Important Wetlands Restoration Meeting on March 23rd

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

Important Los Cerritos Wetlands restoration meeting on January 25th

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.

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

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.


Also on February 4th, from 10:30 AM-12:30 PM, you are invited to join community-based wetlands restoration. Los Cerritos Wetlands are on their way to being restored and made more attractive because of hard-working folks who volunteer their time to remove invasive plants and other weeds and plant in their place “habitat friendly” native plants. It’s fun; it’s fulfilling and it requires no special skills or experience–just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. Your contribution of time and effort is vital to the success of the restoration and would be greatly appreciated!For more information or to RSVP email iwanttohelp@tidalinfluence.com.