They also directed city staff to work with the land owner to provide the Commission with a plan on how the restoration will be accomplished.

There has been a lot of disagreement about the status of this land. Is it wetlands or not? Is it environmentally sensitive habitat or not? Did it sustain endangered or threatened species or not? We say yes to all these questions. The land owner says no. But while there is disagreement on a lot of things, there should not be disagreement on what should be done, and that is to restore the land to what it once was. True enough, it's not easy to do when the land has been dramatically altered, capped with foreign dirt, and reconfigured into what can only be described as a dirt parking lot. That's why it is important to follow the law and get the permits you need before engaging in hours of bulldozing.

But there is sufficient information out there to make the land's restoration to it's previous state practical and possible. There are historical photos of the property. There are reports by reputable biologists who, by observing the remnants that were left around the edges of the scraped land and by noting its environmentally sensitive habitat characteristics, can draw reasonable conclusions about the prior status of that property. What's more, there are eyewitnesses, like the residents of the nearby mobile home park, who observe that land every day.

We are thankful that the Planning Commission didn't buy the argument that since the land is scraped and ugly now, it is not worth the effort to do real research and work to figure out a plan to restore it. Our request was always a reasonable and moderate one. We were asking for simple justice. Put the land back the way it was. And then, once that has occurred, the land owner can go through the required legal processes to determine what zoning and coastal laws he must follow.

Best Regards,

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetland Land Trust

P.S. The Planning staff have 90 days to come back to the Commission with a plan for restoration. We hope to be an active and helpful partner in determining what that plan should look like and how it should be implemented. Stay tuned!

Plenty of press coverage of last night's Planning Commission meeting. Clicking on the links below will fill you in on all the details.

Covering the meeting last night were representatives from the Long Beach Press Telegram, the District Weekly and LBReport.com. Read their take on Planning Commission meeting and it's outcome.

Click here to read the Press Telegram report of last night's meeting.

To read the District Weekly's coverage of the Planning Commission meeting click here.

Clicking here will take you to the LBReport.com coverage of last nights meeting. Their coverage includes on-demand audio!

And finally, get the perspective of wetlands activist and environmental consultant Heather Altman by reading her blog, Egrets not Regrets. Click here.

Give yourself a gift this holiday season. Get outside and walk the Los Cerritos Wetlands or help restore them. Details below.

Birdwalk
Environmental activist and Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust Board member Mary Parsell will be leading a wetlands birdwalk at 8 AM on December 12th. It is a great opportunity to get to know the Los Cerritos Wetlands from the Orange County side.

What: December Birdwalk
Where: Gum Grove Park, off Pacific Coast Highway at the border of Seal Beach and Long Beach. From Long Beach take PCH to Mar Vista, left on Mar Vista, left on Coastline, right on Catalina, left on Avalon. Avalon dead ends in the parking lot. If you own a pair of binoculars, we encourage you to bring them.

For more information or to RSVP email Mary at eldoradoaudubon@yahoo.com

Wetlands Restoration
The Los Cerritos Wetland Stewards will be conducting several events throughout the month of December focused on non-native weed removal and rare native plant conservation. For details about what is involved or where to meet, email joyousbird@rock.com.

• Saturday, December 5th - 10-12:00 pm
• Friday, December 11th - 3-5:00 pm
• Friday, December 18th - 3-5:00 pm
• Saturday, December 19th - 10-12:00 pm

For further information about the Los Cerritos Wetlands Stewards, check out their website at www.lcwstewards.org.

11/30/09 Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust links

Click here to read the letter from the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust to the Planning Commission.

Click here to read the recently approved Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust Bylaws.

Land Swap. The deal now must address the discovery of toxic PCB's and the creation of an illegal lot, and to top it all off.....now an ultimatum to close escrow by December 31st. What else could go wrong with this strange deal?

The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust strongly supports efforts to protect and preserve our local wetlands. And at first look we were hopeful that a proposal to swap some city owned urban land for some of the Los Cerritos Wetlands would be a good deal for the wetlands, the city and the landowner. But as more information about the land swap came out, it became clear that what was being proposed is a doubtful deal all around.

Since the City Council voted 5 to 4 to approve the land swap, we have learned some interesting things. We have learned that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has discovered toxic PCB's on the land and has opened an investigation to determine how widespread the contamination is. Who will bear the cost of cleanup is still not clear even after the report by the attorney for the EPA to City Council.

We have learned that the deal will have to go before the California Coastal Commission before it can be officially and legally approved, despite the city's assertions that the illegal lot they created is not an issue.

And now we have learned that the land owner, apparently impatient with processes put in place to protect the public and the environment, has laid down an ultimatum and informed the city, in a letter from his attorney, that the city has to close escrow on this land deal by December 31st, or he is pulling out.

We can't help but ask Why the rush? What is the big problem with thoroughly vetting and analyzing all these problems, even if it takes time? This land swap will only benefit from thorough review, where all environmental and legal issues are fully understood. To take the time to understand these things is not only reasonable but sound public policy. We urge the city to hold off and not enter escrow until they have ensured this is a good deal for all.

And we continue to insist that to truly deserve the support of the public and of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust this deal must include enforceable guarantees the land will be protected and preserved while it awaits it's transfer to the public trust.

Click here to read about the land swap ultimatum.

Click here to read the letter to the city from the land owner's attorney.

As events unfold we will keep you updated on the latest news regarding all aspects of the Los Cerritos Wetlands.

Best Regards,

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetland Land Trust

Illegal land grading goes before the Planning Commission on Thursday, December 3rd. We hope new information from a recent Coastal Commission decision will help them do the right thing.

As you may recall, the city's first opportunity to hold the land owner accountable and require that he restore his illegally graded land was disappointing. Despite information from three independent biologists (one hired by the city) that the land had been an environmentally important habitat area, Derek Burnham, the city's zoning administer, did next to nothing to hold the land owner accountable. As always, we wonder if the city would be so lenient if you or I decided to dramatically alter land we owned without a single permit from the city or any other authority.

However, since that tepid response from the city, the California Coastal Commission heard a very similar case from Huntington Beach, where a land owner illegally graded and filled wetlands, and the Commissions' reaction was very different. Not only did the Coastal Commission require that the land owner pay a large fine, but they required an "order to restore" which means that the landowner must restore the property back to the way it was. We think that is extremely logical and the minimum anyone could ask for and that is exactly what we are asking of the Long Beach Planning Commission. The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust sent a letter to the Planning Commission expressing our views (Click here to read the letter.) and we hope that they hear us and take our advice.

We urge you to attend the Planning Commission meeting where this item will be heard. The Planning Commission will be meeting this Thursday, at 5:00 PM, at City Hall. Join us if you can, and do your part to ensure justice is done for the wetlands and the plants and animals that depend on them.

Hope we see you there!

Hooray! Hooray! The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust has new and improved bylaws. Thank you to all our members who voted "yes"!

Thanks to all the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust members who took the time to review our proposed bylaws and approve them. We worked hard to update our bylaws so that we would have a relevant and efficient set of rules to guide us as we continue our work of protecting and preserving the Los Cerritos Wetlands. We went to great effort to ensure that the new bylaws comply with a culture of "best practices" that modern non profits strive to achieve. This culture includes not only up-to-date bylaws but a code of ethics for board members and a transparency policy also. If you want to check out our new bylaws, they are still up on our web site and can be viewed by clicking here.

Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust letter to the city

Click here to read the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust letter to the city about the proposed Second and PCH development proposal.

Letter from the Coastal Commission to the City of Long Beach

Click here to see the letter from the Coastal Commission to the City of Long Beach.

Details about the Second and PCH development proposal and it's impact on local neighborhoods and on local wetlands remain fuzzy. Attend the meeting tonight and help us get further details.

The City of Long Beach Department of Development Services community meeting for the proposed Second and PCH development is tonight!

• When: 5:30 PM, Monday, November 16, 2009
• Where: Wilson High School
• Media Center
• 4400 E. 10th St.
• Long Beach, CA 90804

We've said it before and we'll say it again. We all want the comer of Second and PCH to be revitalized and become something we can be proud of. But we want it done in a way that includes guarantees that promised amenities won't vanish when funding gets tight, that doesn't create burdensome traffic, violate local zoning and, of course, doesn't harm the important eco-system that is the Los Cerritos Wetlands.

It surprises us that some fellow community members would embrace unequivocally this development project when details remain so scarce. To do so without real information about what the project will look like, what kind of traffic it will create and what the ramifications of spot zoning are for the rest of the city--and even for the whole California coast--is to invite future problems.

We can certainly see how some of the "concepts" that the developer uses to describe this project are appealing and persuasive. After all, who wouldn't want to see a "Mediterranean village" at the corner of Second and PCH? But exactly what that means remains a mystery, and all the pretty pictures and fancy websites that the project proponents have created don't answer some basic and fundamental questions, questions that must be answered satisfactorily before anyone at the city gives the green light to the proposal. These basic questions are laid out below. We encourage you to.pick one and modify it in a way that best reflects your concerns, then ask it at tonight's meeting. And keep asking it until you get an answer you can believe.

Our top 4 questions and concerns about the Second and PCH development proposal, all of which involve the wetlands:

1. Traffic. Exactly how much will be created, and how do you plan to mitigate it? And how can you guarantee that the increases from a 12-story tower with 325 residential units, 191,000 sq. ft. of retail, a 100-room hotel, 21,000 sq. ft. of restaurant space, a theater and marine science learning center are even possible to mitigate?
2. Environmental Concerns. Increased traffic and density, run-off from more cars and new hard surfaces, a giant 12 story building getting in between the wetlands and the nearby water, more air and noise pollution--all these will affect directly the health of Los Cerritos Wetlands. We need specific information about these effects, not vague promises that the developers are taking care of them.
3. Guarantees. Commuter bike station, wetlands viewing platform, theater. How will the developers guarantee that the promised amenities don't vanish if funding for the project dries up?
4. Spot Zoning. Why should this project be exempted from current zoning so that the developers can build a 12 story structure? Especially when you consider that the current zoning has been proved to be preferred by the community. What happens, if this project has been given an exemption from height and density limits, when the next application for an exemption for another development comes around? And the next? And the next?

We will keep asking these questions until we get good answers and hope you will too.....tomorrow night at Wilson High School.

See you there!

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetland Land Trust

Coastal Commission votes to hold those accountable that illegally destroyed habitat in the Coastal Zone. Decision has direct implications for the illegal land grading at Loynes and Studebaker.

Egret in Destroyed Habitat at Loynes and Studebaker

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

The California Coastal Commission, the government entity that interprets and enforces the Coastal Act, met in Long Beach last week. Of great interest to those of us who are wetlands advocates or just believe that everyone should follow the law, was the hearing about the Mills PCH LLC case. In this case a land owner drained, filled and leveled a 2-acre salt marsh next to the Cabrillo Mobile Home Park in Huntington Beach. Similarly to the illegal grading at Loynes and Studebaker, the land owner did not follow the legal process and had no permits or permission. We were happy to see the Coastal Commission require the land owner to restore the land to the way it was. Furthermore the Commission imposed a fine of $250,000. The point of the fine they imposed was to send a strong message to companies hoping to pave even small patches of coastal habitat that "grading now and asking for permission later" has consequences. This outcome in the Huntington Beach case sets an important precedent and gives us hope that our local wetlands habitat area, that was graded completely bare, will once again be restored to its previous state.

Click here for LA Times article.

The issue of the illegal grading at Loynes and Studebaker will be before the Long Beach Planning Commission sometime soon. If their decision doesn't require restoration of the land, it will be appealed to the Coastal Commission. We will let you know when and where the Planning Commission meeting will be heard and encourage you to attend.

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Another city-sponsored community meeting about the Second and PCH project is this Monday. Please attend.

The City of Long Beach Department of Development Services will hold a community meeting for the proposed Second and PCH development.

• When: 5:30 PM, Monday, November 16, 2009
• Where: Wilson High School
• Media Center
• 4400 E. 10th St.
• Long Beach, CA 90804

Click here to see the city's meeting notice posted on Egrets Not Regrets, an informative local blog.

While we want to see that corner of Long Beach improved and spruced up as much as anyone, we want it done in a way that doesn't violate local zoning, doesn't increase traffic and has enforceable guarantees that the amenities the developers talk about are more than just promises. And, of course, we want to ensure the project doesn't harm the creatures of Los Cerritos Wetlands. If the developer can meet these very reasonable standards, then we could be supporters of this development project, not opponents. We urge you to attend the meeting on Monday and help us explain to the developers and the city that the DEIR (Draft Environment Impact Report) must address these concerns. It is important not just to listen to the community but also to act on their suggestions.

For further information about the meeting or the project email City Planner Jeff Winklepleck at jeff.winklepleck@longbeach.gov

To learn how you can help the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust get out the truth about this project, email Elizabeth Lambe at ejlambe@verizon.net

City learns the hard way that they, like everyone else, have to follow the law....no matter how inconvenient.

The City of Long Beach sure didn't think much of the letter we sent informing them that the the addition of a newly created 4-acre lot to the swap of city-owned urban land for some forty acres of Los Cerritos Wetlands would require they go before the California Coastal Commission. The only way we found out the city didn't agree with us was through investigative journalist Bill Pearl, on whose website, LBreport.com, the city's response appeared. Click here to see the city's response. That triggered a response from the Coastal Commission, who sent a letter to the city concurring with the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust that the deal needed a Coastal Commission sign off. Click here to read the letter from the Coastal Commission. When all is said and done, we can only conclude that following the law is not only the right thing to do but gets a better outcome for everyone. It concerns us that asking that the law be followed is considered obstructionist by some. Zoning matters--a great deal. Getting permits before you embark on development in the coastal zone matters. Following the law matters. That is what we teach our children and it should apply to adults and to corporations and government bodies also.

Hear an inspiring speaker and learn about the role the Coastal Commission plays in protecting our local wetlands.

During my long career with the Sierra Club, I was privileged to
work with many inspirational and hard-working coastal protection advocates. But I have to say that it was the many years I worked with Sierra Club Coastal Director Mark Massara that bring back the most memories. From helping to protect the iconic pines of Monterey, to killing a giant polluting liquefied natural gas terminal off the coast of Ventura, to defeating a destructive toll road in South Orange County, I could always count on Mark for his robust advocacy, savvy strategic advice and crowd-stirring testimony and speeches. Having worked to protect California's coast for most of his career, Mark is not only a coastal hero but a coastal legend.

Early in his career Mark, as counsel for Surfrider in 1991, won a lawsuit against two pulp mill companies near Eureka, California that were dumping 40 million gallons of toxic effluents per day into the ocean. The penalty was the second largest collected for Clean Water Act violations. More recently Mark has signed on to advise the Al Gore project Dot Eco. Mark will serve as Senior Environmental Activist and oversee all policy formation and registration criteria for the proposed top-level domain. Click here to learn more about Dot Eco. Join us Thursday and don't miss this rare opportunity to hear from a guy that the Smithsonian has declared "an ocean hero."

Mark will brief us on what is new at the Coastal Commission and the role the Commission will play in our effort to protect the Los Cerritos Wetlands.

• What: An evening with Sierra Club Coastal Director Mark Massara
• When: Thursday, November 5th at 7:00 PM
• Where: The Belmont Shores Mobile Estates Community Center located at 6230 E Marina View Dr, Long Beach, CA 90803 on Loynes between PCH and Studebaker.
• For further information call 714/357-8576 or email ejlambe@verizon.net.

Second and PCH, a huge project with enormous ramifications for the environment and our local quality of life.

Whatever you might think of the proposed Second and PCH development, I think we can all agree on one thing: Before a giant retail/condo//hotel complex is constructed, it should be thoroughly analyzed and understood by the city, the community and the public. Why then is so little official and verifiable information about this project available? Sure you can go to the project proponents' fancy website, but those are just pretty pictures and words.....not facts. In order to help the city do as thorough an analysis as possible on this project....and do so right from the start, the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust has submitted comments on the project's Notice of Preparation (NOP). An NOP is what you do before you begin an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Unlike a fancy website, an EIR is a fact-based overview of a project, and the first step begins with asking the right questions. Our letter to the city is the first step in helping them ask the right questions. Click here to read our letter to the city, prepared by the law firm of Chatten-Brown and Carstens.

You have until November 5th to submit your own comments about what should be in the EIR by emailing them to
jeff.winklepleck@longbeach.gov

And to really get up to speed, attend the next city-sponsored scoping hearing on the issue, which will be on Monday, November 16th at 5:30 p.m. at Wilson High School.

For more information contact City Planner Jeff Winklepleck at 562.570.6607 or jeff.winklepleck@longbeach.gov.

Interesting angle on the city's inconsistent prosecution of crimes in Tuesday's LB Post

Retired Long Beach Deputy City Prosecutor John M. Fentis
thinks it is interesting the city is such a robust prosecutor of marijuana dispensaries when they break city law yet so tepid in its response to the illegal grading of the property at the corner of Loynes and Studebaker. While the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust has no views on the marijuana issue, we sure would appreciate it if Long Beach City Prosecutor Tom Reeves would go after the guy who illegally scraped land and uncapped noxious methane gas with the same vigor as he goes after others who violate laws in this city. We're just saying.........why the double standard?

To read the article and weigh in if you want to, go to The LB Post

Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust letter to the city about the proposed Second and PCH development proposal

Click here to read the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust letter to the city about the proposed Second and PCH development proposal.

The current Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust Bylaws.

Click here to read the new proposed bylaws for the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Click here to see the current Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust Bylaws.

Join us on November 5th to hear a fascinating speaker, coastal advocate and surfing attorney Mark Massara, talk to us about the role of the Coastal Commission in protecting our local wetlands.

If you haven't had the opportunity to hear Sierra Club Coastal Director Mark Massara speak about the role of the California Coastal Commission in protecting California's coastline, you are in for a rare treat. Mark does a great job of explaining the role of this important body and how they can help us protect the Los Cerritos Wetlands. Given the city of Long Beach's tepid response to the the illegal land scraping that took place back in February at Loynes and Studebaker, we can only hope the Coastal Commission has a better grasp on why that was wrong and what must be done to fix it. Plus, we hear the city has chosen to ignore our advice that the Coastal Commission must give it's approval regarding the land swap. So it behooves all of us (city included) to learn about the Coastal Act and the role it plays in governing coastal development and preventing coastal destruction.

• What: Special Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust meeting featuring Sierra Club Coastal Director, Mark Massara
• When: 7:00 PM, Thursday, November 5th, 2009
• Where: Belmont Shore Mobile Estates Community Center
• on Loynes between Studebaker and PCH.

To read more about Mark and his remarkable career protecting California's coastline go to www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Massara.

Have fun, meet new people and help the Los Cerritos Wetlands by helping at our newsletter assembly party tomorrow, Wednesday, October 28th.

We are gathering at 9:30 AM and will work all day stuffing, folding, tabbing and stamping to get out a brand new edition of our newsletter, The Rising Tide. If you have a few hours to help, we sure would appreciate it. Not only will you be doing a great service but you will also get a chance to spend time with local wetlands activists and meet people who share your views that our local wetlands should be preserved and restored. We will supply the coffee, bagels and snacks if you can make the time to join us and help. And if we don't get finished in the morning, we will have afternoon and evening shifts also; so feel free to call Elizabeth during the day at 714/357-8576 or send her an email at ejlambe@verizon.net to find out if we still need help.

• What: Los Cerritos Wetlands Newsletter Assembly Party
• When: Wednesday, October 28th , 9:30 AM until ?
• Where: Belmont Shore Mobile Estates Community Center
• located on Loynes Drive between PCH and Studebaker

Latest news on land swap, illegal scraping and more.

It is not surprising that the city did not agree with us regarding the need to go before the Coastal Commission in order to proceed with the land swap. However they are wrong about this one. By adding four acres north of 2nd Street, they triggered a new lot within the Coastal Zone, so they will have to get Coastal Commission approval to move forward. We sent them a memo explaining why, and learned indirectly, via the press, that they disagree. Not a surprise. We will see who has the last word on this one. Read coverage of this issue at www.LBReport.com and stay tuned.

The District Weekly has a nice wrap up of the City's unwillingness to hold the land owner who did the illegal grading accountable. It has interesting quotes from outraged Councilpersons back when this act occurred. Too bad that outrage wasn't reflected in the decision of the city's zoning administrator who gave the landowner a pass on restoring and returning the land he illegally graded. Let's see what the City Council is willing to do at this point. To read the article in the District Weekly go to www.thedistrictweekly.com.

Yesterday, the city made a disappointing ruling about the illegal land scraping that took place last March at Loynes and Studebaker

Yesterday was a disappointing day but also an amazing day. Disappointing because the city declined to hold the landowner who illegally scraped down his land accountable for the destruction of habitat. Amazing because, even though the hearing was at an inconvenient time (in the middle of a work day at City Hall) about 50 people turned out, some 25 of them to passionately advocate for the restoration and rehabilitation of this scarred land.

Except for the two paid representatives of 2H Construction, the entire crowd at the hearing were wetlands supporters who spoke eloquently about the damage done to the site and the need for it's restoration. Some spoke of the many threatened and endangered plants and animals that were killed or driven off that site. Others spoke of the history of that land and the many times ponds and pooling water have been observed. Local biologist Eric Zahn spoke about how the land met the criteria for Environmentally Sensitive Habitat (ESHA) under the California Coastal Act. Attorney Mel Nutter spoke on behalf of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust with his comments being directed towards the history of that parcel of land and it's zoning under SEADIP. Others spoke of the harm to human health that the illegally graded land, which released methane into nearby neighborhoods, caused to local residents. Yet none of that information swayed Zoning Administrator Derek Burnham, who ruled that the land wasn't wetlands and didn't need to be restored or returned to it's original state. Wetlands activist Heather Altman summed it up best when she wrote in her blog Egrets Not Regrets:

Disappointing, however, was his rationale.....that since there was no way to know what was there before the illegal earthwork, there is no way to make him put it back. Huh?

What do you mean no way to tell what was there before? Any number of tools can be used to try and re-create history....aerial photos, google earth images, eyewitness accounts, photographs taken, etc. It isn't that it can't be done, it is that no one is requiring it be done. Big difference.

So....as best as we can tell, it is OK with the city to engage in any sort of land use activity you wish without getting permits or checking out local zoning laws or anything. Or is it that there are two sets of rules? If you or I want to engage in dramatically changing the look of a building or piece of property we own, we had better well check with the appropriate authorities and "ignorance of the law" would never be an excuse for us. But apparently it is for wealthy landowners or those who are "well connected" down at City Hall.

Zoning Administrator Burnham failed to understand that the issue wasn't only how "wet" this land is or could be. It's as much about fairness, about making sure that all of us follow the laws and don't just treat them as inconveniences to be ignored when they get in the way of what we want. Land owner Sean Hitchcock wants to put a soccer field on that land. He said so himself. And while some people might like that idea and others might not, there is a right way and a wrong way to get what you want. What Sean Hitchcock did was the wrong way, and the city let him get away with it. What kind of message does that send to the rest of us?

The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust will be filing an appeal of Burnham's ruling. And at one point this issue will be before the City Planning Commission. I can only hope they render a more sensible decision than what came out of yesterday's hearing.

Stay tuned.

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Many articles about yesterday's ruling.  Find them all here!

Click here to read the LBreport.com coverage of yesterday's meeting which includes some thoughts from blogger Heather Altman. Click here to check out Heather's blog, Egrets Not Regrets.

Click here to read a great overview article in The District Weekly by reporter Dave Wielenga that includes some quotes from City officials that, now that the ruling has occurred, seem less than sincere.

LBpost.com had a fascinating commentary by Greggory Moore entitled "Thoughts On Doing Business With Lawbreakers."
which makes the suggestion that perhaps landowners who don't care to follow the city's laws should be banned from doing business with the city. Click here to read his sensible and thought- provoking words.

Bird walk this Sunday. With cooler weather finally here see how the birds and plants of the Los Cerritos Wetlands prepare for seasonal change.

Check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands from the Orange County side on a fall bird/nature walk in Gum Grove Park in Seal Beach. Gum Grove borders on property that the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority hopes to purchase.

We are sure to get good looks at hawks, songbirds, egrets, herons and butterflies. Signs of fall are here. On a recent walk we heard the beautiful song of White-crowned Sparrows, who will stay around through the winter months. We can expect to see migratory ducks in ponds formed by the rain. Migratory ducks were recently spotted in El Dorado Park, El Dorado Nature Center, Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge and Bolsa Chica.

Don't miss this opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy the places we are working to protect. Walking in nature, there is always something new to discover and enjoy.

What: Fun and Educational Bird Walk
When: 8:00AM, Sunday, October 18th
Where: Gum Grove Park, off Pacific Coast Highway at the border of Seal Beach and Long Beach. We meet at the entrance of the park.
Directions from Long Beach: take PCH to Mar Vista; left on Mar Vista; left on Coastline; right on Catalina; left on Avalon; Avalon dead ends in the parking lot. Click here for a map.

If you own a pair of binoculars, we encourage you to bring them!

RSVP to Mary Parsell at mfp2001@hotmail.com

Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust report

Click here to read the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust report on Illegal Development and Retroactive Permit to Remediate at 6400 Loynes Drive.

Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust letter

Click here to read the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust letter to the city about the need for Coastal Commission approval for the land swap.

City is beginning the process of reviewing the illegal land scraping that took place last March at Loynes and Studebaker

The moonscape that was once a thriving habitat area at Loynes and Studebaker will be the subject of a special hearing tomorrow.

As you may recall, last March the owner of that land toppled trees, scraped the land bare and released poisonous methane all in the name of "weed abatement". And to make matters worse, he did so without a single permit, from any city, county or state agency. The purpose of tomorrow's hearing is to give the land owner retroactive permission for the dirt "cap" he had to put on the land after he released all that methane. Obviously, we and everyone else involved care about human health and supported the capping of the methane leak. But now what? We think the land should be put back the way it was. But of course, those who seek to exploit this land would rather see it left bare and without "habitat value" so that it would be easer to build on or pave over. To help the city better understand the rich ecology of the site so they could make a well informed decision, the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust hired Land Protection Partners, a well known and well respected biological consulting company. They wrote a comprehensive overview of the biological resources that were on the land before the scraping and made a strong case for it's restoration and rehabilitation.

To read the report on the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust website click here.

To read the District Weekly article on the city's perspective and view their study of the illegally graded land click here.

To send a letter to the city urging that they issue an "order to restore" to the land owner, which means it should be put back they was it was, email Zoning Administrator Derek Burnham at derek.burnham@longbeach.gov.

And if you can, attend the hearing which will be at 2:00PM, Monday, October 12th at the City Council Chamber at City Hall. Click here for a map.

Land Swap. First they find toxic PCB's on the land and now this!

We have said all along the land swap happened too fast with too little oversight and not enough public input or buy-in. The result is one unpleasant surprise after another coming up after the deal has been voted on.

Surprise #1) The Orange County District Attorney alerts the EPA that there are high levels of PCB's on the wetlands. Due to liability issues, not to mention the potential threat to human and animal health, the City Council has delayed the land swap until further details about the city's liability, the extent of the contamination and what it would cost to clean up are addressed.

Click here to read the Press Telegram article about this important issue.

Click here to read LBReport.com coverage of this discovery.

Surprise #2) The land swap triggered the creation of a brand new lot within a portion of the wetlands (the area next to the In-N-Out Burger on 2nd Street). Under the Coastal Act if you create a new lot within the coastal zone, you must go before the Coastal Commission and get their approval. So until the City goes before the Coastal Commission and gets their approval, the land swap is illegal. Click here to read our letter to the city about this issue.

It is our sincere hope that these developments make the city go back and rethink this poorly conceived deal. The city says they want the wetlands preserved as much as we do. If that is the case, then the city should make this a deal with real protections for the wetlands like a plan for its restoration that we can all support, the clustering or removal of the oil wells, and most importantly, a conservation or deed restriction that ensures the land will remain protected and open while it awaits it's transfer to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority.

2nd and PCH. Yikes! It looks like a very big development project with very few details available to the public.

Those of us who took the time to attend the City's Community Meeting/Scoping Hearing earlier this week were more confused after the meeting than before. The developer had lots of pretty pictures up there for us to look at and said lots of nice things (first prize goes to the person who remembers the number of times they said the words "Mediterranean village") but where were the details and real answers for the questions many of us asked? Questions like....How exactly will you guarantee that the amenities you propose will indeed come to pass? How will you deal with all the traffic this project will generate? What about the harm a giant tower and increased pollution from the increased traffic will do to our local wetlands and the wildlife that depend on them. And of course, why can't the city just stick to the current zoning for the land?

Developers could go ahead and build something super cool without a giant 12 story tower in the middle of a low density, "wetlands friendly" part of town. The perspective in some of their drawings distorts the reality of how tall a l2-story building really is, and there are few cars in their drawings as well. Stay tuned for further details as we try to get more information about what the project will really look like. But what we do know now is that there are a lot of unanswered questions out there, and Wednesday's meeting sure didn't help.

The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust general meeting is tomorrow, Tuesday, September 29th. Hope you can join us to hear the latest about our local wetlands.

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

Don't forget that tomorrow will be our general meeting and Eric Zahn and Taylor Parker will be our featured speakers. From illegal land scraping to unsatisfactory land swaps, we spend a lot of time battling threats to the Los Cerritos Wetlands. What is so wonderful about the great restoration work that Eric and Taylor are spearheading is that it represents a peek into a hopeful future for our wetlands--a future of a restored and vibrant local wetlands, full of robust and vital habitat that will be a resource for wildlife and the community alike. I find myself telling folks that we want our Los Cerritos Wetlands to be at least as vibrant and as vital as the nearby Bolsa Chica wetlands, and one day they will be. In the meantime, it is small steps, like these restoration efforts sponsored by Eric and Taylor's ecological consulting business "Tidal Influence," in partnership the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority (LCWA), that help the community visualize that future.

I encourage you to join us at 7:00 PM to hear from Eric and Taylor about their ambitious stewardship program and some fun and effective ways you can help. We will also share with you the latest news about the wetlands, including the status of the illegal land scraping that took place at Loynes and Studebaker, the 2nd and PCH development proposal, and the controversial land swap.

What: The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust General Meeting.
Who: Eric Zahn and Taylor Parker of Tidal Influence, Los Cerritos Wetlands Stewardship Program
When: Tuesday, 7:00 PM, September 29th, 2009
Where: Belmont Shore Mobile Estates Clubhouse, on Loynes between Studebaker and PCH.

Click here for a map to the meeting.

Click here to read a great District Weekly article about Eric's and Taylor's restoration efforts.

Hope to see you on the 29th!

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

The 5th District Good Neighbor Festival was lots of fun and helped spread the message of
protecting our local wetlands.

Land Trust Executive Director, Elizabeth Lambe at our information table at the 5th District Good Neighbor Festival on Saturday

A great time was had by all who attended the Good Neighbor Festival this past Saturday. And some good work was accomplished by the faithful volunteers of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust. Amidst the carnival games, pie eating contest and chalk art, we were hard at work educating festival attendees about the importance of protecting the Los Cerritos Wetlands and how they can help. People were often amazed to find out that we have a local Long Beach wetlands and were eager to learn more and asked how they can help. We handed out information sheets, membership brochures and bumper stickers, and had our t-shirts for sale. It was a great day and paid off with even more people becoming educated about our organization and our mission.

We always bring our t-shirts and bumperstickers to the general meeting. Our t-shirts are only $10.00 (such a deal!), so you can purchase one at our meeting on Tuesday if you would like. It is a stylish and comfortable way to proclaim your support for protecting the Los Cerritos Wetlands.

We are always looking for folks to help us with community outreach via our tabling program. It is fun and easy, and we always pair a "newbie" with an "old timer". If you have time to help us table at future events send Carol an email at rad.mariposa@gmail.com.

Fun and Meaningful Upcoming Events.

To participate in habitat restoration of the publicly owned portions of the Los Cerritos Wetlands, mark the following days on your calendar. For further information about what is involved or to RSVP, email Eric Zahn at ezahn@csulb.edu.

• Saturday, October 3rd - 10-12:00 pm
• Friday, October 9th - 3-5:00 pm

Our next birdwalks within the publicly owned portion of the Los Cerritos Wetlands at Gum Grove Park will be Sunday, October 10th at 8:00AM.
For further details or to RSVP email Mary at mfp2001@hotmail.com

The first city hearing about the illegally scraped wetlands habitat area at Studebaker and Loynes will be at 2:00 PM on October 12th at City Council chambers. The matter will be heard by the Zoning Administrator of the City of Long Beach.

Click here to see the official city notice on our website.

This should be the first step in a process to help the city and state remedy this illegal action. But it won't happen without public pressure insisting that the right thing be done and the land be put back the way it was. If you haven't yet written to your local councilmember expressing your outrage for this irresponsible act you still have time.

To check out some photos of the illegal earth scraping, click here.

Click here for a list of Long Beach City Councilmembers and how to contact them. Then write them a letter letting them know you think no one should be above the law and that the city insist the area be put back the way it was.

Click here to read the Long Beach Press-Telegram story about the upcoming hearing.

Photos of wetlands habitat destruction

Click on Image for Slide Show

The official City announcement regarding the Public Hearing concerning 6400 Loynes Drive

Click to open PDF here

Please refer to Application No. 0904-15

CITY OF LONG BEACH

DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

• 333 WEST OCEAN BOULEVARD
• LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA 90802
• FAX (562)570-6068

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

• Application filed on: April 28, 2009
• An application for the project described below has been filed with the City.
• For more information, call Jeff Winklepleck at (562)570-6607.
• (THE LAW REQUIRES THAT WE MAIL YOU THIS OFFICIAL NOTICE)

Project Location: 6400 Loynes Drive

Permit(s) Requested: Local Coastal Development Permit

What is being proposed: Request for approval to allow the import of approximately 1,000 cubic yards of soil to re-establish and maintain the cap over the existing landfill in response to California Coastal Commission Emergency Permit 5-09-068-G. In conjunction, an approval to allow weed abatement to comply with a Fire Department order is also requested.

Applicant: 2H Properties
clo

• Sean Hitchcock
• 2651 Walnut Avenue
• Signal Hill, CA 90755

This project is in the Coastal Zone and IS appealable to the Coastal Commission.

Scheduled Hearing of the Zoning Administrator:

• Meeting Date: October 12, 2009
• Meeting Time: 2:00 PM
• Place: City Council Chambers

This is your opportunity to voice your opinion regarding the proposed permit. To establish "AGGRIEVED" status (leading to a right to appeal) you mustpresent oral or written testimony at this hearing; otherwise, you may not appeal this project.

For information on presenting written testimony, please see reverse side.

Hearing/Meeting Procedures: After taking public oral or written testimony in support and opposition, a decision will be rendered.

" If you challenge the action in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or issues raised via written correspondence delivered to the (public entity conducting the hearing) at or prior to the public hearing. "

AGGRIEVED APPEAL: APPEALS INFORMATION IS CONTAINED ON THE REVERSE SIDE OF THIS FORM.

District: 3

To view and download the meeting agenda: http://www.longbeach.gov/plan

PROCEDURES FOR PRESENTING WRITTEN TESTIMONY TO THE HEARING OFFICER

Written testimony may be submitted to the Hearing Officer as follows:

• Derek Burnham@longbeach.gov
• or
• Derek Burnham, Current Planning Officer
• 333 West Ocean Blvd, 5th Floor
• Long Beach, CA 90802

APPEALS TO THE COASTAL COMMISSION

• All actions on local coastal development permits seaward of the appealable area boundary may be appealed by any aggrieved person to the Coastal Commission according to the procedures of the Coastal Commission, provided that all local appeals have been exhausted and no fee was charged the appellant for such appeal, by filing such appeal at the
• Coastal Commission offices, 200 Oceangate, 10th Floor, Long Beach, CA 90802-4302.

LONG BEACH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

• 333 W. Ocean Blvd., Fifth Floor
• Long Beach, CA 90802
• Jeff Winklepleck
• OFFICIAL PUBLIC NOTICE

APPEALS TO THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION AND/OR TO THE CITY COUNCIL

• A. Any aggrieved person may appeal a decision on a project that required a public hearing.
• B. An appee-J.mustbe filed within ten (10) calendar days after decision.
• C. An appeal shall be filed with The Long Beach Development Services on a form provided by that Department.
• D. A public hearing on an appeal shall be held within sixty (60) calendar days after The Long Beach Development Services receives a completed appeal form or after the City Clerk receives the appeal from The Long Beach Development Services.
• E. A notice of the public hearing on the appeal shall be mailed by The Long Beach Development Services to the applicant, all persons entitled to mailed notice, and any known aggrieved person not less than fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the hearing.
• F. The Planning Commission shall have jurisdiction on appeals from the decisions of the Zoning Administrator and the City Council shall have jurisdiction on appeals from the Planning Commission.
• G. Except for appeals to the Coastal Commission for projects located seaward of the appealable are,,!; boundary and appeals to the City Council of local coastal development permits on developments regulated under the City's Oil Code, there shall be no further appeals after a decision on an appeal.
• H. You are hereby provided notice that the time within which judicial review of the herein reported decision must be sought is governed by Section 1094.6 of the California Code of Civil Procedure.

Attend the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust General Meeting on Tuesday, September 29th. Hear the latest about our local wetlands.

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

Our September general meeting is coming up, and we will have a couple of fascinating speakers for you to hear and learn from. Many of you may know Eric Zahn and Taylor Parker from the great work they are doing with one of my favorite community groups, The Friends of the Colorado Lagoon. Some wonderful news is that Eric and Taylor's ecological consulting business "Tidal Influence" teamed up with the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority (LCWA) to submit a grant application to the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project and were awarded funding specifically designated for the LCWA's Los Cerritos Wetlands Stewardship Program. Through this program the public will get a chance to be a part of the restoration and rehabilitation of the Los Cerritos Wetlands. Although it may seem hard to believe, what with all the controversy over the privately owned portion of the wetlands, some of the wetlands are in the public's hands and need a little TLC.

So join us at 7:00 PM to hear from Eric and Taylor about their ambitious stewardship program and some fun and effective ways you can help. We will share with you the latest news about the wetlands, including the status of the illegal land scraping that took place at Loynes and Studebaker, the 2nd and PCH development proposal, and the controversial land swap.

What: The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust General Meeting.
Who: Eric Zahn and Taylor Parker of Tidal Influence, Los Cerritos Wetlands Stewardship Program
When: Tuesday, 7:00 PM, September 29th, 2009
Where: Belmont Shore Mobile Estates Clubhouse, on Loynes between Studebaker and PCH.

Click here for a map to the meeting.

Click here to read a great District Weekly article about Eric and Taylor's restoration efforts.

Hope to see you on the 29th!

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Discovery of PCB's in parts of Los Cerritos Wetlands delays land swap.

We have said all along that the City Council's rush to swap out a portion of city owned land for some of the Los Cerritos Wetlands was of concern to us. Whenever you rush anything, especially a deal of this magnitude, there are bound to be a some unexpected problems. The most recent news is that parts of the wetlands proposed for the land swap (basically the area behind the Marketplace shopping center at the corner of 2nd and PCH) contain levels of PCB's too high for wetlands. While widely used in the past, PCB's have been found to cause cancer and have been banned since 1979. Due to the serious nature of this discovery, the land swap is currently "on hold". Stay tuned for further details, and a big thanks to the Orange County District Attorney for work leading to the discovey of this problem and ensuring it is corrected.

Click here to read more in the Grunion Gazette.

Click here to read the story in the Press-Telegram

Click here to read further in LBReport.com, including Councilmember Gerrie Schipske's request the matter be brought back before City Council and the letter to the City from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Thanks to everyone who helped out at the Zedler Marsh clean up. What a great way to participate in Coastal Clean Up Day!

A bonus of helping out last Saturday at the Zedler Marsh clean up was not only improvement of a degraded wetlands but also seeing the area close up. This close view is something that isn't easy to see since most of the wetlands are privately owned (something we are working to change!). But thanks to an invitation to partner with the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority we were in the Zedler marsh portion of the wetlands pulling out trash and helping to restore this vital area. On that day over 100 volunteers removed 475 pounds of trash. Pretty cool for this kick off event. If you are on facebook you can check out Patricia Sidoti's great photos of the day by clicking here. A big thanks to everyone who attended and helped out. Stay tuned for more wetlands restoration opportunities in the future.

Another place to find us on facebook is Leslie Heuer's "Save the Los Cerritos Wetlands" page. Sign up and become a "friend" on Leslie's great facebook page.

September is a great month to learn about the Los Cerritos Wetlands and and help preserve them. Attend one of these fun and interesting events.

Fall is here. It's time to get active!

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

There are lots of events coming up where you can learn about the Los Cerritos Wetlands and their importance as home and habitat to threatened and endangered plants and animals. And we have several events where you can lend a helping hand. We are fortunate that the local community is so supportive of protecting and preserving the Los Cerritos Wetlands, and it is because of dedicated volunteers and advocates like you that we enjoy such strong support. We hope at least one of our educational or service opportunities catches your eye and you attend it. If you have a couple of hours to spare we invite you to help us help protect this important community resource.

Best Regards,

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Lots of ways to get involved this month. Pick one and join us.

Egrets not Regrets Extravaganza- Local wetlands activist and environmental blogger Heather Altman is hosting a fun event this Thursday, September 17th at the Gaslamp Restaurant that will include several different local environmental organizations and the opportunity to do a little wine tasting. Click here for further details about the event, or to sign up for Heather's witty and informative blog.

Joy Zedler Marsh Clean Up-The official start of a new Los Cerritos Wetlands habitat restoration project will begin with the 4th Annual Zedler Marsh Clean-up on Saturday, September 19th from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Volunteers for the clean-up should contact Eric Zahn at ezahn@csulb.edu to reserve a spot or click here to view a flyer about the event.

Click here to read an article about the organizers of the Zedler Marsh Clean Up and their vision for a restored and healthy wetlands.

Bird Walk at Gum Grove Park-Don't miss this opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy the places we are working to protect while the weather is still nice. Join our birdwalk and check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands from the Orange County side on an early autumn bird/nature walk in Gum Grove Park in Seal Beach. Gum Grove Park borders on property that the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority hopes to purchase. RSVP to Mary at mfp2001@hotmail.com

• When: 8:00AM, Sunday, September 20th.
• Where: Gum Grove Park, off Pacific Coast Highway at the border of Seal Beach and Long Beach. Meet at the entrance of the park.
• Directions from Long Beach: take PCH to Mar Vista; left on Mar Vista; left on Coastline; right on Catalina; left on Avalon; Avalon dead ends in the parking lot. Click here for a map.

Good Neighbor Festival and Picnic-
On Saturday, September 26th, The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust will have an information table at this fun and family friendly event, and we could use your help if you have a couple of hours to volunteer. It is at events like these we are able to educate the public about the importance of protecting our local wetlands and how a restored and vibrant Los Cerritos Wetlands would be a community resource for all to enjoy. Click here for more information about this annual day-long event filled with booths, displays, music, food, activities for kids. If you have a few hours to volunteer to staff our information table, send an email to Carol at rad.mariposa@gmail.com.

Great new website about the Los Cerritos Wetlands. Wonderful photos!

Clicking here will take you to a website with wonderful photos and great information about the Los Cerritos Wetlands, Gum Grove Park & Heron Pointe Cultural Education Center. This website is the result of the hard work of citizen activist Cindy Crawford.

If you would like a copy of the photos on the website send an email to Cindy at webmaster@caopenspace.org and she will send it to you.

Thanks to Cindy's great website and Leslie Heuer's great facebook site, we are able to use new and innovative ways to share information and keep in touch with you. If you are on facebook, type in "save los cerritos wetlands' and join our group.

You are invited.  Attend our informal wetlands update meeting tomorrow, Wednesday,  September 2nd. 

There has been so much going on with the Los Cerritos Wetlands lately: the controversial land swap, the proposed 2nd and PCH development project, follow-up on the illegal scraping at Loynes and Studebaker. Because of all this activity surrounding the wetlands, we will be meeting more often to share information and to organize to help protect the Los Cerritos Wetlands.

So join us for coffee, conversation and cookies tomorrow Wednesday, September 2nd, when we will share the latest news about the wetlands and what you can do to help protect them.

• What: A meeting to learn the latest news about the Los Cerritos
• Wetlands and what you can do to help protect them.
• When: Wednesday, 7:00PM, September 2nd, 2009
• Where: Belmont Shore Mobile Estates Clubhouse

Click here for a map to the meeting.

Hope to see you on the 2nd!

For more information or to RSVP, contact Elizabeth at ejlambe@verizon.net.

Join us on a fun and informational bird walk.

With summer begining to wane, don't miss this opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy the places we are working to protect while the weather is still nice.

Join our birdwalk; check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands from the Orange County side on a late summer bird/nature walk in Gum Grove Park in Seal Beach. Gum Grove Park borders on property that the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority hopes to purchase.

We are sure to get good looks at hawks, songbirds, egrets, herons and butterflies. Now that summer is over we willl be looking for fall migrants. Walking in nature, we always discover and enjoy something new.

So come out for a casual late summer walk and have a good time!

• When: 8:00 AM, Saturday, September 12th
• Where: Gum Grove Park, off Pacific Coast Highway at the border of Seal Beach and Long Beach. We meet at the entrance of the park.
• Directions from Long Beach: take PCH to Mar Vista; left on Mar Vista; left on Coastline; right on Catalina; left on Avalon; Avalon dead ends in the parking lot.

Click here for a map.

If you own a pair of binoculars, we encourage you to bring them!

RSVP to Mary Parsell at mfp2001@hotmail.com

Attend one of these fun and informative events. Have a good time and learn about our local wetlands.

Do something fun with the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust before summer ends.

Join fellow members and supporters of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust this Friday August 21st, 6pm to 8pm for the "Concert in the Park" at El Dorado Park (Studebaker and Willow) to hear the Elm Street Band.

If you have never been, this is a great opportunity to feel like part of an old fashioned neighborhood with kids running free among adults of all ages, eating, drinking and dancing together.

We will set up early with our Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust banner toward the back (near the soccer field) so bring your picnic dinner, beverages, and a chair or blanket to sit on. Kids are welcome at our booth; we will have a craft for them to do. There will be Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust brochures and maps to hand out to those community members who are interested-or just hang out.

We all work hard to protect the Los Cerritos Wetlands and our local environment. Let's get together and celebrate our work and each other. There will be plenty to do as we move forward into fall and beyond!

Click here for a map of our concert location near the cross streets of Studebaker and Willow at El Dorado Park

For more information or to RSVP contact Elizabeth at ejlambe@verizon.net.

You are invited. Attend our informal wetlands update meeting on Wednesday, September 2nd.

There has been so much going on with the Los Cerritos Wetlands lately: the controversial land swap, the proposed 2nd and PCH development project, follow-up on the illegal scraping at Loynes and Studebaker. Because of all this activity surrounding the wetlands, it has been suggested, and we agree, that we need to meet more often to share information and to plan and organize to address the issues and challenges that face Los Cerritos Wetlands.

So join us for coffee, conversation and cookies in the evening on Wednesday, September 2nd, as we meet to share the latest news about the wetlands and what we are doing to protect them.

• What: A meeting to learn the latest about the Los Cerritos Wetlands and what you can do to help protect them
• When: Wednesday, 7:00PM, September 2nd, 2009
• Where: Belmont Mobile Estates Clubhouse 6230 E Marina View Drive, Long Beach, CA 90803

Hope to see you on the 2nd!

For more information or to RSVP, contact Elizabeth at ejlambe@verizon.net.

Join us on a fun and informational bird walk.

With summer begining to wane, don't miss this opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy the places we are working to protect while the weather is still nice.

Join our birdwalk; check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands from the Orange County side on a late summer bird/nature walk in Gum Grove Park in Seal Beach. Gum Grove Park borders on property that the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority hopes to purchase.

We are sure to get good looks at hawks, songbirds, egrets, herons and butterflies. Now that summer is over we willl be looking for fall migrants. Walking in nature, there is always something new to discover and enjoy.

So come out for a casual late summer walk. We always have a good time!

• When: 8:00AM, Saturday, September 12th
• Where: Gum Grove Park, off Pacific Coast Highway at the border of Seal Beach and Long Beach. We meet at the entrance of the park

Directions from Long Beach: take PCH to Mar Vista; left on Mar Vista; left on Coastline; right on Catalina; left on Avalon; Avalon dead ends in the parking lot. Click here for a map.

If you own a pair of binoculars, we encourage you to bring them!

RSVP to Mary Parsell at mfp2001@hotmail.com

Last birdwalk of the summer is tomorrow. Plan to join us. Plus write a note of thanks.

Summer will be over before you know it.  Enjoy nature's constantly changing tapestry tomorrow.  We will be looking for egrets, herons, hummingbirds and hawks.  But birds aren't the only beautiful things you will see in flight.  We will see lots of insects and the most spectacular of these are butterflies.  Common species include:  Monarch, Painted Lady, Gulf Fritulery,  Red Admiral,  Buckeye, Western Tiger Swallowtail, Skipper and Cabbage White.   Join us and have a fun adventure.

• When: Saturday, August 8, 8:00 a.m.
• Where:  Gum Grove Park, off Pacific Coast Highway at the border of Seal Beach and Long Beach. Meet at the entrance of the park.

Directions from Long Beach:  take Pacific Coast Highway to Mar Vista, left on Mar Vista, left on Coastline, right on Catalina, left on Avalon; Avalon dead ends in the parking lot.

If you own a pair of binoculars, we encourage you to bring them!

RSVP to Mary Parsell at mfp2001@hotmail.com

Elizabeth Lambe

The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust thanked these City Councilmembers and encourage you to thank them too!

Councilmembers Rae Gabelich, Robert Garcia, Tonya Reyes Uranga and Gerrie Schipske were the no votes on Tuesday's poorly conceived land swap. We sent them a thank-you note and encourage you to send one also.

• Click here to say thanks to Councilmember Gabelich
• Click here to say thanks to Councilmember Garcia
• Click here to say thanks to Councilmember Uranga
• Click here to say thanks to Councilmember Schipske

Thank them for asking the tough questions and for holding out for the sort of guarantees we thought were necessary to make this a good deal for the wetlands. We shall see what happens as the city moves forward with this land swap and will keep you posted every step of the way.

Volunteer. Or just stop by and say hello.

We will be at the Marina Farmers' Market this Sunday from 10:00AM to noon. We'll have our information table set up and have great maps that show the wetlands we are working to preserve and where exactly the recently approved land swap area is located.

It's fun to help educate the public about wetlands and what an important community resource our local Los Cerritos Wetlands are. And you know what? People agree with us and are grateful we are all working together to protect something special for ourselves and future generations to enjoy.

If you have time to help this Sunday or on another weekend, contact Mary at mfp2001@hotmail.com.

Last night City Council voted 5-4 to approve the land swap despite our many concerns and questions

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

That old saying "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst" was rattling around in my head last night when, after a lengthy discussion the City Council voted 5 to 4 to support the controversial and highly suspect land swap. They did so without clarity about the zoning, vast differences in the values of the land, and with no guarantee the land will be protected and safe while it awaits its transfer to the public's hands. We hope it all goes well, and we will be right there as your environmental watch dog to do our part. But the facts remain the same: the state is broke, the city is broke, and a piece of fragile wetlands, already in the city's hands, can look pretty enticing to those who are looking for a quick fix for the city's financial woes, or an easy place to put in a road.

Nevertheless, thanks to Council Member Patrick O'Donnell the city at least amended their motion to include language that the Council's intention is that the land remain as wetlands and open space. It is not binding language so we are counting on him and every other council member who voted yes on this issue to do their part to ensure that we see this land some day as restored wetlands. And we hope we won't have to spend our time fighting back one exploitative proposal for this parcel after another.

After all, the 2nd and PCH project is steaming forward, and it is unclear what the city plans to do about the illegal earth scraping at Studebaker and Loynes. We will have our hands full for many months and probably years.

Cheers to everyone who wrote a letter, or attended the City Council meeting. Even though we lost, it was a close vote and what made it so close was your involvement and participation.

Stay tuned. As we learn more we will be in touch.

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Lots of Media Coverage of Last Night's City Council Meeting! It is all captured for you below.

To read about last night's City Council vote click on the links below

Click here to read the Long Beach Press Telegram's report of last night's City Council meeting.

There are land swap stories on the website LBreport.com. Click here to read LBreport's coverage, including audio!

Click here to read the District Weekly's story about the City Council meeting.

LBPOST.com has a story about last night's city council vote which you can read by clicking here. LBPOST also has an interview with Tom Dean, the wetlands land owner which you can click to and read at the end of the land swap article.

If you want to watch the City Council meeting and hear the discussion about the land swap.....click here

(Run arrow about two-thirds of the distance across bottom of picture.)

Have Some Fun With Us!

Summer will be over before you know it, so be sure the mark your calendars for one or both of the events below.

Birdwalk

• When: Saturday, August 8, 8:00 a.m.
• Where: Gum Grove Park, off Pacific Coast Highway at the border of Seal Beach and Long Beach. Meet at the entrance of the park.

Directions from Long Beach: take PCH to Mar Vista, left on Mar Vista, left on Coastline, right on Catalina, left on Avalon; Avalon dead ends in the parking lot.
If you own a pair of binoculars, we encourage you to bring them!
RSVP to Mary Parsell at mfp2001@hotmail.com

Concert in the Park
Join your fellow wetlands protectors for one of the Long Beach concerts in the park. We will put up our banner and bring our maps and information to hand out but mostly we are going to hang out together, enjoy the music and have fun. We all do our part to protect the wetlands and it is important to take some time to rest and relax. Bring you spouses, kids, family and friends.

• When: Friday, August 21st, 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
• Where: El Dorado Park near the corner of Willow and Studebaker. Look for the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust Banner. Bring a picnic dinner, a lawn chair and family and friends.

For more information or to RSVP contact Elizabeth at ejlambe@verizon.net

Land Swap Vote to be This Tuesday. Attend the City Council Meeting and Ask That it be Delayed. Too Many Questions Remain Unanswered

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

The City Council is set to vote on the controversial plan to swap out some city owned urban land for a portion of the Los Cerritos Wetlands that is currently owned by Tom Dean. While the concept of a land swap has merit and can be a successful tool for land protection, in this case there are just too many unanswered questions, and not enough details, for the Los Cerritos Land Trust or the public to have confidence the deal will achieve its goal of wetlands protection.

This is why we cannot sign on to this land swap despite what may indeed be the good intentions of the city.

What We Know
The appraised value of the wetlands by the city is highly suspect given the city did not apply the correct zoning to the land when they did their appraisal. This will throw into doubt the future purchase of the land when the state can come up with some money.

The city can't, or won't, give us the deed restriction or conservation easement we have been asking for since this deal was first proposed. These are very common tools for safeguarding land; they ensure the property will remain undeveloped and protected as it awaits it's eventual transfer to the public's hands.

What We Don't Know
Nothing has been revealed by any party to this swap about how polluted or toxic the wetlands soils are.

We don't know who will eventually own the rights to drill and extract oil on the wetlands. Currently on the open market, these oil rights could end up with a local responsible oil company like Signal Hill Petroleum or a highly leveraged and profit maximizing company. It has been said that up to half the wetland areas in the proposed land swap will have to be left available for drilling and the infrastructure to support it. Where does that leave hopes of preservation and restoration?

As we have said before, there needs to be more time to get the answers to these questions before the Council votes. Attend the meeting at City Hall this Tuesday at 5PM and tell them their vote must be delayed until these questions can be satisfactorily answered.

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

See You on Tuesday at the City Council Meeting!

• What: Vote on the Proposed Land Swap
• Where: Long Beach City Hall
• 333 W. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, CA
• When: Tuesday, August 3rd, 5:00PM
• Why: To tell the City Council to postpone their vote until some questions can be answered

If you cannot attend the City Council meeting, please phone or email your Council member to ask for a postponement.

Click here to learn how to contact your Council member.

For more information or to RSVP contact Elizabeth at ejlambe@verizon.net.

Have your ever heard the expression, You are entitled to your own opinions, but you are not entitled to your own facts?

The District Weekly local newspaper and some of those who post to it's website, have recently made some assertions about the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust and our position on the land swap that are both inaccurate and unfair. So let me take just a minute to set the record straight.

The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust is and will continue to be a forceful advocate for protecting all the the Los Cerritos Wetlands for now and for future generations. We will continue to work with any and all people who share those goals. When the land swap was first proposed, we were cautiously optimistic and could see that it had some merit. However, since the beginning it has been our bottom line that we needed a guarantee that the land would be protected and safe while it awaits it transfer to the public hands. The request was and continues to be that we think a deed restriction or conservation easement needs to be a part of the deal. There are conservation easements associated with some of California's most successful land protection deals like the Hearst Ranch property on the Central Coast, Rancho Mission Viejo land in South Orange County, and most recently the Tejon Ranch deal just north of Los Angeles. Since the land swap proposal does not include this important guarantee, we have felt that we could not support it.

We do, however, support the hard work of any and all who wish to work collaboratively to protect this important wetlands area. So three cheers for the hard-working volunteers of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust who work every day to help educate and activate the community about protecting our local wetlands. We encourage everyone to join us. There is plenty of work to be done, and we can use your help.

Land Swap is beginning to look like a bad deal for the city and a bad deal for the wetlands. Read below for further details. Then email your letter. Or make a phone call.

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

Back when the simpler land swap proposal first became public it seemed like one of those win-win situations. Why not trade out some underused city-owned property in urban Long Beach in order to move into public hands an important portion of the Los Cerritos Wetlands? But since this deal was first brought before the public, more worrisome details have come out. These details are not small, insignificant matters; they are at the heart of the ability to protect and restore. They should be addressed before any vote is taken on the swap.

So we hope the City Council has the good sense to postpone the vote on the land swap until some important and troubling aspects have been fully aired and discussed. What are our concerns and questions? Let me spell them out.

Cost

It may well be nice and generous of the city to agree to subsidize this land swap since it is true we have no clear evaluation of what the dollar value of the wetlands is. And yes, wetlands are "priceless." However we just don't have a clear picture of how polluted the land is, how much of the wetlands is restorable, how much it will cost for clean up, and how much of that land will be required to remain as oil wells and roads to service those wells. The state of California is prohibited from paying more than fair market value. The city is not. So it is reasonable to be concerned that, if the city takes a big financial hit to purchase these wetlands they might be tempted in times of financial crisis (like now) to sell them off or use them for purposes other than protected wetlands.

Guarantees

We have said all along that a good way to help ensure this land remains as open space as it awaits its transfer to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority is that a conservation easement or deed restriction that travels with the land be a part of the deal. The city won't do that because to do so would depress the value of the land. But it is indeed a good way to demonstrate to the public that their intentions toward this land are to protect and preserve it. Given how broke the state of California is, and how little funding is available for even priority acquisitions like Los Cerritos Wetlands, who knows how long it will be before the land can be acquired, especially when you factor in the big price tag for cleaning up the toxins in the soil?

Zoning

For some reason the city seems to think this wetlands parcel to be traded to the city is zoned as commercial, but that is just not the case. This land has never been certified as commercial by the Coastal Commission. That means this land is likely considered wetlands by the Coastal Commission and therefore worth far less on the open real estate market than the city thinks it is. Again, this fact places the city in a more financially vulnerable position and thus more easily tempted to exploit the land to try to make up for the loss.

Oil Rights

The latest is that the land owner has put the oil rights to this land on the open market. Who will the new owner be? Will he be a locally owned, responsible company like Signal Hill Petroleum or a cash-strapped, highly leveraged firm that will put the priority of extractions ahead of environmental protection?

The bottom line is that there are just too many questions about this deal that need to be answered before the land swap moves forward. There is no way the City Council should vote on the land swap until the questions we have raised have been fully answered. We ask the City Council to postpone a vote on this land swap for at least 30 days, and we encourage you to ask your local council member to support a postponement.

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

The District Weekly article. Compelling new information about the land swap.

Check the story out by clicking here.

While the article talks a lot of the fiscal impacts of the deal it is the section below that most caught our eye.

"Oh, and speaking of the state's own disastrous budget, Mary Small of the Coastal Conservancy hopes Long Beach officials have been listening to her tell them that their plan to have California reimburse the city for the swap simply can't happen anymore. The state stopped authorizing such expenditures last December, Small tells The District Weekly, and there are no plans to resume them.

"We have tried to be very clear with Long Beach about that," says Small, who manages the South Coast region-from Ventura to San Diego counties-for the Coastal Conservancy. 'I think the city has heard us. I would hope so.'"

This makes one thing quite clear--that this land will be in city hands for a long time. A tempting solution to city budget woes? A place to put a road through? Who knows what?

Send an email. Or make a phone call. We think the vote on the land swap should be delayed for 30 days.

Tell the City Council there is no need to rush this deal. Let's take the time to do this land swap right. We are calling for a 30-day delay so that the questions we raised above can be answered.

Send an email or call your council member and the mayor and tell them there is no need to vote on this issue next Tuesday, that the best deal is a deal with as much public information and public buy-in as possible.

Click here to find out who represents you on the City Council and then send them an email or call them.

Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust General Meeting is Tomorrow Night. Attend the Meeting to Hear a Great Guest Speaker

The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust General Meeting is tomorrow, Tuesday, July 28th at 7:00PM.

At the meeting our special guest speaker will be Jennifer Gomez, who, will take you on a journey from the early days of the Los Cerritos Wetlands to the present day. Through GIS mapping Jennifer has compiled an amazing and historical overview of the Los Cerritos Wetlands, with clear depictions of how it has changed over the years.

Jennifer used GIS to calculate acreage of wetlands loss for the Cerritos Wetlands over the 20th century. By georeferencing USGS maps showing the extent of the wetlands, starting with the 1896 map and leading up to recent maps from the late 70's/early 80's, she will show us the original size over today's current aerial imagery. It is very striking.

Mark your calendars and plan to join us:

• What: Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust General Meeting
• When: 7:00 PM, Tuesday, July 28th
• Who: Special Guest Speaker, Jennifer Gomez
• Topic: The historical reach of the Los Cerritos Wetlands compared to today.
• Where: Belmont Shore Mobile Estates Community Center. Belmont Shore Mobile Estates is located on Loynes between Studebaker and PCH.

For more information or to RSVP contact Elizabeth at ejlambe@verizon.net.

See you there!

Attend our General Meeting on July 28th. Hear a Great Guest Speaker

The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust General Meeting will be this Tuesday, July 28th at 7:00PM.

We are fortunate to have special guest speaker Jennifer Gomez, who through GIS mapping, has an amazing and historical overview of the Los Cerritos Wetlands and how it has changed over the years. This is important information for us to learn and share with others, important because if you look at our remaining wetlands within the context of what they were originally, you see how little remains. It then becomes easy to understand how urgent is the job of preserving and restoring the few remnants that are still open space. We better comprehend how egregious are proposals like the Home Depot project of a few years ago or the illegal earth scraping at Studebaker and Loynes.

To quote Jennifer, "I think that the story that the mapping tells is how poorly the wetlands have been managed over the last 100 years, and that unpermitted grading and proposed development in this area reflects more of the same type of management practices. The environment and the residents of this city deserve much better. Conservation easements on all remaining wetlands areas should be a top priority."

Mark your calendars and plan to join us:

For more information or to RSVP contact Elizabeth at ejlambe@verizon.net.

See you there!

Wonderful District Weekly Story about new Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust Board Member Jericho Poppler

Those of us who are about protecting the Los Cerritos Wetlands probably care about protecting the environment in general and understand the link between enjoying the environment and protecting it. Read The District Weekly's story about surf legend Jericho Poppler, who grew up here in Long Beach swimming in the ocean and enjoying local wetlands areas like the Bolsa Chica Wetlands and our own Los Cerritos Wetlands. As a life long resident of Long Beach, Jericho understands how important a thriving wetlands habitat is to ocean health and that, conversely, ocean health affects the wetlands.

The District Weekly's story about Jericho's journey from local surf kid to international surfing legend and her deep connection to her roots here locally in Long Beach is a great read. I've always admired Jericho's "just do it" attitude, which I first got a taste of when I helped out at one of her Kids for Clean Waves local surfing events. Jericho's life embodies two key philosophies: life is short so don't waste it, and everyone can make a difference.

Click here to read the District Weekly Story

Next Bird Walk will be Saturday August 8th

Check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands from the Orange County side on a summer bird/nature walk in Gum Grove Park in Seal Beach. Gum Grove borders on property that the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority hopes to purchase.

We are sure to get good looks at hawks, songbirds, egrets, herons and butterflies. A few weeks ago there were hundreds of swallows and lots of nesting birds. Let's see what changes have taken place in the last few weeks. Walking in nature there is always something new to discover and enjoy.

So come out for a casual summer walk. We always have a good time!

For more information or to RSVP contact Mary at mfp2001@hotmail.com

Join a birdwalk. What a great way to start off your weekend or your day

With summer in full swing, it is time to get outdoors and enjoy the places we are working so hard to protect.

Join one of our birdwalks; check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands from the Orange County side on a summer bird/nature walk in Gum Grove Park in Seal Beach. Gum Grove borders on property that the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority hopes to purchase.

We are sure to get good looks at hawks, songbirds, egrets, herons and butterflies. A few weeks ago there were hundreds of swallows and lots of nesting birds. Let's see what changes have taken place in the last few weeks. Walking in nature, there is always something new to discover and enjoy.

So come out for a casual summer walk, we always have a good time!

Saturday, July 11, 8:00 a.m.
Sunday, July 19, 8:00 a.m.
Saturday, August 8, 8:00 a.m.
(note no third Sunday walk in August)

Where: Gum Grove Park, off Pacific Coast Highway at the border of Seal Beach and Long Beach.
Click here for a map. We meet at the entrance of the park.

Directions from Long Beach: take PCH to Mar Vista, left on Mar Vista, left on Coastline, right on Catalina, left on Avalon; Avalon dead ends in the parking lot.
If you own a pair of binoculars, we encourage you to bring them!

RSVP to Mary Parsell at mfp2001@hotmail.com

Awesome Letter to the Editor in the Grunion Gazette.  Go Flo!

We were pleased to read in this week's Grunion Gazette the lead letter to the editor. It was from reader Flo Pickett, who called attention to the unscientific nature of the remarks of Mr. Van der Upwich in the previous week's "Spit and Argue" column. Her great letter and the Grunion's response is below:

To The Editor:
Van der Upwich ("Spit & Argue Club," July 2) needs to check the calendar and discover that we are in the 21st Century and global warming and climate crises are realities.
The Grunion needs to find some progressive writers who know what's happening. Bashing citizens who work on behalf of saving the environment is not constructive and is outdated.

Do you have any writers who understand the wetlands and science?

Flo Pickett
Long Beach

Editor's Note: Mr. Van der Upwich wrote in the Spit & Argue Club, a space available for opinions from any and all of our readers. His opinions are his own and should not be construed to reflect those of Gazette Newspapers or its staff. The same is true of letters to the editor. - Harry Saltzgaver

Hoping your holiday is a good one and that you are able to spend time enjoying local nature and open space

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

I've lived in Southern California all my life and just love the weather and great open spaces that make this part of California an extraordinary place to live. When I tell my friends in Northern California about our special parks and habitat areas, sometimes I get funny looks because so often the Los Angeles basin is looked upon as nothing more than urban development and suburban sprawl. But you and I know better. We have spent time enjoying our local beaches, mountains and even local wetland areas like those at Bolsa Chica or Ballona.

All of us who care about protecting and restoring the few wetlands we have left realize the importance of bringing back to life the Los Cerritos Wetlands and it's surrounding open areas. Not only is it important habitat area for endangered plants and animals, but also it's a community resource, a place where local residents will some day be able to view wildlife and spend time, and quietly feel a sense of pride, much like those who live in Huntington Beach feel about the hard-fought-for Bolsa Chica wetlands.

As we head into this Fourth of July weekend, please take a moment to feel your own sense of pride for your own patriotic act: protecting our local wetlands. One of the things we love about America is the open spaces that make this land a wonderful place to live. Locally the Los Cerritos Wetlands, our last remaining open space, help make Long Beach a great place to live. Thanks for what you do to protect, preserve and restore them.

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Grunion Gazette must be engaging in satire about the illegal earthscraping....'cause this guy can't be serious.

Imagine my surprise when I opened the Grunion Gazette yesterday and saw an opinion column called "Spit and Argue" authored by Robert Van der Upwich. As I read the column, it became clear to me that it just had to have been written tongue-in-cheek. In fact, his arguments remind me of articles from that famous on-line satire publication The Onion.

How else could you explain such over-the-top phrases as "the planet's aura will remain in balance," or likening local environmentalists to a mob with pitchforks and torches? And how is he able to logically connect our fight to protect a fragile and important local wetlands habitat area with something happening in the San Joaquin Valley and farm workers? If you have never visited The Onion website, you can do so by clicking here. It is really funny!

So, check out the "Spit and Argue" column in Thursday's Grunion Gazette. (Link here.) My favorite part (if I really had to choose) is where the author denies global warming. It would appear that Mr. Van der Upwich is privy to information that the entire legitimate global scientific community is not.

Or, maybe, as I suggested earlier, this is a satire and intended to be funny. But, if that is not the intention and it's a genuine attack on local residents trying to protect our local wetlands, it misses its mark and is just plain absurd. Maybe Mr. Van der Upwich needs to sharpen his wit a little, perhaps by reading The Onion website by clicking here.

But here is something not so funny: that a well-known contractor could illegally scrape down a piece of earth, clearing it of habitat that is integral to the eco-system known as the Los Cerritos Wetlands, and then expect that a superficial study of this now-destroyed parcel that declared the land "not wetlands" would get him off the hook. I have to follow the law. So do you. So does Mr. Van der Upwich. So why shouldn't this well-known contractor?

Take a moment to write a letter to the editor of the Grunion Gazette in support of protecting our local wetlands by sending an an email to editor@gazettes.com .

Vigil tonight. Help keep the pressure on. Plus special guest speaker

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

Don't forget we are vigiling tonight to help remind the city that an illegal act occurred and we expect them to do something about it.

Tonight we will once again line up along Loynes, just west of Studebaker, from 5:00PM until 6:30PM to protest this illegal landscraping and make the statement we expect the city to do something about it. We encourage you to join us for some or all of the time we are out there.

Our special pre-vigil guest speaker will be local attorney and former Coastal Commissioner Mel Nutter. Mr. Nutter will provide us with an overview of the remedies available at the city and state levels to make sure the land owner is held accountable and the land is restored to it's original condition.

Thanks for all you do help preserve our local wetlands. Working together we can protect and restore Los Cerritos Wetlands and its surrounding habitat area.

See you on Friday!

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Don't Forget We Need You Tonight! Illegal Actions Should Have Consequences

• What: Protest of the illegal scraping of a wetlands habitat area
• Where: Corner of Loynes and Studebaker
• When: Friday, June 26th from 5:00PM until 6:30PM
• Why: Because no one should be above the law, and all lands that surround the Los Cerritos Wetlands are important and should be preserved

Bring a sign if you have one or use one of ours!

Special Guest Speaker: Mel Nutter,
Mel Nutter has practiced law in Long Beach since 1965 with an emphasis on land use, environmental, estate planning and trust law. He was also a member of the California Coastal Commission and served as its Chair during the last three years of his tenure. As the Commission's Chair, he also was on the Board of the State Coastal Conservancy. Mel represents the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust on legal matters having to do with preservation of our local wetlands.

Vigil this Friday to keep the pressure on protecting your wetlands habitat area

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

We know it's been awhile since the illegal scraping of the wetlands habitat area near Loynes and Studebaker, but the land remains bare, and it is unclear what the City of Long Beach plans to do about it. So, as stewards of the fragile Los Cerritos Wetlands, we must keep the pressure on to ensure this land is put back the way it was.

Therefore we are resuming our monthly vigils at the site of the illegal earth scraping. On Friday, June 26th we will once again line up along Loynes, just west of Studebaker, from 5:00PM until 6:30PM. We encourage you to join us for some or all of the time we are out there.

Our special pre-vigil guest speaker will be local attorney and former Coastal Commissioner Mel Nutter. Mr. Nutter will provide us with an overview of the remedies available at the city and state levels to make sure the land owner is held accountable and the land is restored to it's original condition.

Thanks for all you do help preserve our local wetlands. Working together we can protect and restore Los Cerritos Wetlands and its surrounding habitat area.

See you on Friday!

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Last Weekend's Rummage Sale was a Great Success

Three cheers for everyone who worked so hard to make the rummage sale to benefit the Los Cerritos Wetlands such a resounding success. There are so many people to thank it is hard to know where to begin. Leslie HeuerOur biggest thank you is to Leslie Heuer, who is an organizational marvel for conceiving the rummage sale idea and making it happen. Another big thank you to her husband Chris who was "mover in chief" for all the items we sold.

And cheers for all Leslie's fellow Camp Fire parents, who helped arrange and sell items, brought with them and sold delicious baked goods, and arranged a kid's craft area staffed by their enthusiastic children. Everyone had a great time, and the frequent periods of drizzle did not seem to dampen the spirits of the participants. We know we want to do this rummage sale again (but not too soon) so start saving your cool stuff for the next one! To check out some photos of the rummage sale click here!

Don't Forget We Need You This Friday! Illegal Actions Should Have Consequences

• What: Protest of the illegal scraping of a wetlands habitat area
• Where: Corner of Loynes and Studebaker
• When: Friday, June 26th from 5:00PM until 6:30PM
• Why: Because no one should be above the law, and all lands that surround the Los Cerritos Wetlands are important and should be preserved

Bring a sign if you have one or use one of ours!

Special Guest Speaker: Mel Nutter,
Mel Nutter has practiced law in Long Beach since 1965 with an emphasis on land use, environmental, estate planning and trust law. He was also a member of the California Coastal Commission and served as its Chair during the last three years of his tenure. As the Commission's Chair, he also was on the Board of the State Coastal Conservancy. Mel represents the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust on legal matters having to do with preservation of our local wetlands.

Photos from our rummage sale

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Rummage sale is coming up fast...donate or shop...but don't forget to join us!

Rummage Sale to benefit the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust is this Saturday. You won't want to miss it.

Print this flyer

There is still time to donate by contacting Leslie Heuer at mrfoo12@mac.com or give her a call at 562/477-5556. And if you don't have anything to donate to the sale, then be sure to stop by and shop. Not only will there be great donated items for sale but tasty baked goods and yummy lemonade will also be available for purchase. You can also join or renew your membership at the sale.
See you Saturday!

Whether the destroyed land this egret is standing on is wetlands is really not the point. We have not had the opportunity to verify the developers claim that it isn't. But one thing we know for sure ......that this illegally scraped land is part of an ecosystem that supports and nourishes the Los Cerritos Wetlands. It needs to be put back the way it was.

The latest on the illegally scraped wetlands habitat area is that a biological consulting company hired by the land owner has determined that land next to Loynes Drive bulldozed earlier this spring is not and never was wetlands. Wow! Amazing they could draw such sweeping conclusions by studying a piece of land that had recently been illegally and relentlessly scraped nearly bare and graded for close to 24 hours and then, because the land started to leak methane gas, was then smothered in 6 inches of "clean" but foreign soil.

But there is another very important point to consider. The scraping was illegal. The land owner must not be allowed simply to go ahead with his plans and profit from his illegal activity.

There is a remedy: the land needs to be put back the way it was, and then the landowner must follow a process that ensures our vital and fragile wetlands and surrounding habitat area are protected and preserved. Is there a "win-win" out there? We hope so, but first the land must be restored to it's original condition.

Click here to read the story in the Grunion Gazette.

Land Swap. The saga continues. Read below for the latest on some new developments.

We sure don't know much, but what we do know is that the Long Beach City Council went into closed session recently to discuss modifications to the proposed land swap. It is rumored that slightly less than ten acres of wetlands may be added to the the deal.

Click here to read the Long Beach Press Telegram story about the proposed land swap.

Click here to read the LBReport.com story...includes some fascinating maps.

When we learn more details you can be sure we will be sharing that information with our members and supporters.

Rummage Sale is coming up fast. We need your stuff!

What would we do without hard-working volunteers like Leslie Heuer.  Leslie, an active hiker and Camp Fire mom, is donating her time and talents to organizing a huge rummage and bake sale for us.  But it won't be huge if we don't have your donated items by next Saturday!  Leslie, in addition to everything else she does, is accepting donations at her house.  All she needs is a phone call or email in advance to let her know you are coming by.   Leslie can be reached by email at mrfoo12@mac.com or give her a call at 562/477-5556.

Print this flyer

Don't Forget our Birdwalk this Saturday, June 13th!

Saturday, June 13, 8:00 a.m.

Check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands.

Join us as we explore Gum Grove Park, which overlooks the Los Cerritos Wetlands from the Orange County side. We are sure to see lots of colorful butterflies, swallows, hawks and hummingbirds on this early summer walk. It's a fun way to start off your day, and we always have a great time!

From Long Beach, take PCH to Mar Vista, turn left on Mar Vista, turn right on Catalina, turn left on Avalon. Avalon dead-ends into the parking lot of Gum Grove Park in Seal Beach. For more information email Mary at mfp2001@hotmail.com.

June has great weather for seeing the diverse and fascinating wildlife in our local wetlands. Mark your calendar and plan to join us.

Don't forget.  We will be vigiling at Studebaker and Loynes until the illegally scraped habitat area is brought back to life.  Next Vigil will be Friday, June 26th.

June 19 and 20 will be the 3-month anniversary of the illegal scraping of the wetlands habitat near the corner of Loynes and Studebaker.  We don't have a lot of new information to share with you at this point.  However, we believe the biological assessment of the damaged land will be finished soon, and we will have access to it and look forward not only to learning about the damage that was done but how to fix the injured land and return it to it's original condition.  In the meantime we need to ensure that we keep the pressure on, and in order to do so we are continuing our vigiling.  Our next vigil will be at Loynes and Studebaker at 5:30PM on Friday, June 26th.  For more information, email Elizabeth at ejlambe@verizon.net

Easy and Fun things you can do this month to help protect the Los Cerritos Wetlands

I've spent most of my life working to protect the environment, and one thing I have learned along the way is that we are most likely to be successful when we all pitch in and do what we can to steward and protect the places we care about. And while it is important and necessary to have experts and lawyers who can interpret biological reports and read legal briefings, what makes the most difference is when regular people, community members like you and me, step up and offer up their time and talent.

So, for all of you who have put off cleaning out that garage (and that includes me!) or thinning out the stuff in your cupboards and closets, now is the time to do so and donate your cool, reusable items to to our rummage sale. Not only will you be doing something that helps our local wetlands, but reusing and recycling is another to way to help the environment since it keeps stuff out of our local landfills.

To learn further details or to donate to our rummage sale you can contact Leslie at mrfoo12@mac.com or call her at 562/477-5556

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Tell A Friend.....Rummage sale to benefit the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust is Saturday, June 20, from 7:00AM until noon. See below for further details

The rummage sale is being held at the parking lot of the Gaslamp restaurant on the corner of Loynes and PCH. There are several ways you can help.

1. Donate your reusable and sellable stuff. And ask friends, neighbors and relatives for their stuff too. It all makes a difference. For details about where to drop off items for the sale, email Leslie at mrfoo12@mac.com or call her at 562/477-5556. And if you happen to have a table or shade canopy you can lend us, we would appreciate that too!
Donate baked goods. In addition to the rummage sale, we will be selling coffee and bakery type items. If you are handy in the kitchen and can contribute something tasty for the baked goods table, give Leslie a call or email her. Any and all contributions welcome.
Volunteer to spread the word. Click here for a flyer about the rummage sale you can print out and distribute family and friends.
Volunteer on the day of the event. We will need people to help unload items, staff tables, sell baked goods or hold signs near the street directing people to the rummage sale. Let Leslie know if you are willing to help out for a couple of hours.

From Bird Walks to Zeppelin Rides to a Cool Event at Rancho Los Alamitos . . . Fun Stuff to Do Here in Long Beach.

Saturday, June 13, 8:00 a.m.

Check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands

Join us as we explore Gum Grove Park which overlooks the Los Cerritos Wetlands from the Orange County side. We are sure to see lots of colorful butterflies, swallows, hawks and hummingbirds on this early summer walk. It's a fun way to start off your day, and we always have a great time!

From Long Beach, take PCH to Mar Vista, turn left on Mar Vista, turn right on Catalina, turn left on Avalon. Avalon dead-ends into the parking lot of Gum Grove Park in Seal Beach. For more information email Mary at mfp2001@hotmail.com.

Rancho Los Alamitos Historic Ranch and Gardens In collaboration with Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden Presents In the Nature of the Place
Native Plants and Mediterranean Gardens
Saturday, June 6
11:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Free Admission to Rancho Los Alamitos Site Activities
Keynote Speaker Seminars
Require Pre-registration
Program Details and Seminar Registration Link: http://rancholosalamitos.com/events.html

Check out the story on LBReport.com about Zeppelin rides you can take over Long Beach. The story has some great aerial photos of the Los Cerritos Wetlands. Click here to read the article and see the photos.

For some more fun Zeppelin photos check out the photo galleries section of the Long Beach Press Telegram by clicking here.

Don't Forget. This Saturday Celebrate the Opening of the Restored Rancho Los Alamitos Native Garden

• Rancho Los Alamitos Historic Ranch and Gardens In collaboration with Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden
• Presents In the Nature of the Place
• Native Plants and Mediterranean Gardens
• Saturday, June 6
• 11:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Free Admission to Rancho Los Alamitos Site Activities
• Keynote Speaker Seminars
• Require Pre-registration
• Program Details and Seminar Registration Link: http://rancholosalamitos.com/events.html

The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust will have a table at this event, so if you are planning on attending, please stop by and say hello. With so much of Southern California's landscape urbanized and stripped of it's native vegetation, efforts to restore native plants to our community help protect and preserve some of the same kinds of creatures as those who depend on our local wetlands.

Attend the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust General Meeting. Learn about a vision for wetlands restoration

Protecting wetlands isn't always about saying no to the development and exploitation that threaten our local wetlands. It is also about having a vision for their restoration and rehabilitation, a vision that can be talked about and shared with friends, neighbors and elected officials.

We all know what a tremendous community resource a restored and vibrant Los Cerritos Wetlands would be. Not only would thriving wetlands provide habitat and protection for threatened and endangered species, but they would also be a great educational resource for students and their teachers to enjoy and learn from. What's more, they would be a place the community could go for respite and renewal in the midst of our very urban environment. We are so very fortunate that here in Long Beach we have a real live wilderness area that, with care and stewardship, could be brought back to it's original state.

On the other hand, It is unfortunate that we have to spend so much time fighting inappropriate development proposals like Home Depot, or its replacement we call Home Depot 2.0, or seeking accountability for those who scrape down important wetlands habitat areas like that now barren area at the corner of Studebaker and Loynes.

So, even as we oppose unsuitable development, let us not forget that it is equally important to spend time talking about what we want to see our wetlands look like and how to make it happen. That will be the focus of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust general meeting this Tuesday and I hope you will join us.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust General Meeting is this Tuesday. Please Attend

We are very excited that local wetlands activist and Cal State University Long Beach Instructor Eric Zahn and his students will be presenting their vision for restoration and rehabilitation of the Los Cerritos Wetlands.

To quote Eric, The presentation my students will be giving at the Land Trust meeting is entitled "Los Cerritos Wetlands Habitat Restoration Plan" The report looks at the entire complex and determines the best locations for the following habitat types: Salt Water, Brackish Water, Freshwater, Salt Marsh, Transition Zone, Dune, Coastal Sage Scrub, Alkali Meadows, Bird Islands, and oil operations. The plan also details locations of culverts, parking lots, trails, and a future nature center.

• What: Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust General Meeting
• Where: Belmont Shore Mobile Estates Community Center
• When: Tuesday, May 27th at 7:00 PM
• Why: To share with the community a vision of what a restored and thriving Los Cerritos Wetlands could look like.

We will also update you on the latest regarding the Los Cerritos Wetlands, the land swap, the possible return of Home Depot, the proposed development at 2nd and PCH, and more.

From Bird Walks to Zeppelin Rides to a Cool Event at Rancho Los Alamitos . . . Fun Stuff to Do Here in Long Beach.

Saturday, June 13, 8:00 a.m.

Check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands

Join us as we explore Gum Grove Park which overlooks the Los Cerritos Wetlands from the Orange County side. We are sure to see lots of colorful butterflies, swallows, hawks and hummingbirds on this early summer walk. It's a fun way to start off your day, and we always have a great time!

From Long Beach, take PCH to Mar Vista, turn left on Mar Vista, turn right on Catalina, turn left on Avalon. Avalon dead-ends into the parking lot of Gum Grove Park in Seal Beach. For more information email Mary at mfp2001@hotmail.com.

Rancho Los Alamitos Historic Ranch and Gardens In collaboration with Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden Presents In the Nature of the Place
Native Plants and Mediterranean Gardens
Saturday, June 6
11:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Free Admission to Rancho Los Alamitos Site Activities
Keynote Speaker Seminars
Require Pre-registration
Program Details and Seminar Registration Link: http://rancholosalamitos.com/events.html

Check out the story on LBReport.com about Zeppelin rides you can take over Long Beach. The story has some great aerial photos of the Los Cerritos Wetlands. Click here to read the article and see the photos.

For some more fun Zeppelin photos check out the photo galleries section of the Long Beach Press Telegram by clicking here.

Latest News about the Los Cerritos Wetlands and our efforts to preserve and restore them

Land Swap... what will happen next?

At this point it looks as if the land swap is continuing to move forward. We are waiting for the City Council to put the item on their agenda for a final vote. We remain concerned about the lack of enforceable provisions to ensure the land remain open and protected and not be seen as a holding place for roads and future development. Given the sad state of California's budget right now it looks as though, if the land swap goes through, it could be quite some time before the property is transferred to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority. That worries us, especially as we see the proposed development at PCH and 2nd Street coming before the city.

Stay tuned. We will keep you apprised of any and all new information as it becomes available to us.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Proposed Development at PCH and 2nd Street.
The Return of Home Depot? Rumors Abound.

Click here to see for yourself the latest proposal for the corner of 2nd Street and Pacific Coast Highway. And if you have any thoughts about this proposed development, be sure to tell Gary DeLong, who is the Councilperson for that area.

Click here to send an email to Councilmember DeLong.

It looks like the Long Beach City Planning Commission will be deciding whether to hold a study session on the South East Area Development and Improvement Plan (SEADIP) which includes the 2nd and PCH proposed development project. The Planning Commission will meet this Thursday, May 21st at 5:00PM at City Hall. We urge you to attend that meeting to learn more details or to express your opinion.

Home Depot returns? Looks like it. But we don't know for sure. Click here to read the latest. And then decide for yourself.

Threats to our local wetlands just never seem to go away!

Mark Your Calendar.  Our upcoming Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust General Meeting is going to be one you won't want to miss.

We are very excited that local wetlands activist and Cal State University Long Beach Instructor Eric Zahn and his students will be presenting their vision for restoration and rehabilitation of the Los Cerritos Wetlands.

To quote Eric, the presentation my students will be giving at the Land Trust meeting is entitled "Los Cerritos Wetlands Habitat Restoration Plan" The report looks at the entire complex and determines the best locations for the following habitat types: Salt Water, Brackish Water, Freshwater, Salt Marsh, Transition Zone, Dune, Coastal Sage Scrub, Alkali Meadows, Bird Islands, and oil operations. The plan also details locations of culverts, parking lots, trails, and a future nature center.

• What: Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust General Meeting
• Where: Belmont Shore Mobile Estates Community Center
• When: Tuesday, May 27th at 7:00 PM
• Why: To share with the community a vision of what a restored and thriving Los Cerritos Wetlands could look like.

We will also update you on the latest regarding the Los Cerritos Wetlands, the land swap, the return of Home Depot, the proposed development at 2nd and PCH, and more.

Notice of received application

Project Information

Contact: jeffrey_winklepleck@longbeach.gov

On Tuesday night the City Council declined to release e-mail conversations about the proposed land swap. Birds of the Los Cerritos Wetlands

We do not agree with this decision because we believe the more information the public has about the proposed land swap and how it is being put together, the better the outcome.

Furthermore, there are wide disparities about the appraised value of the land, depending on whose assessment you read. And while we support any and all actions that will protect and help restore our local wetlands, we want assurances that this land swap isn't just about trading one developable property for another. There have been proposals in the past to put a road through the wetlands parcel involved in the land swap. How do we know that once the land is in city hands, they won't try to put a road through it again? This is an especially important question with the proposed development at 2nd and PCH apparently coming back to city council for a vote soon. If that project should get built and generate as much traffic as many think it would cause, will the public demand for a road sway whatever future City Council there may be into supporting a road through the wetlands?

If this seems unlikely, just remember how quickly the public started supporting off-shore oil drilling off the coast of California when gas went up to $4.00 a gallon. Even though there was no evidence off- shore oil drilling would help our gas prices, polls indicated a sudden, dramatic change in favor of allowing off-shore drilling. Now, with gas prices back to a reasonable level, in retrospect the sudden change in public opinion seems like a badly thought out response. What if the same thing happened in the case of Los Cerritos Wetlands in response to a sudden increase in traffic? That is why the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust believes it is so important that the land swap include a deed restriction, or conservation easement or some other enforceable provision to ensure that the land be protected and preserved for wetlands and not be allowed to become another city property expendable when the city's financial going gets tough.

Click here to read the Press-Telegram's account of Tuesday's City Council Meeting

Click here to read why the Long Beach City Auditor thinks that proposed land swap has "serious risks".

Click here to read further about Tuesday's City Council meeting.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Thanks to everyone who volunteered to help the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust at the many earth day events we participated in

With an especially big thank you to the Orange County Birds of Prey Center for joining us in Recreation Park this past Sunday with their red tailed hawk, Isis, a beautiful male kestrel who "sang" to attract a mate, a burrowing owl and a screech owl. All are birds that would greatly benefit from a protected and restored Los Cerritos Wetlands.

Click here to check out more photos of the amazing birds that joined us at Rec. Park this past Saturday

Birds are cool. Two opportunities to see them and learn about them

Attend our Gum Grove Bird Walks -- Saturday, May 9 and Sunday, May 17, 8:00 AM

We always have a great time!

Gum Grove Park overlooking the Los Cerritos Wetlands on the Orange County side is always beautiful this time of year. We will be looking for Red-shouldered Hawks, herons, egrets, Red-winged Blackbirds, swallows, swifts, woodpeckers, and colorful spring migrants. May is also a peak month for spring migration and we see many migrating birds in Gum Grove and Los Cerritos Wetlands.

Directions-From Long Beach take Pacific Coast Highway to Mar Vista Street, turn left. Then turn left on Coastline. Then turn right on Catalina, left on Avalon which dead ends into the parking lot.

Have fun birding and enjoying nature!

Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine and the El Dorado Nature Center is offering a class on the basics of bird watching on the beautiful trails of the Nature Center. The Bird Watching Basics class meets this Saturday and again on Saturday, May 16, from 9 a.m. until noon at the Nature Center, located at 7550 E. Spring St. The class is for ages 16 years and up and registration is required. The class fee of $15 includes materials and a take home-field guide. No experience is necessary and binoculars are available for borrowing. Call 562-570-1745 for information.

Birds from the Orange County Birds of Prey Center that helped out at the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust Booth for Earth Day

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Don't forget about our vigil this Friday, and read below for details about last night's City Council wetlands discussion

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

We are vigiling again at the site of the illegal earth scraping and guess what, Friday is National Arbor Day. What better way to celebrate Arbor Day than to participate in the vigil and ask that on the destroyed site felled trees be replaced and other habitat be restored.

Click here to learn more about Arbor Day and the Arbor Day Foundation.

So please make time to join us this Friday, April 24th. We will once again line up along Loynes, just west of Studebaker, from 5:00PM until 6:30PM. We encourage you to join us for some or all of the time we are out there.

Thanks for all you do help preserve our local wetlands. Working together we can protect and restore Los Cerritos Wetlands and its surrounding habitat area.

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Interesting City Council meeting last night. Council voted 8-0 to bring land swap deal back before council and agreed that greater public input is needed

Because so many questions remain unanswered about the proposed land swap, Councilmember Gerrie Schipske asked that the following agenda item be considered by City Council last night.

"Recommendation to respectfully request that City Council discuss in closed session the progress of the Real Estate Exchange agreement involving the 12.1 acres of City-owned land for surface rights to approximately 33.77 acres of privately owned wetlands before authorizing the City Manager to execute the agreement". COUNCILWOMAN GERRIE SCHIPSKE, FIFTH DISTRICT

There was a great deal of discussion amongst the Council (and a lot of input from the audience) about how important it is that all the details of the land swap proposal be fully understood by the public and the Council before the deal is finalized. The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust has said all along that while we all want to protect and preserve our local wetlands, the best deal is one that is fully vetted by the Council and the public so that the outcome can enjoy strong community support. Furthermore, in light of recent emails that have come out implying some city staff might support roads through wetlands, we continue to advocate for a deed restriction or some other enforceable provisions. We want this restriction to be a part of the package to ensure the wetlands remain preserved and protected as they await their transfer to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority.

Below is some coverage of the Council meeting and the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust's position on the land swap.

Click here to read the Long Beach Press Telegram's coverage of last night's Council meeting

Click here to read what the District Weekly had to say about last night's meeting, with excerpts from Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust Executive Director Elizabeth Lambe's testimony

Click here to read the latest from LBReport on this topic.

Proposed Land Swap Will Be Back Before the City Council on Tuesday. Attend the meeting to show your support for a guarantee of wetlands protection

City Council Meeting to Discuss Proposed Land Swap will be this Tuesday Night, April 21st.

As you know, the most important question we have about the proposed land swap is how the city will guarantee that the land remain protected and as wetlands in these tough budgetary times for California and Long Beach. We were also concerned that the City Council voted to authorize the City Manager the power not only to negotiate, but also to agree on the final deal without final signoff from the City Council.

Well, it turns out that the City Attorney has informed the City Council that it is probably not legal to allow a city staff person to negotiate the land swap deal without their vote on the final agreement. Furthermore, in light of very disturbing emails between the City and the land owner, Councilmember Gerrie Schipske has agendized the proposed land swap deal in order to hear further from the public.....and that means you!

We have said from the beginning that we are glad to see forward motion regarding protecting our local wetlands, but in this specific case there were just too many unanswered questions and not enough details. We thank Councilmember Schipske for bringing this deal back before the City Council so that the environmental community and our elected officials can be fully apprised of all elements of this proposed land swap.

Click here to read Councilmember Gerrie Schipske's Press Release

Hope to see you on Tuesday!

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Latest on the Illegal Earthscraping near Loynes and Studebaker

The good news is that the land owner has finally finished capping the methane leak he caused by illegally removing the crust of land (and trees, plants and animals) that were covering the old city dump. The bad news is that once again the landowner has played fast and loose with the rules. According to a special message from the City of Long Beach dated April 9, 2009, Mr. Hitchcock was given an emergency permit from the Coastal Commission and AQMD to use 1000 cu. ft. of clean fill dirt to cap any exposed landfill property. However, on April 16, 2009, Long Beach City Manager Patrick West, in a City Manager Alert, stated that the dirt had been dispersed throughout the site. Dispersing that dirt has created what now looks like the beginnings of that soccer field Mr. Hitchcock said he wanted to build there.

However, wanting to build something and actually having the permits and approvals (especially in the coastal zone) are two different things. Just ask the mobile home park owners in Huntington Beach who decided a parking lot would be more useful than wetlands and illegally constructed that parking lot without going through the Coastal Commission permitting process. Those owners will have to restore the wetlands they destroyed and so should Mr. Hitchcock. So thanks for all the emails and phone calls from those of you who think that soccer fields don't belong in a wetland habitat area. With over 90% of our local wetlands gone forever, what we have left should be protected and restored.....including the land at Loynes and Studebaker. Soccer fields may have their place, but within a wetlands habitat area is not one of them.

Calling all Volunteers......Earth Day is next week and we need your help!

There are some great fairs and festivals coming up to honor and celebrate Mother Earth on Earth Day. The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust tries to have an information table at as many events as we can to help spread the word about the importance of protecting and preserving our local wetlands. But while it's great to have so much going on in Long Beach the two weekends before and after Earth Day, it means we really need extra help. If you have a couple of hours to spare please consider helping us out. It is a great way to meet like minded people who care about protecting our planet, and if you are a new volunteer we always "team" you with one of our experienced volunteers.

If you think you can help us please email Ann Denison at lannd4animals@charter.net and she can fill you in on the details.

Volunteering is a great way to give back to the community and to the planet.......especially this month as we are celebrating the 39th anniversay of Earth Day!

Latest news about the illegally scraped wetlands habitat area and how you can help keep the pressure on

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

A lot of people have written or emailed about the further earth moving that is going on this week at the recently destroyed habitat area. You may know that this area was once a city dump, and when the landowner scraped off the top layer of soil during his illegal earth scraping, he removed a layer of land that was helping keep methane and perhaps other toxins contained within the land. So what you see out on that land right now is the landowner complying with an AQMD order that the methane be capped since it poses a direct threat to human health.

Also be assured that the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust is pursuing with every agency we can the best recourse possible to get the land restored and replanted, and that we will let you know what is happening each and every step of the way. For example, some good news is that the enforcement division of the Coastal Commission is investigating this incident and letting us know what our next steps are.

What we need from all of you that care about protecting and preserving wetlands habitat areas is for you to help us keep the pressure on.

Write a letter to your Councilmember and ask how he or she plans to ensure this land is made whole again and protected.

Click here to find out who represents you on the city council and how to send them an e-mail

Not only is this habitat destruction a violation of the city permitting process but also violates the State of California's Coastal Act. So take a moment to write to the California Coastal Commission local office to let them know you want this issue fully investigated and prosecuted.

Click here for a list of Coastal Commission Offices. Write to the address in Long Beach

Thank you for your support and stewardship of the fragile, yet threatened Los Cerritos Wetlands.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director,
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

P.S. Now it's time for some good news.

Click here to read the story of the Coastal Commission decision in favor of restoring badly treated wetlands in Huntington Beach.

Postponing our vigil this Friday, and the California Coastal Commission hears details from us about the illegal earthscraping

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

Because of the upcoming holiday we are postponing our vigil at the site of the illegally scraped wetlands habitat area since many people will be out of town (or if you have kids like I do) preparing for spring break. Our plan is to resume on April 24th, which is roughly the one-month anniversary of that dark day when bulldozers pushed over trees and flattened land on the open space area near the corner of Loynes and Studebaker.

Thanks for all you do help preserve our local wetlands. Working together we can protect and restore Los Cerritos Wetlands and its surrounding habitat area.

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

LCWLT and UPENA brief the California Coastal Commission about the illegal earthscraping near Studebaker and Loynes

Cheers to Pat Towner, President of the University Park Estates Neighborhood Association and to Elizabeth Lambe for making the long trek up to the Coastal Commission meeting in Oxnard to brief California Coastal Commissioners on the illegal earthscraping near the corner of Loynes and Studebaker. Elizabeth spoke about how this activity harmed a fragile habitat area. Pat spoke about the toxins, icluding methane, that were blown into the Belmont Shores Mobile Home Park and University Park Estates neighborhoods due to the uncovering of the old dumpsite by removal of the top layer of earth and plants that kept toxins and methane beneath the surface.

Elizabeth's testimony is below. Plus you can see both Pat and Elizabeth's testimony via the Coastal Commission's webcam archives at http://www.coastal.ca.gov/.

Hello Commissioners

The Los Cerritos Wetlands are a tiny fragment of what was once a vast network of historic wetlands that are now just a few hundred acres  located along the border between Seal Beach and Long Beach.  The mission of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust is to protect and preserve the remaining wetlands and surrounding habitat area and to work towards it restoration as habitat for threatened species and as a community resource.

A shocking incident occurred starting in the early afternoon on Thursday, March 19th and continued throughout the next day until 2:45PM and that is the illegal grading of an important habitat area located within the area we are working to preserve.  This grading occurred under the guise of "weed abatement" but with not a single permit or written approval of any kind, not from the city of Long Beach, not from the Coastal Commission nor Fish and Game or any other relevant agency.  I was out at the site of the grading starting at 9:30AM the following morning following up on a number of very concerned phone calls from local residents.

After numerous phone calls from concerned citizens, a representative from the City of Long Beach came out to the site of the grading and issued a "stop work order".  However, by that time the damage had been done, the land scraped bare and trees knocked down.  And, despite a stop work order having been issued, truck load after truck load of asphalt was brought in and dumped on the site throughout the day until, finally, after further public outcry, the City of Long Beach required that illegal activity must be stopped also.

I am here before you to respectfully request that this incident be thoroughly investigated by the CCC, and if you determine that provisions within the Coastal Act were violated, and it is clear that they were, that the landowner be held fully accountable for this devastating habitat destruction.  For a property owner to so willfully ignore the law and the authority of the Coastal Commission in such a direct and careless manor is bad for two reasons.  #1) Fragile and important habitat has been lost forever.....wetlands plowed under and nesting birds, many likely threatened and endangered, driven from their nests.  #2) It sets a terrible precedent for those with position and power to be able to get away with illegal activity with no real consequences or accountability and sends a message that our laws are without teeth and need not be considered or followed.

I want to thank Coastal Commission staff for so promptly getting involved and starting to investigate this incident, and I look forward to providing further information and assistance to ensure this matter is fully investigated and appropriate restitution is put into place.

I will now take the remainder of my time to share with you some slides from the day of this illegal earth scraping.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Don't Forget. We are holding our vigil this Friday, from 5 to 6:30 PM

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

I am sending you this email as a friendly reminder that we plan to once again vigil at the site of the illegal earth scraping that happened two weeks ago. We plan to be there until the land is put back the way it was (or improved) and those who permitted this act are held accountable. We will once again line up along Loynes, just west of Studebaker, from 5:00PM until 6:30PM, this Friday, April 3rd. And we encourage you to join us for some, or all of the time we are out there.

We have to keep the pressure on. If we don't, all the open spaces we care about in Long Beach will be more vulnerable to exploitation and development.

Furthermore, it is fun to be a part of an event where, while standing up for the Los Cerritos Wetlands, you will stand alongside friends, neighbors, families--community activists of all kinds.

Our vigil last Friday was a fun and empowering event and we expect it to be again, but we can't do it without you!

As Earth Day approaches, it is small steps like these that add up and make it possible to save the small pieces of our wetlands that remain.

Thanks for all you do!

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Thanks to one of our great volunteers there is now a Facebook page about the Los Cerritos Wetlands!

If you are a Facebook member, go to www.facebook.com and search for "Save the Los Cerritos Wetlands" and a great Facebook page, put together by Leslie Wilson Heuer will pop up. Leslie's page already has 126 members and I am one of them. Thanks Leslie! You rock. Hope I see you at the vigil this Friday.

If you aren't on Facebook yet, you might consider joining, it is fast becoming the "town hall" of the Internet era. Then you could join the Save the Los Cerritos Wetlands Facebook page too.

Thanks to everyone who attended our vigil and helped send the message that we want our wetlands protected, not bulldozed and destroyed

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

What a great gathering of friends, neighbors, elected officials and environmental activists we were last Friday. According to our official sign- in sheet, over 100 people attended, which is amazing given the short amount of notice people received. Our keynote speaker, Councilmember Patrick O'Donnell, rallied the crowd, letting us know that it is with public involvement and pressure that the Los Cerritos Wetlands will be ultimately protected and preserved. We also want to thank Councilmember Rae Gabelich for attending and helping us send the message that wetlands matter to people in all parts of the city. Once they are restored, what a great community resource our sensitive and fragile wetlands will be for both local wildlife and our community. In the meantime we must be vigilant in protecting them from exploitation and development.

While there were lots of great pictures from Friday's vigil, I can't resist sharing the one that came from my camera, of my daughter, Zoey Lambe-Hommel doing her part to protect the wetlands for future generations.

Hope you think it is as cute as I do!

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Check out this great photo that ran in the Long Beach Press Telegram and the Contra Costa Times!

This picture from last Friday's vigil says it all! Thanks to everyone who was able to attend. Don't forget, we will be there this Friday also!

Los Cerritos Land Trust Membership Meeting is this Tuesday

Attend our membership meeting this Tuesday, at 7:00PM, at the Belmont Shore Mobile Estates Community Center. Paid-up members will be voting for the new Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust Board of Directors from 7:00 to 7:45PM (approximately). After that we will be talking about next steps in our fight to protect the Los Cerritos Wetlands. Not sure if you are a member? Call or email Elizabeth at ejlambe@verizon.net or 714/356-8576. You can still renew your membership, but there was a cut-off date for renewing in time to vote in this election.

Join us and stay involved.

Take A Stand Against Illegally Destroying Wetlands Habitat. Join Our Protest Tomorrow

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

I am happy to report to you that when I drove by the scraped wetlands habitat area to see if the illegal and environmentally hazardous giant pile of asphalt was still there, it looked smaller and was clearly on it's way back to where it came from.

I remain angry that it took close to a week after the illegal grading and asphalt dumping occurred, to get that asphalt removed. But I see our upcoming vigil at the site of the scraping as an opportunity to not only mark the one week anniversary of this terrible incident but also as a time to begin to move forward and think about how we can work together to heal this land and return it to it's former state.

It is true that no one should be above the law. Not me. Not you. And not 2H Construction. But given that the damage has been done, how do we work together to bring back the habitat that was so quickly and thoughtlessly destroyed?

Please make time to join us at our protest/vigil tomorrow, Friday March 27th from 5:00PM until 7:00PM, near the corner of Loynes and Studebaker, across from the illegal earth scraping.

We need to send two messages to City Hall. #1) That no one is above the law and that all of us, including wealthy and influential landowners, must suffer the consequences when they break the law. #2) That we need their help and partnership to ensure all of the Los Cerritos Wetlands ecosystem is protected and restored so that we lose not one acre to development and exploitation.

We sincerely appreciate that City Councilmember and wetlands advocate, Patrick O'Donnell is making time in his busy schedule to be our keynote speaker and we look forward to hearing his thoughts.

Bring your own sign or wave one of the signs and banners that we will provide.

See you this Friday!

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

P.S. The California Environmental Protection Agency was out at the site today to determine what hazards to human health might have occurred from this illegal earthscraping. That parcel of land was the city dump for many years and likely contains hazardous materials. Just another reason that land is better suited as open space and habitat, not soccer fields.

Latest News Coverage of the Destroyed Wetlands Habitat Area. When will we start to read news stories about the consequences of destroying it?

Click here to read the Grunion Gazette Article See illegal activity described as "miscommunication".

Click here to read The District Weekly article about the City Council discussion about the illegal earthscraping

Click here to read LBReport.com audio report of a meeting between the city and community activists about the illegal earthscraping

Click here to read the latest from LBPost.com

Attend Our Vigil on Friday next to the Destroyed Wetlands Habitat Area. Help us Keep the Pressure On

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

Above is just one of the many birds and animals that can no longer rely on the wetland habitat area near the corner of Loynes and Studebaker because it was illegally and thoughtlessly scraped bare last Friday. We need to make sure this sort of wholesale destruction of habitat and complete disregard for the law never happens again.

In order to achieve that goal we need to keep the pressure on and urge you to attend our vigil on Loynes (just west of Studebaker) across the street from the site of the illegal grading this Friday, March 27th from 5:00PM until 7:00PM. We are holding this community event to mark the one week anniversary of the senseless destruction of this important wetlands habitat area. Our keynote speaker will be Councilmember Patrick O'Donnell.

Bring your own sign or wave one of the signs and banners that we will provide.

The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust plans to be there each and every Friday until this land is put back together and made whole. Join us at our inaugural vigil and do your part to protect and restore our local wetlands.

Thanks for all you do to protect our fragile, yet threatened local wetlands and their surrounding habitat.

See you this Friday!

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Further Media, Photos and Community Reaction to the illegal destruction of our wetlands habitat area

The Los Angeles Times covered the story of the illegal habitat destruction yesterday in their story on page A3.

Click here to read the Los Angeles Times Coverage.

One of our members took some amazing photos last Friday while the illegal activity was going on. The are now posted on our website.

Click here to go to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust Website.

Ann Cantrell, Contributing Editor on Parks, Recreation and Open Space for LBReport.com made some great points about why that open space is a better fit as a wetland area rather than a sports park in her column today.

Click here to read what Ann has to say.

Its not too late to write to you city councilmember and tell them what you think about the illegal earth scraping.

Click here for a link to write a letter to the Long Beach City Council.

Further photos of wetlands habitat destruction, taken by one of our members

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Further news reports and photos of yesterday's wetlands habitat destruction

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

Since I wrote to you yesterday, I have more compelling news stories and photos about the destruction and devastation of the wetlands habitat area near the corner of Loynes and Studebaker.

You know they say a picture is worth a thousand words, and it is true. I am certain that anyone who saw the Press-Telegram's photo of the lone egret standing in the scraped open space that may once have been its home could not fail to be moved.

Click here to see the Press Telegram article about the wetlands habitat destruction. Don't forget to check out their gallery photos also.

Another great source of information and photos is LBReport.com. Click here for the latest from LBReport on yesterday's illegal activity. LBReport just posted a fascinating conversation with the new land owner, Sean Hitchcock of 2H Construction, who spoke of his concern for open land in Long Beach. We look forward to working with Mr. Hitchcock to protect and make whole the entire Los Cerritos wetlands habitat area. This would include protecting and restoring adjacent land like his, since it is integral to the health and well being of the entire ecosystem.

Thanks for your support and advocacy of the Los Cerritos wetlands. And stay tuned as we work to protect and preserve this invaluable community resource.

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Check out this compelling photo of a wetlands activist standing next to the pile of trees felled by 2H Construction employees yesterday

Then don't forget to tell your City Councilmember how you feel about this illegal and destructive activity. Click here for link to Long Beach City Council

Part of the Los Cerritos Wetlands were illegally scraped bare today. Nesting birds were harmed and human health put at risk.

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Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

I sure didn't wake up today planning to spend 8 hours near the corner of Loynes and Studebaker watching tractors and earth movers scrape bare a fragile and important part of the Los Cerritos Wetlands. As the day wore on, details came out about the men driving those earth movers and who they work for. I learned that they are employees of a company called 2H Construction that recently purchased this wetland area from local developer Tom Dean. Click here to check out the 2H Construction Website . I learned that while they claimed they had permission to scrape that land, these employees were unable to produce a single document as evidence to prove it and were eventually issued a "stop work order" from the City since they did not have the necessary permits from either the City of Long Beach or the Coastal Commission. Despite being told their actions were illegal, these 2H Construction employees continued to bring in truck after truck full of broken asphalt that is now sitting in a big pile in the corner of the scraped area, ready to leak into the nearby channel once the rains arrive this Sunday. Dozens of nesting birds were driven off this land by the noise and machinery only to return to bare land devoid of their former habitat, including the nests they were forced to abandon. I witnessed the City of Long Beach acknowledge that this activity was illegal but were unable or unwilling to stop it until it was too late and the damage was done.

It was outrageous behavior, and it was illegal, an end-run around a well established process, clearly done because that process that would not have allowed it. Those who engaged in it, approved it, or did nothing to stop it must be held accountable.

I encourage you to take a drive down Loynes this weekend and, as you drive east towards Studebaker from PCH, just past the mobile home park, check out the moonscape that was once a thriving wetlands habitat.

Then take a moment and send an email to your City Council person letting him or her know you are outraged by this devastating and cruel habitat destruction and that you expect them to take all actions necessary to hold 2H Construction accountable for their illegal activity.

Click here to find out who represents you on the city council and how to send them an e-mail

Not only is this a violation of the city permitting process but also violates the State of California's Coastal Act.

Furthermore, these bulldozers were scraping off a hard surface that has covered the toxic waste on that site for decades. Now exposed, toxic dust can go everywhere and, of course, some will blow towards the nearby neighborhood that is downwind from this site as well seep into the adjacent waterway.

Click here to read an eyewitness account of today's destruction

Click here to LBPost.com had to say about today's bulldozing of the wetlands

As we learn more we will keep you updated so stay tuned.

Thank you for your support and stewardship of the fragile, yet threatened Los Cerritos Wetlands.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director,
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Photos of Friday, March 20th destruction of the Los Cerritos wetlands that are located near Loynes and Studebaker.

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Fascinating article about the effects of global warming and rising seas on California's coast. Robust and healthy wetlands are one of the solutions.

Dear Friend of the Los Cerritos Wetlands,

There was an amazing article yesterday (March 12th) on page six of the Los Angeles Times about how rising seas, caused by global warming, will dramatically impact California's coastline. While we have known for quite some time that higher sea levels will have a negative effect on California's coastline there has been little done to prepare and plan for those consequences. Therefore, it was heartening to read about preliminary steps California is beginning to take so that we can best prepare for a sea level that is expected to rise by 55 inches by the end of the Century.

Click here to read the full article in the Los Angeles Times.

Because wetlands have the capacity to absorb water, protecting the Los Cerritos Wetlands helps protect your community against global climate change.

Protecting wetlands helps those species that will have the most trouble adapting to changes in our climate since robust and healthy wetlands provide food, shelter and safe haven for so many of California's threatened and endangered species.

We wanted to share this article with you in order to make the point that protecting the Los Cerritos wetlands isn't just a local issue. With over 90% of California's wetlands lost or degraded, restoring and rehabilitating each and every remaining wetland will help our children and future generations better manage the climate change challenge ahead of them.

Thank you for your support and stewardship of the fragile, yet threatened Los Cerritos Wetlands.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director,
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Don't forget our fun and educational birdwalks this Saturday and Sunday at Gum Grove Park.

Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust Board Member and avid birder Mary Parsell will be leading two birdwalks this weekend.

They are great opportunities to get outside, take a walk and learn about the birds and wildlife that depend on our local wetlands for food and shelter.

What: Bird Walk and Nature Tour.
Where: Gum Grove Park, off of Pacific Coast Highway at the border of Seal Beach and Long Beach.
Meet at the entrance of the park.
When: Saturday, March 14th and Sunday, March 15th at 8:00AM.

RSVP to Mary at mfp2001@hotmail.com

If you own a pair of binoculars, we encourage you to bring them!

Mark Your Calendar for these upcoming events and opportunities

Have a cup of coffee and get to know, Elizabeth Lambe, our new Executive Director.

When: 9:00AM, Saturday, March 21st
Where: Viento Y Agua Coffee shop
4007 E 4th St
Long Beach, CA 90814
Click here for a map to Viento Y Agua
Why: To meet Elizabeth, the newest member of our wetlands protection team and hear the latest about the Los Cerritos Wetlands.

Join us for tabling and educational outreach at our local farmers market

When: Sunday March 22nd and March 29th, from 9:30AM to 12:30PM.
Where: The Marina Farmers Market
Why: To spread the word about the importance of protecting our local wetlands.

For more information or to sign up to volunteer, e-mail Elizabeth at ejlambe@verizion.net.

Earthy Day tabling and educational outreach on April 25th at Cal State Long Beach's Kaleidoscope festival and on May 2nd at Long Beach Water Department Honors Earth Day. If you have a few hours to help e-mail Elizabeth at ejlambe@verizion.net

Global warming is projected to cause ocean levels to rise 55 inches or more by the end of the century. Solutions being discussed include the phased abandonment of coastal areas and moving state infrastructure inland.

Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
P.O. Box 30165
Long Beach, California 90853

The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust of Long Beach and Seal Beach is committed to: Facilitating the purchase of acreage for sale in Los Cerritos Wetlands. Reconnecting and restoring the estuary remnants. Providing a beautiful setting for generations of families to discover the wonders of this one-of-a-kind environment. Permanently protecting this precious resource before it is gone forever.

Spring is in the air. We feel it and so do the creatures of the Los Cerritos Wetlands.

The days are getting longer and warmer. It is only 10 days until the official start of spring and we think it is time to get outdoors and enjoy the places we are working so hard to protect.

Join one of our bird walks.

Birds of the Los Cerritos WetlandsLed by Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust Board Member and avid birder Mary Parsell, we are offering you two opportunities in March to get outside, take a walk and learn about the birds and wildlife that depend on our local wetlands for food and shelter.

What: Bird Walk and Nature Tour.

Where: Gum Grove Park, off of Pacific Coast Highway at the border of Seal Beach and Long Beach.

Click here for a map. We meet at the entrance of the park.

When: Saturday, March 14th and Sunday, March 15th at 8:00AM.

If you own a pair of binoculars, we encourage you to bring them!

We need your help! Sunday morning outreach at the local farmers market is a fun way to meet your neighbors and educate the public about the importance of protecting wetlands.

It seems to be a fact that the folks who frequent our local farmers markets are not only interested in local produce and fresh cut flowers, but care about the environment too. With so much happening regarding the Los Cerritos Wetlands we think outreach at the Marina farmers market from 9:00AM to noon is a great way to ensure the public is aware of this important natural resource right next door.

Sign up to help out for a few hours. You will meet great people, help educate the community and be doing your part to save our fragile, yet threatened Los Cerritos Wetlands.

If you think you can help send at e-mail to Elizabeth at ejlambe@verizon.net or to Mary at mfp2001@hotmail.com.

Join us for coffee and get to know Elizabeth Lambe, our new Executive Director.

It's been two months since Elizabeth joined us after a successful career that included 11 years with National Sierra Club working out of their Los Angeles office. She sure has been busy helping us with not one, but two different land swap proposals that were proposed by the city within the space of one month! Now that things have quieted down (but not for long, that's for sure!) we want you to have the opportunity to meet Elizabeth and get to know her and learn what's ahead in our fight to protect the Los Cerritos Wetlands from roads and development. Elizabeth has some great stories she can share about the environmental campaigns she has worked on throughout California and is eager to hear from you, our members and supporters, about what you think are the best ways to protect and preserve the community resource that is the Los Cerritos Wetlands.

When: 9:00AM, Saturday, March 21st
Where: Viento Y Agua Coffee shop
4007 E 4th St
Long Beach, CA 90814
Click here for an address and map to Viento Y Agua
Why: To meet Elizabeth, the newest member of our wetlands protection team and hear the latest about the Los Cerritos Wetlands.

Save the Date:

• March 28: Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge Tour led by Friends of the Seal Beach Refuge and El Dorado Audubon. Reservations required no less than 48 hours in advance by calling 562/598-1024 and leaving your name and number in your party. Adults only. Identification required for admittance. A $5 donation to the Friends of the SBNWR is asked. E-mail Mary at mfp2001@hotmail.com for further information.
• April 25th: Cal State Long Beach's Kaleidoscope festival. We will have a booth there and can use your help. E-mail Ann Denison at lannd4animals@charter.net if you are able to volunteer for a few hours.
• May 2nd: Long Beach Water Department Honors Earth Day. We will have a booth there and can use your help. E-mail Elizabeth at ejlambe@verizon.net if you are able to volunteer for a few hours.

The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust of Long Beach and Seal Beach is committed to: Facilitating the purchase of acreage for sale in Los Cerritos Wetlands. Reconnecting and restoring the estuary remnants. Providing a beautiful setting for generations of families to discover the wonders of this one-of-a-kind environment. Permanently protecting this precious resource before it is gone forever.

Read our recent letter to Councilmember DeLong

Dear Councilmember DeLong,

The city council meeting on Tuesday was very interesting, and we were gratified to see so much public and council support for protecting the Los Cerritos Wetlands.  As the proposed land swap moves along, we think the public would be better served with more substantive and specific answers to some of the prior questions we have raised regarding details about the land swap.  We would especially appreciate more specificity about how the city defines "contributory oversight" and how you define "all parties" and "satisfied" in the statement "all parties must be satisfied before the city completes the proposed land swap" when discussing how the surface use release and grant of easement documents will be negotiated.  We recognize that these outcomes will have to be satisfactory for the City, the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy and the State Coastal Conservancy, so the LCWLT will be satisfied if you can describe in greater specificity how you will satisfy these state agencies.

What remains the biggest concern of the LCWLT is the fact that after the land swap occurs there are no enforceable guarantees in place that the land would remain as wetlands and open space.  Your answer, "that the City Council may, in the future, change the zoning to eliminate the possibility of development" could conversely be read as "that the City Council may, in the future, change the zoning to approve development.  I have no reason to believe the current city council is acting in anything but good faith regarding this proposal, but city leadership inevitably changes and so could the city's commitment to protecting wetlands.

Similarly you write that the city council "may also choose to prohibit the extension of Studebaker Road and Shopkeeper Road".  Therefore wouldn't the opposite also be true?  That the city could act to allow the extension of either of the roads?  And while I hear from some people that the Coastal Commission would never allow such a thing, that too is an assumption, not a fact.

The LCWLT has a simple solution that would enable us to endorse the deal and actively campaign for it and that is that the council  announce that immediately after the city acquires the land, they would put a conservation easement (or deed restriction) on the property.  To do so would serve as an enforceable means to ensure this land remains open and free as you intend it to.  The only way to assure any land use or conditions of land use, in perpetuity, is through a well crafted deed restriction, that runs with the land, with private rights of action, that can only be lifted or modified by the parties to the restriction.  

Conservation easements are an integral component of land protection deals throughout California and were essential to the successful negotiations of the Hearst Property, the Tejon Ranch and Rancho Mission Viejo land protection deals.  The LCWLT believes the citizens of Long Beach deserve the certainty that a conservation easement would bring to ensure the public that our local wetlands are truly protected for now and for future generations.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts,

Elizabeth Lambe

The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust wants to support the proposed land swap.  We have, however, some serious questions that must be answered satisfactorily in order for us to endorse this project:

1. In what way, with an enforceable guarantee, can you assure the public that once the parcel south of Second Street is in city hands, it will be restored, will be used only for restored wetlands, and will not be developed or used for other purposes?   This restriction must prohibit the use of any of the land for the extension of Studebaker or Shopkeeper Roads. 
2. Where will funds for restoration come from
3. Is the land overvalued because it is considered developable, and how would its being overvalued affect the price of future parcels for sale to the city or LCWA (Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority)? 
4. Is it a single legal parcel?  We believe the public deserves proof that it is a single parcel in order to avoid claims of takings from owners of other parcels. 
5. Is the city in a position to enforce the completion of a wetlands delineation study if it does not require one before property changes hands?  When, exactly, will a wetlands delineation study be done?  When will it begin and when will it end?  These studies typically take at least one year, with a wet and dry season study, to complete.  There cannot be a transfer to the LCWA without a completed delineation study. 
• Who will pay for and oversee this study?
• Who would choose the company to conduct the study?
6. Why is the Bryant sale being described as the template for this land swap?  This would only be accurate if the property: 
   • (a) was purchased with bond money,
   • (b) was assessed at $14 million, but Bryant donated $3 million for a tax write-off, and
   • (c) went directly to the LCWA.
   • (d) Signal Hill Petroleum would have to pay $3 million to pump oil.
7. How much of the surface of the proposed wetlands parcel would remain as oil drilling facilities, well heads, and access roads?  Conversely, how much would therefore be available as restorable land? 
8. Dean retains the rights to drill (fee interest and mineral rights); therefore this deal must involve separating the oil and mineral rights from the ownership.  It must also consider access at the surface to exercise those mineral rights.  We would like that information spelled out and released to the public with answers to such questions as:  Can the owner of the oil and mineral rights drill new wells after the property changes hands? 
9. Toxins.  Who would be responsible for the environmental and the remediation costs?  We need to know what the existing environmental liability policy for the city provides (since that liability would be transferred to the city).  Ownership means liability for toxic cleanup and impacts.  We think the city needs a clear assessment of the toxins on the land and a plan for their cleanup.  
10. What impact would this proposed land swap have on RiverLink project and the Drake-Chavez Greenway?

Where the San Gabriel River meets the Pacific Ocean in Long Beach, the Los Cerritos Wetlands' one-of-a-kind coastal ecosystem struggles to remain the vital link in protecting some of Southern California's most precious and diverse resources.

From herons to halibut, plovers to painted ladies, stingrays to sunflowers, crabs to cordgrass... the Los Cerritos Wetlands is home to an astonishing diversity of life.

Please attend the Long Beach City Council meeting at 5:00PM, Tuesday, February 3rd.

Further details about the proposed land swap will be discussed and we encourage you to attend the meeting to learn more about the proposal and show your support for wetlands.

LAND SWAP :  what we know--go to News & Events

SEADIP:  !ACTION ALERT!--go to Important Alert!

• "SEADIP Survey: Wetlands. . ." Grunion Gazette: www.gazettes.com/seadip06122008.html
• City's SEADIP Survey Summary Report completed. See the report at: www.longbeach.gov/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=18997
• "Thoughts, Suggestions For New SEADIP Wanted In City Survey. . ." Grunion Gazette editorial:www.gazettes.com/seadip2072008.

HOME DEPOT:  case settled; see "News & Events" page.

OF INTEREST:·Nature/bird walk schedule--see "News & Events" page.