Indian Paintbrush
Castilleja affinis
California rockflower, Catalina crossosoma
Crossosoma californica
Dune Buckwheat (hosting male El Segundo Blue)
Eriogonum parvifolium
Sawtooth Goldenbush
Hazardia squarosa var. obtusa
Deerweed (hosting male Palos Verdes Blue)
Lotus scoparius
Cliff Aster
Malacothrix saxatilis
Purple Nightshade (with Sonoran Bumblebee)
Solanum xanti
Photographer: Ann Dalkey |
Conservation
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 191-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.
For more information:
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.
As indicated above, the 191-acre Upper Filiorum property was acquired on December 30, 2009.
For more information, please see the following City of Rancho Palos Verdes web page:
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 through July 1, 2009, and at a scoping session for the Environmental Impact Report on September 17, 2009.
The Initial Study can be viewed here and the Draft EIR will be available for review in early 2010.
For more information, please see the following:
Proposition O Background
Machado Lake and Wilmington Drain
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 take several months in early 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
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