Ballona Wetlands Restoration Update
In response to a lawsuit challenging California Department of Fish & Wildlife's (CDFW) Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the restoration of the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve, the court recently found that two points need to be corrected. Despite claims to the contrary, the restoration project is not dead. While we are disappointed that the court’s decision may further delay the project, CDFW prevailed on the majority of the claims, and the judge found the analysis in the EIR to be sound. CDFW stands behind its restoration project, releasing this statement:
“This restoration project remains the best mechanism to revitalize the Ballona Wetlands for many future generations of Angelenos. It will bring outdoor space for connection with nature to a city center where it is deeply needed.”
CDFW will adjust their timeline for the flood control analysis to satisfy the court order before proceeding with the full-scale restoration. We will have more details about the timeline and outcomes after the judge issues his final order on June 29th.
Unfortunately, groups opposing the Ballona Restoration are taking advantage of the complexities of CEQA to stall the project as they have done for decades.
Their concerns, however, were incorporated into the EIR's analysis years ago. Twelve alternatives were analyzed, including the litigants' preferred freshwater-only and without earthmoving alternatives. The EIR found that these alternatives were not reasonable given current conditions and constraints, and would not meet the goal of restoring wetlands by repairing the hydrology and topography. FBW also submitted an alternative to have the major roads raised, which was denied due to cost.
Alternative 1, the certified plan, is a compromise between many differing viewpoints. As with any compromise, no one gets everything they want, but we will all benefit from an ecologically improved coastal wetland. In the face of sea level rise and ongoing habitat loss we must move forward. Los Angeles needs this restoration. It’s time to stop arguing about how. Twenty years of meetings, scientific studies, and planning is more than enough, we have all had our say. The longer we hold back the creek, the more the wetlands degrade and disappear.
It’s time to Bring Back Ballona!
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