TITLE
Recommendation to request City Manager to convene a Wetlands Study Session for the City Council to review information including, but not limited to, an inventory of current City of Long Beach restoration projects, an overview of regional projects, and a discussion of restoration funding needs.
DISCUSSION
Wetlands designation, preservation and restoration delineation of are issues of vital importance to our City and region. In addition to specially adapted plants, wetlands can support varieties of aquatic and terrestrial species, and are found on every continent except Antarctica. As an ecosystem, they are comparable to coral reefs and rain forests. Wetlands can provide recreation and educational opportunities to our communities. However, in a survey performed upon its establishment in 1999, the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (RMC) reported that approximately 2 percent of those surveyed understood the definition of "watershed".
Section 404 was established in the federal Clean Water Act to protect wetlands through regulation, programs and acquisition. Many states have enacted laws to offer further protection. Additionally, federal, state and local agencies work to restore these resources. The City of Long Beach, along the California Coastal Conservancy, the RMC and community-based organizations, is currently working on several restoration projects. These projects include the Los Cerritos Wetlands and Colorado Lagoon. As the City's representative to the RMC, I see firsthand the efforts that go into local and regional Wetlands projects.
In light of the numerous ongoing restoration projects, as well as the need for greater public awareness and coordinating funding efforts, I feel it is imperative that the City Council be briefed on the City's inventory
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
COUNCILMEMBER PATRICK O'DONNELL, FOURTH DISTRICT