One of the unique characteristics of the South Coast Chapter area is its geological and biological links to the Channel Islands. Indeed, some of the rare plants of the Palos Verdes Peninsula only occur in one other spot - - the Channel Islands.

Although much of the area encompassed by our chapter boundaries has been urbanized, our area also includes the only remaining segment of coastal sage scrub between the Santa Monica Mountains and Orange County. The protection and preservation of native habitat has been a primary focus of our chapter over the years.

Local Conservancies
Catalina Island Conservancy
Channel Islands National Park
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy
South Bay Parkland Conservancy

Acquisition of Upper Filiorum Property
On December 7, 2009, the South Coast Chapter Board of Directors voted to contribute $10,500 from the operating account towards the acquisition of Upper Filiorum, the last remaining available open space to complete the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve.

The purchase price for the 190-acre property was $6.5 million.  The California Coastal Conservancy provided $5.5 million, and the City of Rancho Palos Verdes provided $600,000. The balance of $400,000 was raised by the community, and the acquisition occurred on December 30, 2009.

Acquiring the land allows the Three Sisters, Portuguese Bend, and the Forrestal  reserves to be linked, forming a contiguous 950-acre corridor for wildlife habitat.

Daily Breeze article of January 3, 2010



Natural Communities Conservation Plan
The South Coast Chapter provided extensive input regarding the Natural Communities Conservation Plan (NCCP) that was created by the City of Rancho Palos Verdes and approved on August 31, 2004. The final plan provided for preservation of almost all of the remaining open space in the City, although significant acreage was still subject to development, depending on the willingness of sellers and the availability of public funds for land acquisition.

In order to help the City implement the NCCP, the California Coastal Conservancy authorized a grant of up to $5.5 million on September 25, 2008 to purchase the 190-acre Upper Filiorum property.

The source of funds for the $5.5 million grant was an appropriation to the Conservancy from Proposition 84, the Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006.  Consistent with the purposes specified in the Act, the acquisition of the Upper Filiorum property would protect natural habitat values of coastal lands on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, as well as promote access to and enjoyment of coastal resources of the state.       

As indicated above, the Upper Filiorum property was acquired on December 30, 2009.

NCCP Information



Machado Lake Ecosystem Rehabilitation Project
On November 2, 2004, the voters of Los Angeles overwhelmingly passed Proposition O, a $500 million bond issue for open space improvement projects.

Out of the $500 million authorized, a total of $117 million has been committed to Machado Lake and the Wilmington Drain, which form an interconnected open space in and around the 241-acre Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park near Wilmington and Harbor City.

Among other project components is habitat improvement, including removal of non-native invasive plants, and planting of appropriate native riparian species.

The South Coast Chapter provided input during the eight public meetings from September 2008 to July 2009, and at a scoping session for the Environmental Impact Report on September 17, 2009.

Proposition O Background
Machado Lake and Wilmington Drain
Environmental Reports

Marine Life Protection Act Initiative
The MLPA directs the state to reevaluate and redesign California’s system of marine protected areas (MPAs) for more effective protection of the state's marine life and habitats.

The MLPA also requires that the best readily available science be used in the redesign process, as well as the advice and assistance of scientists, resource managers, experts, stakeholders and members of the public.

California is taking a regional approach to redesigning MPAs along its 1,100 mile coastline, and has divided the state into five study regions.  The planning process for the South Coast Region (Point Conception to the Mexican border) is underway.

In a letter dated October 15, 2009, the South Coast Chapter recommended the highest level of protection for the Palos Verdes Peninsula.  After studying the three competing proposals, we strongly favored Proposal 3, which creates by far the most protection for shoreline habitats such as beaches, rocky shores, and surf grass beds.

Proposal 3 is also the only proposal that satisfies the preferred science guidelines established by the Science Advisory Team.

Palos Verdes is one of the few places within the South Coast Region where one can find a huge diversity of habitats, including the rocky intertidal, sandy and gravel beaches, surf grass beds, kelp forest, underwater pinnacles, and submarine canyon walls. It also harbors marine mammal haul outs, and critical bird and marine mammal foraging areas.

Proposal 3 would protect over five miles of Palos Verdes shoreline and 16 square miles of submerged habitat.

The local Stakeholder Group considered public input prior to submitting its recommendations to the California Fish & Game Commission on December 10, 2009.

Following the public meeting in December, Commission staff initiated development of the appropriate CEQA and regulatory documents. Preparation of these documents is expected to occur during the first half of 2010.

After the documents are prepared, the CEQA document will be available for public review and comment and the Commission will formally publish notice of its intent to adopt the regulations.  The Commission will hold a minimum of two additional meetings to receive public testimony on the CEQA document and the proposed MPA regulations.

For more information, please see the following California Department of Fish & Game data sources:

MLPA Initiative - South Coast Study Region
MLPA South Coast Proposals
Proposal 3 - Narrative Rationale
Proposal 3 - Overview Map
Proposal 3 - Habitat Calculations
Proposal 3 - Subregional Maps