Good news for wildlife (and they can use it!) – AB 2522 Update

Good news for wildlife (and they can use it!) – AB 2522 Update

We are working to ensure local owlets, like those above, have a better chance to grow up free from the impacts of deadly rodenticides.

Dear Friend of Los Cerritos Wetlands,


I’ve got some good news to share with you.


Assembly Bill 2522, which would close the loopholes on anticoagulants in California by adding remaining “first generation” anticoagulants to California’s existing rodenticide moratorium, recently passed out of the Senate Natural Resources Committee. Thanks to all of you who called or wrote to Committee member Senator Lena Gonzalez, urging her to support that bill. Senator Gonzalez is already a well-regarded environmental champion and proved herself that again by voting yes on AB 2522. The majority of Los Cerritos Wetlands is located in her district. Sadly, Senator Janet Nguyen, whose district encompasses the Orange County side of Los Cerritos Wetlands, did not vote for the bill. That means we will have to work harder to educate her on the value of protecting fragile coastal species from harmful poisons. The next step for the bill is for review by the Committee on Appropriations. We will keep you apprised of its status, and likely call on you to help get it over the finish line. In the meantime, please take a moment to thank Senator Gonzalez.


In other good news, California’s Habitat Conservation Fund (HCF) was successfully protected from all the budget cutting going on in Sacramento. HCF is the only enduring source of funding for habitat conservation projects in California and has helped preserve thousands of acres of critical open space throughout our great State. HCF has protected more than one million acres of wildlife habitat in California, provided significant funding for parks and conservancies, and enabled the implementation of nature-based solutions to climate change. We are so happy the HCF survived the budget chopping block and want to express our sincere thanks to those who called or wrote key legislators asking they vote to protect it.


Thanks for making a difference.


Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
The “pumps for circulation” project commences its formal review process.

The “pumps for circulation” project commences its formal review process.

Lovely scene of Los Cerritos Wetlands’ Steamshovel Slough with the AES powerplant in the background. We need to make sure the marine life of Los Cerritos Wetlands is protected, no matter what happens with the “pumps for circulation” project.
The City of Long Beach wants to address water pollution in Alamitos Bay by replacing the massive cooling pumps at the AES power plant with new pumps. Pollution in Alamitos Bay is an ongoing problem that MUST be addressed. But it’s not the only problem. 


The existing pumps are being shut down because the Clean Water Act requires it. Regulations passed in 2010 mandate phasing out “once-through cooling” State-wide because these systems devastate the marine environment. Small plant and fish organisms, mostly eggs and larvae, are sucked into the pumps (entrainment) and killed by the pressure. Larger organisms, like fish and crabs, are killed on screens before entering the pumps (impingement).


The entire Los Cerritos Channel watershed suffers from water pollution that eventually accumulates in Alamitos Bay. That’s a problem that must be resolved. Simultaneously, State and local governments are planning an equally critical effort to restore Los Cerritos Wetlands to better ecosystem health. We support addressing all these goals with a coordinated and economical solution.


Water pollution in our Bay is primarily the result of contaminants like bacteria, nutrients, heavy metals, and trash running off our urban environment and ending up in the Bay or ocean. They come from around the Los Cerritos Channel watershed – our homes, gardens, streets, factories, and businesses. Will constructing and running new pumps solve that problem? Will the proposed pumps eliminate the pollutants or simply move the pollution into the San Gabriel River and make it someone else’s problem?


Furthermore, with the vast majority of Southern California wetlands lost forever to development and infrastructure, we need those few that remain to be high-quality habitat that protect and sustain fish and other species. Will the proposed pumps remove local fish, biota, and marine vegetation from the wetlands and deposit them in the San Gabriel River with the pollutants? If pumping becomes the solution to water quality problems in Alamitos Bay, how will it impact Los Cerritos Wetlands restoration goals?


Maybe most importantly, are there other solutions to tackle water quality problems in Alamitos Bay that also help restore the wetlands? Modern solutions to water pollution include multi-benefit projects that clean up runoff near the source while creating more neighborhood “green space” and recharging groundwater. Examples are bio-swales in parks, parking lots, and streets (you can see one at work at the Colorado Lagoon) as well as other non-point source pollution collection solutions.


The official process to learn the answers to these questions and more is finally beginning with the City of Long Beach posting a Notice of Preparation. It triggers the beginning of a thorough environmental review. That is a good thing since understanding the environmental impacts will be critical for public understanding, as well as for various regulatory agencies that must issue permits. We are committed to fully understanding this project and its impacts and have laid out, in our letter to the City, what must be studied. We are grateful to well-respected water advocacy groups, Heal the Bay and LA Waterkeeper, for signing on to our letter and helping on this issue.
Saturday, July 6th will be our next Wetlands Nature Walk. Hope you will join us!

Saturday, July 6th will be our next Wetlands Nature Walk. Hope you will join us!

Check out the interesting native plant nursery at Zedler Marsh and learn about the future restoration of the Southern area of Los Cerritos Wetlands. We have big plans!
Join us on a nature walk to the Zedler Marsh area of Los Cerritos Wetlands.


On this walk, attendees will explore and learn about an active wetlands restoration site. They will learn about restoration ecology and the types of plant communities (coastal salt marsh, mulefat scrub, coastal sage scrub) being cultivated for the current and future restoration of Los Cerritos Wetlands. 


Our walk begins with a brief orientation about Los Cerritos Wetlands. Tour leaders will discuss some interesting challenges in restoring the Zedler Marsh wetlands area, the restoration techniques they rely on, and the important role of California native plants. Some of the techniques discussed on the tour can be applied to residential landscapes. We encourage participants to use native plants in their yards. There will also be opportunities for birding and other wildlife sightings at Zedler Marsh.


WHAT: Salt Marsh Stroll/ Zedler Marsh Tour of Los Cerritos Wetlands 


WHEN: Saturday, July 6, 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 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. Close-toed shoes are required, and kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.


To learn more about our wetlands nature walk or to RSVP, please reserve your spot through our Eventbrite page.


If you have questions please send me an email.
Good news for wildlife (and they can use it!) – AB 2522 Update

Action Alert: Protect our local wildlife from rodenticides with AB 2522

These owlets deserve to grow up free from the impacts of deadly rodenticides.
Take action to protect them. It will only take a minute.

Dear Friend of Los Cerritos Wetlands,


With your help, AB 2552 passed out of the California State Assembly on May 23—thank you to all who wrote and called. Now the bill is headed to its first State Senate committee hearing on June 19. And we need your voices again, especially as this bill has faced stiff opposition from pesticide corporations and other industry advocates.


AB 2522 will close the loopholes on anticoagulants in California by adding chlorophacinone and warfarin (the remaining “first generation” anticoagulants) to the existing rodenticide moratorium established by AB 1788 and AB 1322. The bill also adds a buffer zone around wildlife habitat and makes it easier to report violations of these laws. Click here to read an overview of this proposed legislation, provided by the Animal Legal Defense Fund.


Local State Senator (and Senate Majority Leader), Lena Gonzalez, is a proven champion for the environment and is on the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. Please contact Senator Gonzalez and ask her to support AB 2552. Tell her that voting yes on AB 2552 closes the loopholes on anticoagulants and protects local wildlife, including those that live within the Los Cerritos Wetlands.


Thanks for making a difference


Elizabeth Lambe
Executive Director
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
Our good friends at LA River Expeditions host fun and educational summer kayaking trips. You should try one!

Our good friends at LA River Expeditions host fun and educational summer kayaking trips. You should try one!


It is too crowded to safely host wetlands kayaking trips in the summer in Long Beach. So if you looking to get your summer adventure game on we suggest kayaking the Los Angeles River on trips hosted by our trusted partner, LA River Expeditions. They are the same folks who host the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust kayaking trips with us here in Long Beach. Hope you give them a try!

You will enjoy a meaningful kayak adventure paddle through Sepulveda Basin and Elysian Valley! LA River Expedition’s kayak tours not only promise an unforgettable experience but also contribute to significant community initiatives. Your support aids in organizing trash clean-ups and facilitates free kayak tours for underserved community groups.
Take a fantastic kayak trip down the Los Angeles River near the Elysian Valley area of Los Angeles. Meet at Oros Street and Riverside Drive.

Click here for further details or to register.
Check out the calm water of the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve (located in the San Fernando Valley, near Encino)

Click here for further details or to register