Conservation
Make Your Voice Heard - Take the SEADIP Online Survey by March 31st 2008!
Courtesy Friends of Los Cerritos Wetlands:
The City of Long Beach has begun a process to update the
specific zoning plan for the far southeast area of the city. This is the area
bounded roughly by 7th St. on the north, the county line on the south, Marine
Stadium on the west, and the San Gabriel River on the east. The old plan, the
Southeast Area Development and Improvement Plan (SEADIP) was drawn up about 30
years ago.
Since that time the original concept of the planners for mostly low-rise
development with water views and emphasis on preserving and restoring the
wetlands has been overridden several times by individual variances, with
unsatisfactory results. What is more, not all of the area now considered part of
SEADIP was included in the plan, and some provisions conflict with the
California Coastal Act. For example, the building on any part of the wetlands is
likely to be rejected, especially when considering the loss of so many wetlands
since the original SEADIP was written.
The way the Planning Department has decided to start the SEADIP revision process
is by taking a city-wide survey, either via paper questionnaire at the various
meetings where city planners have been invited to bring their PowerPoint
presentation about the Southeast Area, or electronically via the Internet. This
survey asks about the participant's preferences regarding the future of the
southeast area. The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust has some concerns about
this process: Because people cannot currently access the wetlands, it is hard
for them to understand the extent and value of this asset. Our contacts with the
public lead us to believe that most Long Beach residents have only the vaguest
idea that these wetlands exist. We had hoped, therefore, that the process of
assessing public opinion would include more education about these estuarial
wetlands than can be found in the PowerPoint presentation. Although our concerns
have been expressed to the Planning Department, they appear firm in their
determination to conduct the survey as it is and have set March 31 as the last
day to participate.
We recommend, therefore, that our members and friends take the survey by the end
of March 31. To do this via the Internet, go to
www.longbeach.gov/plan. Click the Planning tab; then, under Information,
click Special Studies where the SEADIP plan is the last choice. You can look at
the city's PowerPoint video, read the original SEADIP, read completed surveys,
and take the survey yourself. And if you have concerned friends and neighbors,
please ask them to participate in the survey as well.
For the wetlands,
Mary Parsell, President
Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust
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El Dorado Audubon Society endeavors to keep up-to-date on legislative issues affecting the environment locally, state-wide, nationally, and on a limited basis, internationally. The Conservation Committee and its chairperson help to focus on issues advancing the mission of our Society in the community. In addition, we sometimes act as the fiduciary for foundation grants for specific projects, such as the Light-footed Clapper Rail Project in the coastal wet lands of Southern California, and the Bird Survey at Salton Sea. The Society has established a working relationship with the Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge through the "Audubon Refuge Keepers" program by which we help to provide and train docents, and participate in wet land clean-ups, the preparation of a bird list, and native plant restoration projects.