Politics & Government

Board of Supervisors Sets Aside $650,000 for Woodlands Restoration

Antonovich extends an olive branch, but protesters still call for investigation into Department of Public Works' handling of project.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a motion put forth by Supervisor Michael Antonovich that sets aside $650,000 of L.A. County Flood Control District (LACFCD) funds for the creation of an oak woodland habitat on top of the lower Santa Anita Sediment Placement Site (SPS).

In addition, the motion establishes a working group made up of community representatives to provide guidance to the LACFCD as they restore the lower SPS as well as creating a regional task force assigned with vetting alternatives to future LACFCD’s sediment management plans.

The move comes after construction started last Wednesday on the Santa Anita Dam Riser Modification and Reservoir Sediment Removal Project, which has removed 11 acres of pristine oak woodlands that were located in the middle SPS.

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Prominent opponents of the county plan Camron Stone, Glen Owens, David Czamanske and Laurie Gould showed up to the meeting and spoke before the Board.

During his comments, Stone called for the motion to be reworded, changing the term “revegetation” to “native plant restoration.” Stone also called for an independent investigation to be conducted into the L.A. County’s Department of Public Works (DPW), which he called a “rogue agency.”

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The Board agreed to change the phrasing but did not respond to Stone’s request for an investigation. After the meeting Owens and Stone thought chances were good that Supervisor Antonovich would look into it.

“Antonovich doesn’t want this to happen again,” Stone said.

Tony Bell, communcations deputy for Supervisor Antonovich, told Patch that nothing had been ruled out and that Antonovich was considering an investigation. 

Stone, along with “tree sitters” John Quigley, Julia Posin and Andrea Bowers, first called for an investigation during a Tuesday morning press conference outside the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration before the Board meeting.

Owens, the planning commissioner of Monrovia who has been a vocal opponent of the county’s project, also spoke during the conference which was attended by about a dozen fellow protesters and several members of the media.

“As tragic as the loss of the woodlands is, if [the Board of Supervisors] deny the public’s right to know what happened that is a far worse grievance,” Owens said in an interview with Patch following the press conference.

Owens and Stone both expressed interest in joining the community group that Antonovich’s motion sets up.

Czamanske, Vice-Chair of the Pasadena Sierra Club, also attended the press conference. He told Patch he would be reaching out to Supervisors Mark Ridley-Thomas and Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky regarding an investigation into the DPW.

Manhattan Beach resident Susan Rudnicki was on hand to support the woodlands cause but she said she doubted any investigation would happen.

But "tree sitter" Quigley remained hopeful.

“[The Board of Supervisors] work for us. We have to keep pushing until we get some justice.”


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