Author: Mike Robinson

Many concerns have been voiced about the news of the EPA setting up a three-month “hazardous waste” site to consolidate and manage the materials from the Palisades Fire. In fact, there was a protest about it: yesterday’s March to Save the Sea, which took place on the Santa Monica Pier. The RCDSMM, or, the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains, issued a statement which, in part, reads:

As a local agency facilitating resource protection and public connections with the environment in the Santa Monica Mountains, the RCDSMM has concerns regarding the chosen site and would have preferred a different location. Critical habitat for the endangered steelhead trout and tidewater goby is located directly adjacent to the motel site within Topanga Creek and Lagoon and is at risk if contaminated materials are inadvertently spread into these areas. Adjacent beaches and near-shore areas located just downstream could also be harmed, degrading recreation uses and unique fish and wildlife habitats.

Located at the mouth of Topanga Canyon near Topanga Lagoon, the site is one of ecological sensitivity and cultural significance. The lagoon itself is slated to undergo restoration in the near future.

Debate presses on, with organizations such as Heal the Bay decrying the project, arguing they were not consulted, and that such toxic materials, left exposed, could well seep into the soil and the ocean. Others counter that the waste pile had to go somewhere, and any decision would necessarily be controversial. See the bullet points of Heal the Bay’s meeting with the EPA. Somewhat unsettlingly, the EPA’s own FAQ for this issue returns a “Cannot Find The Page You’re Looking For.”

The EPA has also announced it will use the parking lot of Will Rogers State Beach as a staging area for removal of fire debris. Councilwoman Traci Park is against this proposal.

Related: Oceanographers are now studying the impact of the toxic ash on marine life.

For those wishing to make their voice heard, here are the relevant contacts for EPA representatives and other organizations:

EPA INCIDENT MANAGER:

Steve Calanog, Calanog.steve@epa.gov

EPA Representative:

Rusty Harris-Bishop, harris-bishop.rusty@epa.gov

Los Angeles County Department of Public Works: 

Mark Pestrella, mpestrella@dpw.lacounty.gov

California Dept of Parks and Recreation Director

Armando Quintero, Armando.Quintero@parks.ca.gov

Maria Chong Castillo, MCCastillo@bos.lacounty.gov

Dylan Sittig, LA County, Dsittig@bos.lacounty.gov

Ben Allen, Senator.Allen@senate.CA.gov

Supervisor Lindsey Horvath , ThirdDistrict@bos.lacounty.gov

Congressman Brad Sherman, Mail@bradsherman.com

Assembly Member Jacqui Irwin, Assemblymember.irwin@assembly.ca.gov

Governor Gavin Newson, Gavin.newsom@gov.ca.gov

Newsom Chief of Staff:

Ann O’Leary, Ann.oleary@gov.ca.gov

Thank you to everyone who attended the March meeting. For those who Zoomed in, we apologize for the difficulties with the audio. Rest assured, we’re in the process of upgrading our tech, rendering such issues a thing of the past come the next meeting on May 13th. (We meet every 2 months, on the first Tuesday—occasionally the second Tuesday, or skipping a month, if needed for a quorum).

We’re considering the need for a Zoom meeting facilitator. If this happens to be your area of expertise, let us know!

Also: several people had not received the Zoom link, which was an oversight. Please join the mailing list and choose “Task Force meetings” under Mail Preferences. To update your mailing list subscription at any time, simply sign up again using the same email address, and your profile will update automatically.

While we don’t keep recordings, we’re working on a series of updates for the news blog which will cover all the salient points from Tuesday’s meeting, the most important of which will also be emailed to you as a mailing list subscriber. Thanks for staying engaged!

Since this recent past meeting, we’ve been giving a lot of thought to one particular question which came up: What are the bottlenecks? The biggest problem seems to be getting information out efficiently, and providing a clear resource for information such as when the parks and trails will be reopened, when and how people will be able volunteer in the restoration effort, fast-developing news such as the Topanga toxic waste site, the health and safety of the affected areas and other concerns.

Right now, what we need most urgently is to expand our Communications Team. As the Task Force continues its multi-pronged effort to protect and maintain the Santa Monica Mountains, across several domains, we need volunteers to take on a “pet” issue and keep track of its progress, attend key meetings elsewhere, write about it for the blog, report on it at our meetings, help coordinate action campaigns, and so on. Interested? Email us!

We’ve always been a small group of 8 or 10 people, discussing a small agenda. Carrying the torch. (Our predecessors were instrumental in the decades-long effort to establish a Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.) But it looks like we’re encountering a significant growth in engagement. Our founders, Ron and Mary Ann Webster, would be proud.

We’ll be sharing many more updates over the coming days and weeks, especially details for March 15th and other upcoming trail work events. Feel free to contact us with any specific questions that come up.

Thank you for your interest! We look forward to meeting you!

Many in the Task Force are no doubt familiar with the ongoing clean-up — or lack thereof — over in the area of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, in the Santa Monicas’ neighboring mountains. While Boeing has long since agreed to address the hazardous levels of chemical and radioactive waste still present, they’re using a program of “conservation easement” to skirt the responsibility.

This article was written by one of our occasional trail-crew volunteers, Jaimi Dowdell:

How Boeing created a nature preserve that may also preserve pollution

Like many other lovers of these local mountains, I was eager to see what the week of heavy rains had wrought along several (ostensibly water-adjacent) trails. And, like many, I wasn’t disappointed: gushing waterfalls, and creeks and streams with strong enough flow you might’ve expected a sun-speckled fish to pop out here and there. 

KTLA reported on this (temporary) wetting of our wildlands:
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/rain-brings-seasonal-waterfalls-back-to-santa-monica-mountains/ 

It’s important to keep in mind, though, that the rains weren’t heavy enough to relieve us of the drought. According to the State of California’s Drought Action website, it would take 140% of the state’s normal annual rainfall to put us in a surplus, so to speak.

At the same time, it’s hard to overstate the immediate damage that severe storms can have on trails, and parks in general. Personally, I witnessed the flood damage in Malibu Creek State Park: piles of debris so high and dense that it was difficult to even navigate a way to the M*A*S*H filming site. The Bent Arrow trail (above) is officially closed for the time being, and reports of landslides and downed trees in Hondo Canyon and the Garapito Trail, respectively, are but two of many similar incidents we are working in partnership with the land agencies to address.

See smmtf.org/trail-crew for information about volunteering to help repair the trails.

Governor Newsom’s 2022-2023 budget bears some heartening news for local wildlife and its supporters: namely, $10 million allocated for the Liberty Canyon wildlife crossing in Agoura Hills, a vision now quickly marching toward a much-needed reality.

Newly christened in September 2021 as the 101 Freeway Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, the bridge is projected to run 210 feet long and span the entire ten-lane freeway, and construction is set to begin this month.

The Coastal Commission has been given a new legislative weapon to fight those who would damage coastal environments.

Senate Bill 433 would ensure the Commission’s authority to levy fines for practices destructive to native flora and fauna, such as that of the Great Blue Heron, discussed in this L.A. Times article.

Previously, they could only fine private property owners who restricted access to public coastal areas. Now, those who bulldoze, or tree-trim, better think twice.

Real estate mogul Mohammed Hadid is seeking to erect an enormous development in Franklin Canyon, specifically over the Hastain Trail in the park’s southeast section. Our Task Force Chair, Eric Edmunds, has been in correspondence with Nithya Raman, Los Angeles City Councilmember of the 4th District, over this incursion. Visit her official website to read the statement recently published by her office.

The more adventurous aspect of the Sierra Club is dusting itself off and stretching back into action. The Santa Monica Mountains Task Force itself sponsors two Sierra Club hikes every Tuesday: the Tuesday Moderate Hikers (TMH) and the Tuesday Conditioned Hikers (TCH). So if you’re free, join us!

New events are regularly added to our schedule. Bookmark our Activity Calendar to see all upcoming hikes sponsored by the Santa Monica Mountains Task Force.

We typically have 10-20 people on each hike, everyone there to enjoy the outdoors and be with like-minded people. The hikes range all over the Santa Monica Mountains, from Topanga State Park to Point Mugu State Park and everywhere in between. We also hike on adjacent parkland such as Ahmanson Ranch and Cheeseboro Canyon.

The moderate hikes are usually about 8 miles with close to 1,000 ft gain, and the conditioned hikes are usually about 12 miles with about 2,000 ft gain. Of course, that varies from week to week. The moderate hikes usually end in the early afternoon, the conditioned hikes somewhat later. Our hikes are all “O” rated. Most are on very well-established trails; some, not so much!

We’re always on the lookout for new leaders to help lead our Tuesday hikes. Becoming a leader is a great way to support the Sierra Club by showing members of the public the land our efforts have helped preserve. If you would like to know more about becoming a Sierra Club leader, contact our Outings Chairs. Information is also available on the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter Leadership Training Program web page.