Mujeres de la Tierra

LA River and Aliso Creek Confluence Project, Reseda

History
The Los Angeles River is approximately 51 miles long, beginning in Canoga Park, stretching through the San Fernando Valley, downtown Los Angeles and numerous other cities before reaching the Pacific Ocean in Long Beach. Along its path, the River is joined by several tributaries including Aliso Creek. The River was once free-flowing, varying its annual path by miles across its vast floodplain. When floods in the early 1900s damaged homes and took lives, decisions were made to encase the River in a concrete channel. In the late 1930s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed the channelization of the River and it remains in that state today.

Today and Tomorrow: Future Possibilities
In 2002, the City of Los Angeles formed a committee to identify ways to revitalize the River and in 2005 the City started work on the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan (LARRMP). The LARRMP is a 25-50 year vision for the River that includes a wide-range of improvements, including parks, trails, bike paths, wildlife habitat, and the restoration of ecological functions.

The LARRMP calls for implementation of projects along the first 32-miles of the River (between Canoga Park and downtown Los Angeles) which will improve the quality-of-life for residents while also improving the environmental health of the watershed. For more information or to read the LARRMP, visit the website at www.lariver.org. To read the

How does this affect you and your neighborhood?
The stretch of the Los Angeles River that flows through Reseda offers important opportunities to implement the goals of the LARRMP. The River in this area has wide easement spaces that can be developed into trails and bike paths. The River offers pleasing views both upstream and downstream. The confluence area provides an opportunity to create green connections to existing community amenities, including homes, parks, schools, and the YMCA. Adding a bike path to the River in this area will help link people to their homes and jobs.

Your participation in the design of this River project is critical because it will ensure that the results reflect your neighborhood. Design elements, such as passive and active recreation, or enhancing access along the banks of the River, will be based on input received from you and your neighbors. Project boundaries are Vanowen Street to the north, Victory Boulevard to the south, Wilbur Avenue to the west and Reseda Boulevard to the east.

How to get involved?
Community outreach efforts will include a range of activities including door-to-door outreach and a series of workshops. For the schedule of meetings, please refer to the dates on the front of this flyer. If you have any questions, please contact Tori Kjer at the Trust for Public Land, who is coordinating the project’s design and development at (323) 223-0441 ext 11. For questions regarding outreach activities contact Irma Munoz at Mujeres de la Tierra at (213) 595-0905.

Duck Farm, La Puente

Until a few years ago, thousands of ducks were raised on a farm which stretched for two miles along the San Gabriel River. The property, wedged between the San Gabriel River and the 605 Freeway, is located in the unincorporated community of Basset, north of the 60 Freeway and south of the 10 Freeway. 

The duck farming operation was moved to the Central Valley, and the property was acquired by the Watershed Conservation Authority (WCA)* in December 2004. The total purchase price was $4.017 million. Prop 13 grant funds in the amount of $3 million were augmented by Prop 40 grant funds from the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (RMC) in the amount of $1.017 million. 
     The Watershed Conservation Authority (WCA) has started the process of transforming the 57-acre site into a publicly owned open space. Click to learn more about the Duck Farm Site Concept Plan.

Mujeres de la Tierra is working in collaboration with the WCA and the RMC to renew the outreach efforts for the project.

*The Watershed Conservation Authority (WCA) is a joint powers entity of the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (RMC) and the Los Angeles County Flood Control District (LACFCD).

Baldwin Hills Oil Wells,
Los Angeles

Plains Exploration and Production Company (PXP), an independent oil and gas company primarily engaged in the activities of acquiring, developing, exploring and producing oil and gas in its core areas of operation has been given the right to drill over 1,000 new oil wells in Los Angeles neighborhoods.

After five public hearings, hours of testimony and volumes of written comments from residents, the LA County Board of Supervisors approved the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for certification and adopted the Baldwin Hills Community Standards District (CSD) in October 2008. The Board's approval of the FEIR and CSD still fail the community on a number of issues including, among others, failure to revise and re-circulate the EIR and to set the annual cap of wells at 53, instead of the 15-20 PXP quoted in their literature.

Four lawsuits have been filed against the county since the Board of Supervisors certified the FEIR and CSD. Community groups and individuals filing the suits feel the EIR and CSD do not provide adequate health and environmental safeguards and that there was a violation of CEQA law (California Environmental Quality Act) by failing to create an adequate EIR before CSD.

While the battle for greater protection is played out in the courts, the current CSD calls for numerous departments to start implementing safety and protection plans on which we, as concerned citizens, will continue to keep a watchful eye on the protections that did pass in the current CSD.

We are doing this through:

• Recording odor complaints on a community monitored log: Baldwin Hills Tracking Survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=THq6fJDEe_2f0RA25ceaKAOQ_3d_3d
• Monitoring the progress of the implementation plans called for in the CSD
• Participating in the Community Advisory Panel

Thursday March 26, 2009 was the first convening of the Community Advisory Panel (CAP), instituted by the CSD passed in October 2008. The CAP, chosen by the staff of the Department of Regional Planning, is made up of community members who represent homeowners associations, community groups, school districts, Culver City, LA City, etc. and is facilitated by staff from the Department of Regional Planning. Mujeres de la Tierra President, Irma Muñoz is a member of the CAP. The full list of CAP members, chosen by the staff of the Department of Regional Planning (DRP) and facilitated by them can be viewed here.

At this meeting, the community heard mentioned for the first time of the 2009 Drilling, Redrilling, Well Abandonment Plan, which is supposed to outline all the activities on the field for 2009.  

On October 28, 2008, The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors adopted the Baldwin Hills Community Standards District (CSD) which established new development standards and operating procedures for oil and gas production in the area. However, issues remain regarding the ability of the ordinance to adequately address the surrounding community’s concerns related to “sights, sounds, smells and safety”. On August 4, 2009, under Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas’ urging, the Board of Supervisors directed County staff to conduct a review of the CSD and report back with recommended modifications.

Come share your ideas as the Baldwin Hills CSD Review gets underway!

The battle for a better EIR is playing out in the courts. In the meantime, we want to ensure the county is correctly implementing the current CSD and still involving the community every step of the way.

Meetings are open to the public.

Please call Irma Muñoz with questions/comments at 323.350.3306

Improve our neighborhoods, community health and
the air we breathe.

To file a complaint, please call:

800.CUT.SMOG (800.288.7664)

www.aqmd.gov