Bill Text: CA SCR101 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Los Angeles River revitalization.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-0)

Status: (Passed) 2012-08-31 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Res. Chapter 106, Statutes of 2012. [SCR101 Detail]

Download: California-2011-SCR101-Introduced.html

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BILL NUMBER: SCR 101	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Pavley
   (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Fuentes)
   (Coauthors: Senators De León, Lieu, Liu, and Lowenthal)
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Blumenfield, Butler, Gatto, and
Portantino)

                        JUNE 26, 2012

   Relative to the Los Angeles River revitalization.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SCR 101, as introduced, Pavley. Los Angeles River revitalization.
   This measure would declare that the Legislature honors and
commends the commitment, energy, vision, and leadership demonstrated
by local, regional, state, and federal government agencies, as well
as nonprofit and civic groups, organizations, and associations, in
the creation of parks and the restoration of natural habitats along
the Los Angeles River and its San Fernando Valley tributaries.
   Fiscal committee: no.



   WHEREAS, The history of the City of Los Angeles and the County of
Los Angeles and the surrounding environs is intimately tied to the
Los Angeles River, as the river provided fresh water to the Tongva
and Tataviam living near it for thousands of years, and to the
Spanish who established the city's earliest settlements next to the
river for the same reason; and
   WHEREAS, The San Fernando Valley is surrounded by the Santa Monica
Mountains, the Santa Susana Mountains, the San Gabriel Mountains,
the Simi Hills, and the Verdugo Hills; and
   WHEREAS, The runoff from these mountains flows through the many
miles of the Los Angeles River's tributaries in the San Fernando
Valley, including the Tujunga, Pacoima, and Verdugo Washes, and the
Arroyo Seco; and
   WHEREAS, The headwaters of the Los Angeles River are in Canoga
Park at the confluence of Bell Creek and the Arroyo Calabasas, and
the river then flows east through the San Fernando Valley to the
Glendale Narrows as it flows toward the Pacific Ocean; and
   WHEREAS, There are numerous significant local, state, and federal
parks, protected wildlife habitat and mountain wilderness areas,
bikeways, trails, and other open space that connect to or are near
the Los Angeles River and its major tributaries throughout the San
Fernando Valley, including the Juan Bautista de Anza National
Historic Trail, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area,
the Rim of the Valley corridor and trail system, the Sepulveda Basin
Recreation Area, and the Tujunga Wash Greenway; and
   WHEREAS, Strong flooding, particularly in 1914, 1934, and 1938,
necessitated the creation of the Los Angeles Flood Control District
in 1915, and led to its ongoing partnership with the United States
Army Corps of Engineers to effectively manage and control the river's
flood waters; and
   WHEREAS, Encasing the Los Angeles River in concrete for flood
protection permitted dense urbanization of surrounding areas, but
caused the river to be effectively cut off from surrounding
communities and destroyed large areas of native riparian and adjacent
habitat; and
   WHEREAS, Pioneering work by numerous public agencies, community
and environmental organizations, and many individuals has envisioned
a different future for the Los Angeles River, and this work has
resulted in the County of Los Angeles' Los Angeles River Master Plan
in 1996 and the City of Los Angeles' Los Angeles River Revitalization
Master Plan in 2007; and
   WHEREAS, The Obama administration has made a priority of the Los
Angeles River through its 2011 designation of the river as the United
States Environmental Protection Agency Region IX project for the
Urban Water Federal Partnership, and its 2012 designation as part of
the President's America's Great Outdoors Initiative; and
   WHEREAS, The United States Environmental Protection Agency's July
2010 designation of the Los Angeles River as a "traditional navigable
water" under the federal Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Sec. 1251 et
seq.) emphasizes the river's potential to provide recreational
opportunities; and
   WHEREAS, The revitalization plans call for reestablishing the Los
Angeles River as a focal point for the over nine million people
living in, as well as visitors to, the surrounding communities, with
a continuous greenway and trail system forming a vital link between
people, neighborhoods, cities, and the region; and
   WHEREAS, The revitalization plans call for enhancing multibenefit
flood control and improving water quality in the Los Angeles River
through restoring a functional, connected ecosystem with safe public
access to the river and through providing open space, recreational
opportunities, and artistic, cultural, educational, and environmental
features; and
   WHEREAS, A revitalized Los Angeles River will foster civic pride,
promote social justice, generate economic activity and tourism, and
improve the quality of life in the communities surrounding the river;
and
   WHEREAS, Revitalization of the Los Angeles River has begun in the
San Fernando Valley, through the leadership of the Santa Monica
Mountains Conservancy and others, with a diverse array of parks and
natural habitat restoration along the river, as well as its
tributaries, and these areas provide important recreational
opportunities, water quality improvements, and other environmental
enhancements and a sense of community along the river; and
   WHEREAS, Creating and fostering linkages between the existing and
planned parks, open space, habitat, trails, and greenways along the
Los Angeles River and its tributaries in the San Fernando Valley is
necessary to achieve the full revitalization of the river and
communities along its length, and will require coordination and
cooperation between communities, government agencies, and the private
sector; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature honors and commends the
commitment, energy, vision, and leadership demonstrated by local,
regional, state, and federal governments, and government agencies, as
well as nonprofit and civic groups, organizations, and associations,
in the creation of parks and the restoration of natural habitats
along the Los Angeles River and its San Fernando Valley tributaries;
and be it further
   Resolved, That revitalization of the Los Angeles River will create
public access to the river's trails and greenways and improve
mobility to the residents and communities of, and visitors to, the
San Fernando Valley and this multibenefit solution will
simultaneously improve flood control and water quality; and be it
further
   Resolved, That a connected San Fernando Valley network of parks,
mountain wilderness areas, bikeways, trails, habitat, and open space
is achievable with linkages along the Los Angeles River and its
tributaries; and be it further
   Resolved, That a priority should be placed on the integration,
coordination, and physical connectivity between Los Angeles River
revitalization projects and existing features, including local,
state, and federal trails, paths, parks, and open space, in order to
achieve the maximum ecological, recreational, cultural, nonmotorized
transportation, and educational opportunities possible in order to
improve the quality of life and the valley communities to the
greatest extent possible; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this
resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.