SCC 1/2012 to 3/2012: More coastal land purchases....

State Buying 1709 acres on our Coastline

From the agenda of the State's Coastal Conservancy in January and March of 2012

http://scc.ca.gov/webmaster/ftp/pdf/sccbb/2012/1201/index.htm

http://scc.ca.gov/webmaster/ftp/pdf/sccbb/2012/1203/index.htm

PROPERTIES ARE IN SONOMA, LOS ANGELES, HUMBOLDT, AND MARIN COUNTIES

modify deal involving the 495-acre Bordessa Ranch property on the Estero Americano in western Sonoma County. Coastal Conservancy-1/19/2012

$6,250,000 for engineering, hydrologic analyses, geotechnical assessments, and public access design and further authorization to disburse up to $240,000 to the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Foundation for data collection and technical review to support environmental impact analysis and permit applications for the restoration of the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve in Los Angeles County. Coastal Conservancy-1/19/2012

$2.92 million to the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority to purchase 5 contiguous undeveloped lots on Las Tunas Beach, Los Angeles County, for the purpose of providing public access to the coast. Coastal Conservancy 3/29/2012

$223,600 to the Northcoast Regional Land Trust to acquire the 20-acre Freshwater Farms Nursery, Humboldt County for the purposes of protecting and restoring habitat and agricultural lands, and providing public access. Coastal Conservancy-1/19/2012

$1,000,000 for the acquisition of agricultural conservation easements over the 1,194-acre Barboni Ranch in Marin County. Coastal Conservancy 3/29/2012

 Barboni Ranch in Marin County--click on map to enlarge

SMMC-MRCA 2/15/2012 to 4/23/2012

Mountain Park Agency Seeks to Buy another 225 acres of the Topanga Summit to Summit trail---would virtually complete ring of parkland surrounding the iconic canyon on L.A.’s Wild Side

Topanga, Summit-to-Summit/Henry Ridge Motorway Parcel Acquisition to include APNs 2080-013-001, 003, 007 and 008; and 4436-023-002, unincorporated County of Los Angeles. [Map ] [Staff Report]   MRCA 3/14/2012

The Summit to Summit motorway is a wide dirt road with virtually no houses that separates Topanga canyon from the San Fernando Valley. Due to its width, the road is a favorite of mountain bikers.

OTHER ITEMS PULLED FROM THE PARK AGENCY MEETING AGENDAS FOR FEBRUARY TO APRIL OF 2012:

L.A CITY PORTION OF SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS:

comment letter to City of Los Angeles on Forest Lawn Memorial Park Hollywood Hills Master Plan Final Environmental Impact Report (sch No. 2008111048), Hollywood. [Resolution] [attachment 1] [map 1] [map 2] [map 3] [attachment 2] [attachment 3] [Staff Report] SMMC 2-27-2012

comment letter to the City of Los Angeles on the proposed project at 2775 Cahuenga Boulevard (apn 5549-003-004), Case No. Aa 2012-707-wtm, Mulholland Scenic Corridor, City of Los Angeles. [Comment Letter] [Resolution] [Attachment] [Map] [Map 2] SMMC 4-23-2012

Laurel Canyon and Mulholland Land Acquisition Project grant application. [Resolution] [Map] [Comment Letter] SMMC 4-23-2012

acquisition of conservation easements on portions of APNs 5565-003-036, 037, 039, 040 and 041, Laurel Canyon, City of Los Angeles. [Staff Report] [Resolution]   MRCA 3/14/2012

application for grant funds for the Laurel Canyon and Mulholland Acquisition Project, Laurel Canyon, City of Los Angeles. [Staff Report] [Resolution] [Attachment]   MRCA 3/14/2012

comment letter to the City of Los Angeles on the San Vicente Communications Tower project, San Vicente Mountain Park, 17500 Mulholland Drive. [attachment 1] [attachment 2] [attachment 3] [attachment 4] [attachment 5] [attachment 6] [Resolution ] [Comment Letter] SMMC 2-27-2012

comment letter to the City of Los Angeles regarding proposed residential development and subdivision on 20367 Delita Drive, Chalk Hills, Woodland Hills. [Resolution] [Map] [Photograph] [Comment Letter] SMMC 4-23-2012

sale of either a slope easement or a temporary construction easement on APN 2166-013-900 and entering into a maintenance agreement for said easement area with the owner of APN 2166-013-014, Woodland Hills. [Staff Report] [Map 1] [Map 2] [Resolution] [Attachment 1] [Attachment 2] [Attachment 3] MRCA 2-15-2012

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SIMI HILLS:

comment letter to California Department of Transportation on US 101/Palo Comado Interchange Project Final Draft IS/EA. [Resolution] [attachment 1] [attachment 2] [attachment 3] [attachment 4] [Comment Letter] SMMC 2-27-2012

comment letter to California Department of Transportation and the City of Calabasas on the Lost Hills Road/US-101 Overcrossing Replacement and Interchange Modification Project Initial Study with Proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration/Environmental Assessment. [Resolution] [attachment 1] [attachment 2] [attachment 3] [attachment 4] [Comment Letter] SMMC 2-27-2012

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SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS:

comment letter to the City of Los Angeles on proposed Mount Lukens Communications Tower, 5150 Mount Lukens Road, Tujunga and Verdugo Peak Communications Tower, 1658 Vista Drive, Glendale. [Comment Letter] [Attachment 1] [Attachment 2] [Map ] [Resolution] SMMC 4-23-2012

management of the newly acquired Big Tujunga Canyon park property. [Staff Report] SMMC 4-23-2012

Lopez Canyon riparian habitat restoration and creation project, unincorporated Los Angeles County. [Staff Report] [Resolution] [Map] SMMC 4-23-2012

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L.A. RIVER:

grant of Proposition 84 funds to the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority for project planning and design of the Pacoima Wash Greenway-El Dorado Park, City of Los Angeles. [Staff Report] [Resolution] [attachment] SMMC 2-27-2012

Albion Dairy Project grant application. [Comment Letter] [Resolution] SMMC 4-23-2012

acceptance of an easement over a portion of APN 5442-031-043 for ingress and egress and utilities, adjacent to Marsh Park, from LA River Lofts, LLC, a California limited liability company. [Staff Report] [Resolution] MRCA 4-4-2012

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BALLONA CREEK:

adopting greenway Project Plan and a Youth Employment Plan for the Ballona Creek to Parks Connection Loop project funded by the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District. [Staff Report] [Resolution] [Attachment 1] [Attachment 2]   MRCA 3/14/2012

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ASSORTED MALIBU AND WESTERN SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS:

preparation of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area trail management plan and joint eir/eis. [Staff Report] [Resolution] [Attachment] SMMC 4-23-2012

[Staff Report] [Resolution] [Attachment] MRCA 4-4-2012

Memorandum of Understanding with the Linkage Implementation Alliance (lia) addressing habitat connectivity between the Angeles and Los Padres National Forests and the Santa Monica Mountains. [Resolution] [Attachment 1] [Attachment 2] [Map] [Staff Report]  SMMC 4-23-2012

Lechuza Beach, acceptance of the following offer to dedicate a lateral access easement: 5-85-533 (Reiker), Malibu. [Staff Report] [Resolution] [Map] MRCA 3/14/2012

Lechuza Beach, transfer of an easement to the owners of 31820 Seafield Drive, Malibu on and over approximately 1200 sq. feet of a portion of Lot A, City of Malibu. [Staff Report] [Resolution] [Map] MRCA 3/14/2012 

Carbon Canyon, acceptance of a donation of APN 4453-016-008 and portions of 4453-020-008, totaling approximately 13 acres, unincorporated Malibu area. [Staff Report] [Resolution] [Map 1] [Map 2] MRCA 3/14/2012 

Las Tunas Beach--acceptance of a grant from the State Coastal Conservancy to acquire APNs 4449-007-013 to and including 017. [Staff Report] [Resolution] [Map]   MRCA 3/14/2012

[Staff Report] [Resolution] [Map ] MRCA 3/14/2012

YOU CAN LEAD A HORSE TO WATER…

ExxonMobil Closes Eyes to Big Money Buyout for its Piece of East L.A. County Wildlife and Trail Corridor

from Hills For Everyone, Friends of the Puente Hills Wildlife Corridor
Newsletter No. 26 Spring 2012
http://hillsforeveryone.org

Our effort to preserve the Missing Middle of the Puente-Chino Hills Wildlife Corridor was stalled in late 2011 when Aera Energy and the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) failed to reach agreement on terms for an appraisal. OCTA was in the process of appraising Aera’s land, located north of Brea and south of Rowland Heights. Funding for the appraisal and potential acquisition of the Orange County portion of Aera’s land would have come from Renewed Measure M, Orange County’s transportation sales tax. This funding source already secured important natural lands next to Chino Hills State Park in 2011. These funds are intended to mitigate freeway project impacts.

Aera Energy LLC was formed in June 1997 and is jointly owned by affiliates of Shell and ExxonMobil. The company was seeking special treatment paid for by the taxpayers of Orange County. Claiming, on the one hand to not want to take taxpayer money (apparently forgetting the generous federal oil subsidies), this oil company nevertheless wanted to review the taxpayer funded appraisal even before the OCTA committee members had a chance to review it. Aera also wanted the opportunity to then withdraw from the process if it didn’t like the appraised value. It goes without saying (or maybe it doesn’t) that Aera could always have simply rejected any offer to purchase that OCTA might have made. This may have been an unlucky convergence of gamesmanship and the holidays, but for now Aera is out of the running for Renewed Measure M dollars in this first funding cycle.

This is just the latest failure in a string of missteps by Aera. After having successfully leveled the hills on the western edge of Yorba Linda, Aera submitted its plans for the backdrop of Brea and Rowland Heights over 10 years ago. Since the property lies within a designated Significant Ecological Area (SEA) in Los Angeles County’s General Plan, the 3,600 unit project needed approval by the County’s SEA Technical Advisory Committee. When the committee requested major changes to the plan to better avoid harming the rare and disappearing oak and walnut woodlands, Aera withdrew the project in a huff. Five days before Christmas in late 2006 Aera next took its plan to Diamond Bar hoping to be annexed into that city. Part of the new plan included relocating the County owned Diamond Bar Golf Course next to Aera’s housing project and then freeing the City to develop the golf course property into a mall. When even development friendly Diamond Bar couldn’t stomach the massive bulldozing of the hills, conversations between the City and Aera ended in 2008.

For two years Aera has said it plans to resubmit a project to Los Angeles County. At this point they don’t seem to be making too many friends in either Los Angeles or Orange County with their mixed messages. Since funding is available from other sources, one solution is for Aera to hire its own (state approved) appraiser to conduct a valuation at their own cost. This could smooth the way for a sale.