Author: SMMTF Admin

A team of student researchers from the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability (IoES) at UCLA is conducting visitor counts and surveys at trails in the Santa Monica Mountains this spring.

Their work is a collaboration between UCLA IoES, the Anthony Pritzker Family Foundation, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA), and the Grateful Bench Project.

The visitor counts will provide a better understanding of trail use since the last SMMNRA trail survey conducted in 2018. The data collected will help the Grateful Bench Project improve visitor access to trails, inform their efforts to educate visitors about the trails, and deepen visitor appreciation of natural resources in the park.

The UCLA IoES team is recruiting volunteers to help with the visitor counts.

Volunteers will be stationed at one of 20 trailheads (see map below) and will count visitors for four-hour shifts on Saturdays, April 26th or May 3rd.

If you would be interested in volunteering with this team of UCLA researchers to perform visitor counts at certain Santa Monica Mountains trailheads, please RSVP using their Volunteer Registration Form

In addition, the team will be installing fliers on newly installed benches with QR codes linking to a short visitor survey. These surveys will gather data on trail usage and visitor experience, helping Grateful Bench design outreach and educational material for park visitors.

The goal is to eventually install permanent QR codes on benches that will bring visitors to location-specific information about park natural history and ecology. While benches throughout the park provide a place for hikers to rest and enjoy the mountain scenery, equipping them with these electronic “plaques” transforms the otherwise simple amenities into educational tools. Their goal is to offer visitors a wealth of information about the habitats and ecosystems in front of them, fostering a deeper appreciation for the nature that surrounds them.

PRESS RELEASE
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
March 6, 2025

In response to community feedback and a comprehensive review of hazardous tree removal procedures, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has implemented updates to its tree marking system and clarified details regarding the newly available hazardous tree removal waiver.

To enhance transparency and improve processes, USACE has added two new color markings in addition to the existing blue dot, which signifies a tree that has been assessed and determined to be hazardous.

Blue Dot – Trees marked with a blue dot at the base and a barcode have been determined to be hazardous and are scheduled for removal.

Yellow Dot with Yellow Ribbon – Trees where a property owner has submitted a hazardous tree removal waiver will be marked with a yellow dot at the base and a yellow ribbon wrapped around the tree. The barcode will be removed, and this update will be cataloged in the contractor’s system to ensure the tree remains in place.

Brown Dot – If a tree is reassessed and determined to be non-hazardous by a higher-level ISA-certified arborist, it will be marked with a brown dot over the existing blue dot. The barcode will be removed, and this update will be recorded in the contractor’s tracking system, confirming the tree will not be removed.

The Waiver of Hazardous Tree Removal form is linked here and also available at recovery.lacounty.gov. Owners are encouraged to express their intent to waive tree removal during the 72-hour and 24-hour notification calls.

In response to community concerns, USACE has amended its waiver submission process. Property owners may now submit the Waiver of Hazardous Tree Removal via email or to the contractor during the 360-degree walkthrough, which is the last step before debris removal operations begin. Completed forms must be emailed to Eatoncallcenter@ecc.net for Altadena properties or Palisadescallcenter@ecc.net for Palisades properties. USACE contractors are making every effort to accept supporting information in a variety of formats—including photos, emails, and other documentation—to meet property owners’ requests and properly record their decisions.

“We are committed to listening to the community and improving our processes,” said U.S. Army Col. Eric Swenson, commander of the USACE Los Angeles Wildfires Recovery Field Office. “Our goal is to provide a clear, fair, and transparent system that respects property owners’ choices while prioritizing safety. The new tree markings and flexibility in how information is received reflect our commitment to making this process as accessible and efficient as possible.”

To expedite the waiver process, property owners are encouraged to assess the trees on their property as early as possible. This will ensure they have the necessary information ready when contacted by the USACE contractor for their scheduled walkthrough.

Important Reminder: Do Not Self-Mark Trees Community members have been self-marking trees in an effort to preserve them. USACE urges members of the community not to paint trees. Some paints contain toxic substances that can harm trees and the surrounding environment. Property owners should follow the official waiver process to document their decision to retain a tree.

USACE is committed to transparency, continuous improvement, and supporting the recovery of wildfire-affected communities. By listening to community concerns and optimizing our processes, we are working to ensure that property owners have clear information and meaningful choices as they navigate the recovery process.

For more information and updates on the wildfire debris removal effort, please visit recovery.lacounty.gov.

For media queries, contact the Army Corps of Engineers’ Wildfires Recovery Field Office Public Affairs team at SoCalWildfires@usace.army.mil.

The Santa Monica Mountains Task Force is conducting a major fundraising drive to cover the expenses associated with the construction of the memorial bench and services for volunteer trail crew founder and friend, Ron Webster. We ask for your generous support.

Ron passed away in January, 2021, but public health concerns at the time prevented having a proper memorial honoring his more than 40 years of dedicated service to our community, hiking trails, and mountains.

Services will be held at Temescal Gateway Park on January 7th, 2023, followed by a short hike to the site of the memorial bench to be dedicated in Ron’s honor.

Give online

Donate securely with a debit or credit card, or directly from your PayPal account.

PayPal takes a merchant fee of 2.9% plus $0.30 from each online transaction.

Send a check

Checks (payable to “Santa Monica Mountains Task Force”) can also be mailed directly to our treasurer: Pam Smith, Santa Monica Mountains Task Force, 1872 Midvale Ave #107, Los Angeles, CA 90025.

Donations to the Santa Monica Mountains Task Force are not tax deductible.

While the deadline has passed to submit a letter, the content of this petition, for those not in the know, is one of extreme importance.

As Los Angeles sees more push from developers threatening its fragile ecosystem and wildlife, this ordinance seeks to maintain wildland corridors and passages to ensure not only the protection of flora and fauna, but to help us battle fires and address the impacts of climate change.

Find here the Task Force’s letter of support for the ongoing effort to preserve wildlands and enhance wildland connectivity.

This video from LA This Week explains why Los Angeles needs a Wildlife Ordinance and how important it is for our ecosystem and environmental health.

At its August 17th, 2022 meeting, the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection (BOF) unanimously approved the updated State Minimum Fire Safe Regulations. These regulations retain the identical road standards as in the 2020 regulations that we supported. They include minimum 20 foot wide roads, dead-end roads no longer than 800 feet to 1 mile, as well as many other specifications. The regulations apply to all residential, commercial, and industrial development in both the state responsibility area and in very high fire hazard severity zones in incorporated cities.

The BOF rejected the efforts during the past two years by the Rural County Representatives of California, Sonoma County, and the California Building Industry Association to gut the regulations. This would have encouraged development in dangerous fire-prone areas. This outcome would not have been possible without the participation of concerned individuals, grassroots and environmental organizations and our valued partners.

The BOF, as well as the California Attorney General’s Office, decisively confirmed that the regulations concerning access to a parcel being developed apply to all existing roads. The Exception process must follow strict requirements with material facts to demonstrate the Same Practical Effect as the State Fire Safe Regulations within a development perimeter. For substandard public roads needing improvement to meet the regulations, the public agency must determine whether the agency or the applicant will pay for the upgrade. If no upgrades are made, the development cannot proceed.

Thank you to SAFRR: State Alliance for Firesafe Road Regulations (our northern/southern CA Alliance) and all who joined the battle to ensure our fire fighters and evacuees will have the safest possible ingress and egress while navigating hillside roads during an emergency.

The National Park Service, California State Parks, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, and the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority have reinitiated preparation of the long-awaited Trail Management Plan (TMP) for Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA). The public is invited to participate in the planning process.

The TMP will establish the overall vision for future development and management of the SMMNRA trail network. Based on identified desired conditions for park natural, cultural and recreational resources, the TMP will prescribe a comprehensive plan for circulation, access, and allowable trail uses for trails throughout the national recreation area.

Specifically, the plan will:
• Determine which roads and trails should be maintained, removed, and/or enhanced.
• Identify which of the unofficial trails should be removed and which should be made official.
• Determine the types of trail uses (e.g. hiking, biking, and/or equestrian) that are appropriate on each road and trail.
• Identify those roads and trails that lead to damage of the natural and cultural resources of the park, for example a trail that passes through an area of sensitive natural resources, and need to be re-routed and/or reconstructed.
• Identify trail connections necessary to create trail loops and/or connect to trails outside the park.
• Identify opportunities for new trails, where appropriate.
• Identify necessary trail facilities, such as restrooms, parking, and drinking water.

The public review draft of the new Trail Management Plan is close to being released. Sign up here to receive updates about the TMP from California State Parks, including opportunities to submit feedback on the forthcoming plan.

From the office of Councilmember Paul Koretz, Fifth District.

---

March 2, 2022 – LOS ANGELES, CA – Today the Los Angeles City Council voted in favor of a motion that directs the Department of General Services to identify City-owned surplus property in the Santa Monica Mountains Zone and codify that the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC) shall have the first right of refusal to acquire such lands for conservation at the City of Los Angeles’s purchase price plus any administrative and management costs incurred by the City.

In 2008-9, LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa initiated the “Own A Piece of LA” program to itemize, account for, and offer undevelopable slivers of City surplus land and/or remnant parcels to adjoining neighbors since they are deemed incapable of independent development and can only be of use to adjoining property owners. However, with advanced engineering innovations in recent decades, development in sensitive ecological areas has increased, resulting in the fragmentation and degradation of essential remaining wildlife habitat connectivity and corridors, particularly in the Santa Monica Mountains Zone, home to the Southern California subpopulation of the Mountain Lion. Local mountain lions are now a “candidate” species under consideration for listing as “threatened” under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) by the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).

“While I have been working with the City Planning Department for the better part of a decade to protect wildlife habitat connectivity in the Santa Monica Mountains, it is imperative that we be certain we are not at the same time inadvertently selling off parcels for development that could obstruct the very linkages we are working so hard to protect,” said Councilmember Paul Koretz. “Thank you to Councilmembers Raman and Blumenfield for continuing to partner with me in our shared commitment to protect our precious wildlife and habitats in our Santa Monica Mountains.”

“Wildlife habitat connectivity is so essential to the survival of the cornerstone species we share our Santa Monica mountains with, and many areas are in serious danger of being blocked if we do not act urgently and consciously,” said Paul Edelman, Deputy Director of Natural Resources and Planning, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and its chief biologist. “Today’s action by the City Council is so important and affirms the State legislature’s 1979 Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Act, but more steps need to be taken sooner rather than later.”

“Our park land is precious and acknowledging the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy’s right of first refusal at the original purchase price for surplus City land underscores our commitment and prevents any confusion,” said Councilmember Bob Blumenfield. “When critical open space is lost, it’s usually lost forever and the SMMC is the biggest protector of our wildlife corridors, open space, and indigenous plant species in the region.”

“This motion allows the Santa Monica Conservancy to have the right of first refusal when the city disposes of public land in the Santa Monica Mountains. My district contains so much of the beautiful and unique Santa Monica Mountain range, and I am so proud to partner with Councilmember Koretz to ensure that we preserve as much of this land as possible and prevent it from being developed,” said Councilmember Nithya Raman.

“It is essential for our collective long-term health that caution preempts short-term profit when addressing City-owned open space in the Santa Monica Mountains,” said Tony Tucci, co-founder of Citizens for Los Angeles Wildlife (CLAW) who brought this issue to the City Council’s attention. “Today’s City Council vote recognizes that undeveloped City-owned lands of any size in our hillsides let us all “breathe” and that this land has an inherent and immediate value to our environment and a long-term benefit for the wellbeing of both our wildlife and human populations of Los Angeles.”

“Thanks to Councilmembers Koretz, Raman and Blumenfield for ensuring the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy has an opportunity to preserve our precious natural resources one surplus lot and sliver of land at a time,” said Wendy-Sue Rosen, Brentwood Alliance of Canyons & Hillsides.

Los Angeles is located in a global biodiversity hotspot called the California Floristic Province, which means that it includes more than 1,500 endemic plant species, that at least 70 percent of the area’s original habitat has been lost, and that the rest is endangered by human activities. Much of the remaining biodiversity within Los Angeles is located in the mountains and hillsides including the Santa Monica Mountains Zone. Plants and animals need these interconnected ecosystems to continue to exist and flourish within this urban context and this biodiversity hotspot is jeopardized by increased development and habitat fragmentation.

The California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) has unveiled a new professional sports-themed specialty license plate to provide a sustained revenue source to expand park access.

Revenue generated by the specialty license plates will expand access to parks across the state and improve these parks and open spaces.

The first license plate in the professional-sports series is in partnership with the Los Angeles Rams. CNRA looks forward to speaking with more professional sports teams in 2022 to strike agreements to make more specialty license plates available.

FAQ for California Sports Team-Branded License Plates

Order your LA Rams License Plate

Join the MRCA for a community meeting on Mission Canyon Park updates.

Thursday, February 17th from 6:30 pm-7:30 pm

They will be covering the following topics:
– Mission Canyon Presentation: Changes to the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
– Public comments

The meeting will be held in English with Spanish translation via Zoom.

Zoom Info
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83435465318
Meeting ID: 834 3546 5318
Passcode: 774553

Dial by your location
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
877 853 5357 US Toll-free
When prompted, enter the Meeting ID

For support CEQA documents, please visit:
www.missioncanyonpark.com

---

La Autoridad de Recreación y Conservación de la Montañas (siglas en inglés MRCA) tendrá una reunión comunitaria, para compartir actualizaciones sobre Mission Canyon Park.

El jueves 17 de febrero a las 6:30-7:30 pm

Discutiremos:
– Presentación de Mission Canyon: cambios al studio inicial/declaracion negative de mitigacion
– Comentarios públicos

Zoom sitio, haga clic abajo
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83435465318
Numero ID de la reunion: 834 3546 5318
Passcode: 774553

Marca por teléfono manualmente
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
877 853 5357 US Toll-free
Despues de marcar, entre el numero ID de la reunión.

Para obtener documents de CEQA de soporte, visite:
www.missioncanyonpark.com