Additional protection as development proposals proceed under the new zoning for the lands in and around Los Cerritos Wetlands

Additional protection as development proposals proceed under the new zoning for the lands in and around Los Cerritos Wetlands


One of the good things about the new zoning (known as SEASP) for the lands in and around Los Cerritos Wetlands was the creation of a wetlands mitigation fund. Developers proposing to re-develop land near Los Cerritos Wetlands must pay into that fund to help mitigate the indirect impacts that their higher, denser developments will bring to the area. These impacts will be generated by the increased population around this unique and highly sensitive natural wetlands resource.


The Sensitive Coastal Resource Fee will be $.25 per gross square foot for new (where there is a net increase in square footage) development. Which amounts to a total dollar figure of $670,000. The impact fee applies to approximately 2,547 units and 307,071 gross square feet of non-residential uses.


The fee is derived from calculations focused on the estimated cost of the assumed “impact area,” which would be development adjacent to the Los Cerritos Wetlands, in the amount of 8 acres.


This is an innovative and forward-thinking aspect of the new zoning and we were happy to see it included in the original authorizing vote for SEASP. On Tuesday the City Council voted to put the fee into place. While we wish the amount available for protecting our local wetlands was more, we recognize that the City had to balance legal, conservation, and other issues to come up with the fee amount. And you can be sure we will be working with the City to add to or improve this new mitigation fee ordinance where possible. Click here to see the agenda item that was before the City Council on Tuesday night and here to read our letter of concern.
Join us for a walk on December 3rd

Join us for a walk on December 3rd


Come check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, December 3rd. 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. Our Raptor Ramble nature walk will begin with a brief orientation to the Los Cerritos Wetlands, followed by a stroll through heritage coastal sage scrub and historic dredge spoils while looking for raptors (birds of prey) and other birds that nest in the area. As we pass the salt flats, we may see tiger beetles and coyote tracks while hiking up to the Heron Pointe Cultural trail.
•
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.
•
WHEN: Saturday, December 3rd, 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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Reserve your spot via our Eventbrite page. Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions.


Hope to see you there!
September is Coastal Clean-Up Month

September is Coastal Clean-Up Month


California Coastal Cleanup Day is Saturday, September 17, 2022, from 9 AM-Noon. Help remove the trash and plastic pollution at beaches and waterways throughout the state, including in Long Beach.


The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust urges you to join one of the coastal clean-up sites located near Los Cerritos Wetlands, such as those sponsored by Save Our Beach, or check out those in Long Beach sponsored by Heal the Bay and the El Dorado Nature Center at the Belmont Pier. You can find all the Coastal Cleanup sites here.


It is a sad fact that trash from inland areas flows downstream to the coast, so cleaning up near the mouth of the San Gabriel River helps prevents more debris on our local beaches and wetlands. Close to 17,000 Californians participated in a neighborhood cleanup during September 2021, preventing over 150,000 pounds of trash from entering our stormwater systems and potentially polluting our coast and ocean.


However you choose to participate, please do your part to keep our beaches and waterways clean and healthy!


Final Reminder: Join us for a walk on August 6

Final Reminder: Join us for a walk on August 6


Our nature walks have been quite popular this year. People seem really happy to be able to do things together again, especially outside. So I urge you to sign up now to attend our August 6th Heron Hike nature walk.


Join us, and educators from the environmental consulting firm Tidal Influence, on a wonderful nature walk at Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, August 6th.


The unusual Marketplace Marsh is an amazing feature of Los Cerritos Wetlands. Perhaps there will be water within Marketplace Marsh, but certainly there will be lots of interesting plants and animals that attendees will learn about along the way. Environmental educators will take participants on a walking tour that will take us to Marketplace Marsh on the City of Long Beach’s wetlands and over to the San Gabriel River to property held by the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority. We will likely come across great blue herons, as well as egrets and other water-loving wildlife.


During this 2-mile urban hike, you will learn about the history of land acquisitions in Los Cerritos Wetlands, and leaders will show us some freshwater marsh habitats that few people have ever viewed.


WHAT: Nature walk to Marketplace Marsh at Los Cerritos Wetlands.


WHEN: Saturday, August 6th, 2022, at 8:00 AM. The parking lot gate will open at 7:45 AM and close at 8:10 AM. No latecomers can be admitted for the tour, and all participants must stay for the entire tour, which will end by 10:00 AM.


WHERE: Meet in the driveway/parking area at the corner of 1st Street and PCH in Seal Beach. There will be signs.


Close-toed shoes are required to attend the walk, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Reserve your spot via our Eventbrite page. Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions.


Hope to see you there!
Meeting Re-Cap: We Learned a Lot

Meeting Re-Cap: We Learned a Lot


We had a good meeting last Tuesday and I really appreciate all who attended what was our first in-person event in over TWO YEARS (held outside for extra safety.) Shout out to the Belmont Heights United Methodist Church for allowing us to meet in their courtyard, it was the perfect spot for a meeting.


A highlight of the meeting was our program, led by Terry Watt who is an expert in general and specific planning. Terry helped attendees delve into the details of the new zoning (South East Area Specific Plan/SEASP) for the lands in and around Los Cerritos Wetlands and the pending development applications for that area. Since new zoning was approved, first by the City and then by the Coastal Commission, it is no surprise that development applications would follow. 


Some key take aways from Terry’s presentation are:


Any development brought forward within SEASP must be reviewed and found to be “consistent” with City and Coastal Commission approved planning, zoning and other applicable requirements. That includes all new mitigation measures and policies that are now required within SEASP.


Members of the public (and advocacy groups like the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust) can and should recommend improvements during the public review process to proposed development projects to help make them better. For example, my take away from our meeting is that reasonable improvements to help mitigate traffic impacts or impacts to wetlands would be welcome.


For any building proposed to be over 5 stories high we can (and will) ask for wetlands improving considerations and incentives (additional “community benefits” are now required for developments trying to build beyond the new approved height limit of 5 stories).


We can bring up other issues, as you or we think of them. For example at our meeting one gentlemen suggested that, since we are in a drought, water use for new development should be more efficient than the current existing water use. Reasonable suggestions to achieve low – or even net zero water use – should be appreciated.


I know some people were unhappy to see the amount of development that is allowed under the new SEASP, but keep in mind even more height and density was on the table at one point and it was rejected.


Furthermore, thanks to our advocacy, some important protections were won such as wetlands sensitive lighting for new development, a wetlands friendly plant palette for landscaping the area and new development will include a fund to protect and restore wetlands. Lastly there will be robust protective buffers, free from non-essential infrastructure, between development and Los Cerritos Wetlands to protect fragile plants and animals from the harmful hubbub that development and traffic will inevitably create.


Stay tuned, as we learn more, we will share it with you. In the meantime thank you for caring about Los Cerritos Wetlands. The below map is an important reminder of what a vast wetlands area South East Long Beach once was (and Bolsa Chica too!) and how much has been lost forever to development. It is so very important to protect and restore what is left. With your help we have been successful and will keep at it.
News from the Wetlands: Join us on July 13 and More

News from the Wetlands: Join us on July 13 and More




There is new development proposed for 
within the Southeast Area Specific Plan (SEASP) area. 
Attend our July 13th meeting to learn further details.




Whew, it has been so long since we have been able to meet in person. Over two years at least. We are so happy to be able to once again host an in-person meeting (held outside to be extra safe). That’s why I hope you will attend the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust’s community meeting on Wednesday evening, July 13th.


The purpose of our meeting is to update the community about development applications that have been submitted to the City for within SEASP, the zoning area that includes Los Cerritos Wetlands. It is no surprise there would be new development proposed for the area, since new zoning for that part of Long Beach was approved by the City Council and then the Coastal Commission a few years ago.


Learn further details at our member meeting (anyone is invited to attend) on July 13th. In addition to hearing from our speaker, Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust members will be voting on some Board of Director positions.


What: Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust Board Election/Community Meeting
When: Wednesday, July 13th at 6:30PM
Where: Belmont Heights Methodist Church
(in their lovely outdoor courtyard area)
317 Termino Ave
Long Beach, CA 90814


Our special guest speaker will be Terry Watt, whose work focuses on making California lands resilient against the impacts of a rapidly changing climate. Terry provides planning and strategic advice to clients working to conserve California’s important natural and working landscapes. Prior to forming her own consulting group, she was the staff planning expert with the environmental and land use law firm Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger. Terry is an expert in general and specific planning, open space and agricultural land conservation and environmental compliance. She works with a wide variety of conservation clients throughout California (including the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust), government agencies and foundations.


In addition to Terry’s presentation, we will also be using this occasion to conduct our Board of Director’s election, with five of our sitting directors seeking terms. Before the feature presentation, each of our Board candidates will have an opportunity to speak to attendees about their continuing commitment to Los Cerritos Wetlands, and Land Trust members will be able to vote.


Whether you are a member or not, all are welcome at this meeting. For more information about the meeting or to RSVP, email elizabeth@lcwlandtrust.org


Hope to see you there!


Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust


P.S. Below is a map of the development applications that we are aware of within SEASP. We will review these applications in greater detail at our July 13th meeting.





Our next nature walk will be the Heron Hike. Reserve your spot! 


The Marketplace Marsh is a freshwater area located on the part of Los Cerritos Wetlands owned by the City of Long Beach. Check it out with us on August 6th.


Our nature walks have been quite popular this year. People seem really happy to be able to do things together again, especially outside. So I urge you to sign up now to attend our August 6th Heron Hike nature walk.


Join us, and educators from the environmental consulting firm Tidal Influence, on a wonderful nature walk at Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, August 6th.


The unusual Marketplace Marsh is an amazing feature of Los Cerritos Wetlands. Perhaps there will be water within Marketplace Marsh, but certainly there will be lots of interesting plants and animals that attendees will learn about along the way. Environmental educators will take participants on a walking tour that will take us to Marketplace Marsh on the City of Long Beach’s wetlands and over to the San Gabriel River to property held by the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority. We will likely come across great blue herons, as well as egrets and other water-loving wildlife.


During this 2-mile urban hike, you will learn about the history of land acquisitions in Los Cerritos Wetlands, and leaders will show us some freshwater marsh habitats that few people have ever viewed. 


WHAT: Nature walk to Marketplace Marsh at Los Cerritos Wetlands.


WHEN: Saturday, August 6th, 2022, at 8:00 AM. The parking lot gate will open at 7:45 AM and close at 8:10 AM. No latecomers can be admitted for the tour, and all participants must stay for the entire tour, which will end by 10:00 AM.


WHERE: Meet in the driveway/parking area at the corner of 1st Street and PCH in Seal Beach. There will be signs.


Close-toed shoes are required to attend the walk, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Reserve your spot via our Eventbrite page. Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions.


Hope to see you there!

Some good news…..there will be less polluting plastic in California thanks to Senate Bill 54


Photo by John Cameron on Unsplash


I am happy to report to you that Senate Bill 54, was recently signed into law. It will require the makers of plastic packaging pay for recycling and reduce or eliminate single-use plastic packaging.


It is an especially significant bill because it requires plastic producers to both make less plastic and to ensure that all single-use products are recyclable or compostable. California’s law follows similar laws, passed in Maine and Oregon, known as producer-responsibility laws. That means that the costs of recycling infrastructure, recycling plants and collection and sorting facilities, will be shifted to packaging manufacturers and away from taxpayers, who currently foot the bill.


All forms of single-use packaging, including paper and metals, must be recyclable or compostable by 2032. This is most significant when it comes to plastic products, which are more technologically challenging to recycle.


California will require a 25 percent reduction across all plastic packaging sold in the state, covering a wide range of items, whether shampoo bottles, plastics utensils, bubble wrap or takeaway cups.


Manufacturers will pay for recycling programs and will be charged fees based on the weight of packaging, the ease of recycling and whether products contain toxic substances, such as PFAS, a type of virtually indestructible chemicals that have been linked to increased risk of some cancers.


In addition, the law requires plastics manufacturers to pay $5 billion into a fund over the next 10 years that would mitigate the effects of plastic pollution on the environment and human health, primarily in low-income communities. Cheers to our local State Senator, Lena Gonzales who was a co-author of the bill, it is an amazing achievement.
Raptor Ramble Nature Walk June 4th

Raptor Ramble Nature Walk June 4th


Come check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, June 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. Our Raptor Ramble nature walk will begin with a brief orientation to the Los Cerritos Wetlands, followed by a stroll through heritage coastal sage scrub and historic dredge spoils while looking for raptors (birds of prey) and other birds that nest in the area. As we pass the salt flats, we may see tiger beetles and coyote tracks while hiking up to the Heron Pointe Cultural trail.
•
WHERE: Meet in the driveway/parking area at the corner of 1st Street and PCH in Seal Beach. There will be signs. 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.
•
WHEN: Saturday, June 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.
•
Per CDC recommendations, vaccinated people can attend mask-free, and face coverings and physical distancing are required for unvaccinated attendees.(Of course anyone can wear a mask if they prefer)
Questions about this event or other events? Email elizabeth@lcwlandtrust.org

 

Close-toed shoes are required to attend the walk, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Reserve your spot via our Eventbrite page.

Hope to see you on Saturday, June 4th!
Tune in Monday May 2nd to learn about the climate change impacts of the proposed Poseidon desalination plant.

Tune in Monday May 2nd to learn about the climate change impacts of the proposed Poseidon desalination plant.


The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust, and many other national and local environmental groups, are concerned about the Poseidon desalination plant, proposed for the coast of Huntington Beach, because it will harm our climate and local marine life.

Poseidon’s outrageous energy requirements will increase greenhouse gases that exacerbate climate change. Rising tides, accelerated by climate change, threaten wetlands around the world, including Los Cerritos Wetlands

Poseidon’s desalination plant will harm marine life. Poseidon would pull in more than 100 million gallons of sea water each day using obsolete intake pipes that cause significant mortality to ocean life. The Regional Water Board estimates that Poseidon would kill 108 million ocean organisms each year, impacting marine life from Palos Verdes to Dana Point.

Poseidon is not needed. Conservation, recycled water, and rainwater harvesting are better for the environment and our community – and are much cheaper.

RSVP here to join a community briefing (which will be via Zoom) featuring greenhouse gas quantification expert Bill Powers, on Monday, May 2nd at 7:00 PM.

Bill Powers, an expert with more than 35 years of experience in energy and environmental engineering, will brief meeting attendees about the climate change impacts of Poseidon desalination, something the Coastal Commission must take into account when they meet to vote on the matter later this month. Bill Powers is a compelling speaker who has the rare ability to to take a complicated subject (like quantifying green house gasses) and break it down so that non-experts and community members (like all of us) can understand. I’ve worked with Bill Powers over the years on various issues and trust me, you don’t want to miss his presentation.

To learn more, check out California Desal Facts. And while you are on the site, take a moment to sign the petition opposing Poseidon. Hope to see you Monday, May 2nd at 7:00 PM to hear from Bill Powers.


Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
Heron Hike Nature Walk May 7th

Heron Hike Nature Walk May 7th


WHAT: Come check out the Los Cerritos Wetlands on Saturday, May 7th. 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. There will likely be water in Marketplace Marsh, and lots of interesting plants and animals to learn about along the way. We will likely come across Great Blue Herons, 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 freshwater marsh habitats that few people have ever viewed. Participants will get a behind-the-scenes look at how valuable wetland habitat persists among oil operations at Los Cerritos Wetlands.

WHEN: Saturday, May 7th, 2022, at 8:00 AM. The parking lot gate will open at 7:45 AM and close at 8:10 AM. No latecomers can be admitted for the tour, and all participants must stay for the entire tour, which will end by 10:00 AM.

WHERE: Meet in the driveway/parking area at the corner of 1st Street and PCH in Seal Beach. There will be signs.

Close-toed shoes are required to attend the walk, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Reserve your spot via our Eventbrite page.

Hope to see you on Saturday, May 7th!