Environmental Review for Los Cerritos Wetlands Heads to Vote

Environmental Review for Los Cerritos Wetlands Heads to Vote


The vote to certify the Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) as part of the plan to restore Los Cerritos Wetlands is coming up fast. The Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority (LCWA) is expected to hear about and then vote to certify the document on Thursday, November 5th at their quarterly meeting. Those of you who have been following the many years of planning for restoration of Los Cerritos Wetlands will likely remember the many community meetings, public feedback, and expert analysis that lead to this moment.


The LCWA is required have a certified environmental impact report for Los Cerritos Wetlands because it is part of the roadmap (even if it takes a long time) to a final and fully restored wetlands. Certification of the PEIR will be followed by a public process to complete an optimized restoration plan. Together, the Final PEIR and optimized restoration plan will enable the LCWA to consider restoration projects and seek funding for restoration activities. A certified plan allows potential funders (both governmental and private) to have specific information about how their donations will be implemented.


The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust has been involved in the process every step of the way. We have publicized and attended all public meetings, submitted many comment letters (aka feedback), and have worked very closely with the LCWA to improve their final plan. After some serious discussion, we are supportive of the certification of the PEIR, and we plan to say so at Thursday’s meeting. Of course, that doesn’t mean the end of our watchdogging and advocacy. A PEIR is designed to be a broad overview document from which restoration projects will spin off, each of those projects requiring its own in-depth review in order to determine impacts and benefits. That’s just how the system works, and given how important wetlands are and how so few of them remain, public input and oversight will be critical.


What: Public meeting of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority (LCWA)
When: Thursday, November 5th a 12:30PM
Attend: Click this Zoom meeting link or attend by phone at 1-669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 823 9641 3191 Passcode: 953048
Why: To participate in the meeting and discussion about the certification of the LCWA’s Final Program Environmental Impact Report.


The LCWA, as lead agency, is required under the California Environmental Quality Act to make written findings concerning each alternative and each significant environmental impact identified in the Los Cerritos Wetlands Restoration PEIR. The Findings and Statement of Overriding Considerations for that document is available here.


If you would like even more information check out the LCWA’s website about the project.


It will be a big day for the furtherance of restoration within Los Cerritos Wetlands. As always not everyone will agree, but we are pleased with this outcome and the role we played to make it better.





Good Outcome for the Wetlands. We are committed to making it better.

Good Outcome for the Wetlands. We are committed to making it better.


Dear Friend of Los Cerritos Wetlands,

Outcome of Friday’s Coastal Commission vote on new zoning for the lands in and around Los Cerritos Wetlands was basically a good one.


The plan approved by the Coastal Commission included 16 recommendations by their staff that significantly improves protections for the wetlands and other habitat areas.


While we are happy with the overall outcome we are disappointed that Commissioners did not include our 3 additional recommendations which were 1) tie increased building heights to even more robust wetlands buffers, especially at the Marketplace property since it directly abuts sensitive wetlands; 2) tie increased building heights directly to benefits for wetlands and environmentally sensitive habitat areas; 3) make lighting standards as wetlands friendly as possible, based on science, to protect sensitive wetlands creatures. 


We will continue to advocate for those additional improvements but are happy, overall, with the outcome of Thursday’s Coastal Commission vote.


The new rules for the Southeast Area Specific Plan (SEASP) are now better for wetlands, and we will work to make them even better, and that is a good thing.


We are glad that there will be new zoning for the area so everyone will understand the rules.

Watch our testimony on our new You Tube Channel here.

Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust



Sincerely,


Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust



Wetlands Field Trips

Wetlands Field Trips


Since 2015, the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust (LCWLT)’s Field Trip Program has introduced thousands of students and families to Los CerritosWetlands. The LCWLT believes that offering these trips free of charge, in addition to our in-person monthly walks programs, helps grow future environmental stewards. The field trip program includes the following:

– Summer field trips to the Hellman Property for youth and families participating in the BE SAFE program with City of Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine
– Classroom trips for students attending schools in North, West and Central Long Beach in the Long Beach Unified School District
– Classroom trips for students at Heroes Elementary in the Santa Ana Unified School District

The LCWLT is currently developing a virtual field trip program to continue to serve students and teachers during Covid-related school restrictions.

For information about field trips and field trip programs for youth and community groups, please contact Elizabeth Lambe at elizabeth@lcwlandtrust.org.






Coastal Commission Meeting About SEASP Coming Up Fast


Dear Friend of Los Cerritos Wetlands,


I can hardly believe it, after years and years of community meetings and discussions, new zoning for the lands in and around Los Cerritos Wetlands will have its final hearing this Thursday, October 8th, before the California Coastal Commission. It’s an important vote since the outcome will shape the future of Southeast Long Beach for years to come.


We, for the most part, support the final plan as long as the Coastal Commission agrees with their staff and accepts the 16 additional recommendations.


Beyond that there are just a few more things we would tweak:


1) If the heights of the buildings in the proposed South East Area Specific Plan (SEASP) area are going to go up (and they are) then there need to be large and robust buffers between the new buildings and the wetlands. In fact, buffers should be a prerequisite for any increased development height, but especially in the Marketplace shopping area since that area is right up against fragile wetlands. It is really the only site within the SEASP planning area where expanded buffers could recoup some of the wetlands/sensitive habitat loss due to development.


And of course, the Marketplace, and other spots in South East Long Beach do warrant revitalization. But unlike the other sites, only Marketplace directly abuts the wetlands. So while there will be new development, it should be configured is such a way that protects and expands the wetland footprint. Roads, utilities and shoreline protection devices should be located outside of the buffers and located on the development site where there is room.


2) Building heights above 3 stories should only be granted if additional wetland and Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area (ESHA) protections are provided. Incentives should directly protect wetlands and ESHA through wider buffers, voluntary purchase of wetland mitigation bank credits and purchase of wetlands to be conveyed to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority.


3) Lighting for buildings near wetlands should meet the highest of standards for protection of wildlife. SEASP currently incorrectly calculates the illumination from moonlight. This sets the wrong standard for illumination at the edge of habitat and needs to be fixed. Also, new development located on properties that contain or are located within 100 feet of wetlands, ESHA, or sensitive coastal habitat areas should be designed to achieve the minimum degree of illumination necessary for public safety, minimize light trespass, and limit the illumination of open space and sensitive coastal habitat areas to the maximum extent feasible. At the edge of habitat, the lighting from development should be downward directed, shielded, energy efficient, dark sky-compatible, and incorporate state-of-the-art improvements in lighting technology when replaced. Replacement bulbs or fixtures must be upgraded to incorporate best available technology, and programmable timing devices shall be utilized to turn off unnecessary lights where possible.


If you agree with us, please send a note to the Coastal Commission and tell them so. To make it as easy as possible, the note is even pre-written (although feel free to customize your note in any way you wish).


Lastly, please plan to attend (virtually) the Coastal Commission meeting on Thursday, October 8th, if you can. The Coastal Commission is famous for being one of the most powerful regulatory agencies in California. It’s fascinating to watch them in action. Our item appears to be on halfway through their agenda that day. It’s easy to sign up to testify (and I hope you will).


Sincerely,


Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust



Upcoming Special Briefing


As you likely know, we are busy preparing for the upcoming Coastal Commission hearing, which is scheduled for October 8th, when the new zoning (SEASP) proposed for the lands in and around Los Cerritos Wetlands will be heard.


In order to prepare for the Coastal Commission hearing we are hosting one more community briefing, this one featuring Dave Hubbard from Coastal Restoration Consultants.


Coastal Restoration Consultants is a consulting company that specializes in planning, managing and implementing large-scale ecological restoration projects.


For the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust, Coastal Restoration Consultants reviewed the Sea Level Rise Modeling Study for the SEASP Area and Biological Support for the SEASP, Specifically Mapping of Areas Meeting the Criteria for Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area (ESHA) within the 1,475-Acre SEASP Area.


It’s sounds complicated but it really isn’t. ESHA are lands within the Coastal Zone that merit a higher level of protection from development and other impacts. Therefore, it is important that those fragile and important areas within Los Cerritos Wetlands that deserve that extra protection be fully identified, mapped out, and accounted for.


Climate driven changes, including sea level rise, increased flooding, and storm surge that can inundate the wetlands are an important consideration when planning for the future of Los Cerritos Wetlands. Therefore it is vital that decision makers have the latest, most up- to-date information on the potential impacts of sea level rise and these other climate change driven events.


I am delighted to share with you that Mr. Hubbard will be providing an overview, virtually, to Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust supporters. He will talk about Coastal Restoration Consultants’ research and what they recommend we advocate for to improve the final SEASP.


Mr. Hubbard, co-principal of Coastal Restoration Consultants has an impressive background and has been planning, implementing and monitoring restoration projects for wetlands and other native habitats since 1996. These projects have supported a range of goals ranging from re-establishment of hydrology and native vegetation, improvements in native biodiversity, ecosystem services, rare species habitat, water quality, and invasive species control.


Coastal Restoration Consultants’ research is fascinating and I think you will enjoy learning about it.


What: Special briefing featuring Dave Hubbard of Coastal Restoration Consultants.
When: Monday, October 5th at 7:00PM
Why: To learn more about what is being proposed within the zoning update, especially in the areas of ESHA and sea level rise.


Email me to rsvp and for information about how to join the October 5th briefing.


Also at the meeting will be Terry Watt, our planning and land use advisor, who will help
answer any questions you may have.


Hope to see you on Monday, October 5th, for our interesting community briefing, and then also on October 8th at the Coastal Commission meeting. I’ll send details about how to attend the Coastal Commission hearing in my next email.