loscerritos | Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust (LCWLT)

Planning Commission votes for a proposed development near Los Cerritos Wetlands

On Thursday, April 20th, the Long Beach Planning Commission voted unanimously in favor of a new development proposed on the corner of Studebaker and PCH (currently Congressional Place).

The current two-story building (over one level of parking) will be demolished and replaced with a 6-story residential building with 281 units and 3,000 square feet of retail space. Due to California’s low-income housing laws, the development is allowed more height than a market rate development would receive under the new SEASP regulations. That is because the new development will contain 13 low-income units that qualify for additional stories and other benefits. For the record, we don’t deny that California needs more affordable housing. However, this development (likely the first of many in the area) will be denser, higher, and more traffic-generating than the current structure on the property. We worry about how all of that will impact nearby fragile wetlands.

We reviewed the development carefully and while there are some important and good things about the project (bird-safe lighting and native plant landscaping for example) we are still scratching our heads about a couple of things and shared our concerns with the City in the form of this letter.

We appreciate our good dialog with the project proponents and plan to continue to engage with them about our concerns about the project. Stay tuned, as we learn further details we will share them with you.

Join Us for a Heron Hike on May 6th

Come check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, February 4th. This guided outdoor walking tour is led by environmental educators from Tidal Influence, a local environmental firm that is actively working to restore the wetlands. With all of the recent rain, there should be lots of water throughout the marsh and lots of interesting plants and animals to learn about along the way. We will likely come across Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, and other water-loving wildlife.

This 2-mile urban hike travels through the City of Long Beach’s wetlands and on property held by the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority. The guides will discuss the history of land acquisitions in Los Cerritos Wetlands and show us some marsh habitats that few people get to see. Participants will get a behind-the-scenes look at how valuable wetland habitat persists among oil operations at Los Cerritos Wetlands.
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WHERE: Meet in the driveway/parking area at the corner of 1st Street and PCH in Seal Beach. There will be signs.

RSVP for the walk through our Eventbrite page and if you have any questions feel free to send an email.

Important things to know are that close-toed shoes are required to attend the walk, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Spring Kayak Tours are here!

A limited number of springtime kayak trips to Los Cerritos Wetlands are available. Sign up now!

You are invited to join us for a refreshing kayak trip to Steamshovel Slough, an amazing watery portion of Los Cerritos Wetlands. The Kayak trips will be on March 18th & 19th and April 1st & 2nd. Kayak trips will start in the morning and will wrap up by noon.

Sign up here to reserve your spot!

*Steamshovel Slough is one of the most pristine salt marshes in Southern California.*
*Kayaking with us will give you a glimpse into the future of a restored Los Cerritos Wetlands.*

The kayak trips are about 2 miles out and back and will launch from Mother’s Beach.

It will be a unique and fascinating experience and we hope you will join us. It’s a chance to check out Steamshovel Slough which, at this point, can only be viewed via kayak.

Rules for kayaking: You must be able to swim. You must be in decent shape to handle about 2 hours of kayaking (with some breaks). It is recommended that you have been kayaking before, but novice kayakers are welcome to join us. Wear proper attire for kayaking; you will get splashed (no jeans and tennis shoes). If you are 12 years of age (or older) you are welcome to join us as long as you meet the above requirements and are accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Logistics: Meet at Mother’s Beach near the children’s playground. Street and metered parking is available but can fill up on weekends, so plan on arriving early so you have enough time to park.

The cost to kayak with us is $40 (an amazing deal!) to help cover the rental expenses of kayaks, paddles, life-vests, and for the tour leaders guiding the trip. Tour leaders will be experienced kayakers from LA River Expeditions and local educator Katy Dressendorfer.

Please reserve your kayaking spot with us soon since there is limited availability and we will likely sell out.

Hope to see you out on the water with us! You will have an awesome time. Please email me if you have any questions.

Elizabeth Lambe

Executive Director

Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

P.S. Check out this great video of last year’s kayak trip. And then sign up to join us!

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Important Wetlands Restoration Meeting on March 23rd

Photo by Jason Lustig

The Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority (LCWA) will be hosting its third public meeting to discuss the Southern Los Cerritos Wetlands Restoration Project and the related environmental analysis document.

The meeting will be via Zoom on Thursday, March 23, 2023, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm.

Click here to access this virtual meeting.

The Southern Los Cerritos Wetlands Restoration Project (Project) is in the planning stages of restoring tidal wetlands on 103.5 acres of the Los Cerritos Wetlands located in Seal Beach, California. The Project will facilitate the restoration of a range of wetland types extending from subtidal habitat to upland transition habitat. The restoration design considers factors such as historical ecology, natural ecosystem processes, tribal cultural resources, public access, resiliency to sea level rise, and current biotic and abiotic conditions of the site.

As the lead agency under California Environmental Quality Act, the LCWA will release an Initial Study–Negative Declaration (IS/ND) analyzing the project’s potential impacts in early March. The IS/ND will be available for 30 days for the public to provide comments on the proposal.

The upcoming March 23rd meeting will include a presentation of the restoration design and a discussion of the IS/ND. Also, the LCWA and their consultant team members will give a brief summary of the previous public meeting and share information on the next steps. There will be opportunities throughout the session to ask questions.

We, the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust, have been involved in the restoration planning process every step of the way and have regularly provided comments and feedback. These LCWA-hosted meetings are a great way to get the latest news about the restoration process. We hope you will attend and share information about this meeting with friends, neighbors, and anyone else you think would be interested.

Check out the LCWA website for additional information

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

Long Beach Post feature: Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust works to advocate and educate

The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust was recently featured in the Long Beach Post for our advocacy work and public outreach initiatives, including our monthly nature walks and field trips. Check out the article below!

Read the article here

Important Los Cerritos Wetlands restoration meeting on January 25th

The Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority (LCWA) is the government agency that manages the publicly owned portions of Los Cerritos Wetlands. They are in the process of putting together a plan for the restoration and rehabilitation of Los Cerritos Wetlands. It’s an involved process, as I am sure you can imagine, with lots of agencies and stakeholders involved. It’s been a while since the LCWA’s last meeting and next week they will be hosting an in-person meeting to update the public on the status of the planning process and share updates.

The meeting will be held in person only, at 6:00 p.m. on January 25 at the Mary Wilson Library in Seal Beach. The meeting will include a recap of the initial public meeting, an update on the restoration design, and a discussion of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) approach and permitting for the restoration project. The LCWA will also be sharing the results of the public access questionnaire which was disseminated last year. There will be time set aside for attendees to ask questions.

Background
The design process for the restoration of Los Cerritos Wetlands began in early 2021 for 103.5 acres of the Los Cerritos Wetlands located in Seal Beach, California. The plan will facilitate the near-term restoration of a range of wetland types extending from subtidal areas to upland transition areas. The restoration planning process considers factors such as historical ecology, natural ecosystem processes, tribal cultural resources, regional and socioeconomic needs, resiliency to sea level rise, and current biotic and abiotic conditions of the site.

Once completed, this multi-benefit project will provide a critical native tidal marsh and transitional habitat for migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway, remediate contaminated soil, provide access to tribal groups, and provide new public access opportunities in an urban area.

What: Public Meeting for the Southern Los Cerritos Wetlands Restoration Project

Where: Mary Wilson Library (707 Electric Ave., Seal Beach, CA 90740)

When: Wednesday, January 25, 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Click here for further information about the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority’s restoration planning process.

Hope to see you there!

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
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P.S. Below is another lovely photo of Hellman, with water sparkling in the sun.

King tides are coming. Take a photo. Help protect the coast.

The California Coastal Commission needs your help to photograph extreme high tides on January 21 & 22, this Saturday and Sunday.

It’s been a tough few weeks with record rain, high surf, and flooding. While many are still dealing with the resulting damage, the forecast looks like the weather will calm down just in time for the next King Tides on January 21 and 22. While the photos you take this weekend may not look as dramatic as the previous storm waves, they represent the everyday water level of our near future. By taking pictures of the high tide and uploading them you are helping the Coastal Commission plan for the impacts of sea level rise on our communities in the future. And it’s fun and easy!

Can you imagine a storm of the magnitude we just experienced coinciding with base water levels two feet higher, or coinciding with that amount of sea level rise plus a king tide? While acknowledging the hardship and damage that occurred, we can be grateful that the past month’s waves did not coincide with a king tide.

You can find local King Tide times, learn how to upload your photos, browse previous King Tide photos, and find resources for educators on the California King Tides Project website. If you’ve been stuck inside for the last month, this weekend is a great time to get outside!

The California King Tides Project is only successful with your participation. Thank you for being helpful!

Join Us for a Nature Walk on February 4th

Come check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, February 4th. This guided outdoor walking tour is led by environmental educators from Tidal Influence, a local environmental firm that is actively working to restore the wetlands. With all of the recent rain, there should be lots of water throughout the marsh and lots of interesting plants and animals to learn about along the way. We will likely come across Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, and other water-loving wildlife.

This 2-mile urban hike travels through the City of Long Beach’s wetlands and on property held by the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority. The guides will discuss the history of land acquisitions in Los Cerritos Wetlands and show us some marsh habitats that few people get to see. Participants will get a behind-the-scenes look at how valuable wetland habitat persists among oil operations at Los Cerritos Wetlands.
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WHERE: Meet in the driveway/parking area at the corner of 1st St and PCH in Seal Beach. Close-toed shoes required, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. There are no bathrooms along the route so please plan accordingly.
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WHEN: Saturday, Feb 4th, at 8:00 am sharp! The parking lot gate will open at 7:45 AM and close at 8:10 AM. No latecomers can be admitted, and all participants must stay for the entire walk, which will end by 10:00 AM.
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Questions about this event or other events? Email elizabeth@lcwlandtrust.org
RSVP via our Eventbrite link or send us an email.

Join us for a fun holiday gathering December 10th

We are hosting a fun holiday gathering on
Saturday, December 10th from 9 am to noon at the Zedler Marsh area of Los Cerritos Wetlands.

Dear Friend of Los Cerritos Wetlands,

Join us for a holiday celebration where you can check out some of the impressive restoration of Zedler Marsh out at Los Cerritos Wetlands.
Due to the sensitive habitat of Zedler Marsh, this area is usually off-limits to the public so this is a truly unique opportunity.

As part of the celebration, at 10:30 a.m. attendees will gather to hear the latest about the Pacific Green Sea Turtles who reside in the San Gabriel River from Cassandra Davis, who manages volunteer programs for the Aquarium of the Pacific

“Ms. Davis works directly with volunteers, scientists, and communities to connect them with ocean science. Her areas of expertise include the resident population of green sea turtles found locally in the San Gabriel River and surrounding wetlands and the Aquarium’s volunteer-driven green sea turtle monitoring program. Davis received her master of science degree with a focus on marine science and education in museums, aquariums, and zoos from Oregon State University.“

You will also be able to tour the trail at Zedler Marsh and check the fantastic native plant nursery out on the site. Guided tours of Zedler Marsh will be at 9:30 a.m. and again at 11:30 a.m. Tours will be led by educators from the ecological consulting company Tidal Influence.

I hope you will join us for this fun and informative gathering.

What: Holiday party, sea turtle update, and tours of Zedler Marsh

When: Saturday, December 10th from 9 a.m. to noon

Where: Zedler Marsh at Los Cerritos Wetlands

We urge participants to park at 1st and PCH in Seal Beach by 9:00 a.m. and a staff member will guide you to Zedler Marsh through the wetlands. Alternatively, If you can’t make it by 9 am you have the option of parking in the same area and then walking or biking to Zedler Marsh along the San Gabriel River bike path (be vigilant for fast-moving bikes!).

There is limited space for cars to park at Zedler Marsh but we do have parking for those who are disabled or have mobility issues. Just let us know and we will make arrangements for you.

Please wear closed-toe shoes and rain cancels the event.

RSVP on Eventbrite

Hope to see you there!

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust

A limited number of springtime kayak trips to Los Cerritos Wetlands are available. Sign up now!

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