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Land on Bishop Peak to Be Acquired Want to Own a Path to the Beach? Find out How You Can Southern California Wetland Planning Initiatives |
TO ACCELERATE THE PACE and effectiveness of coastal wetland restoration, state and federal agencies with wetland responsibilities are joining forces through the Southern California Wetlands Clearinghouse, which is soon to be established by formal agreement. The goal is to work together with wetland managers, scientists, and the public in establishing priorities for acquisition, restoration, and enhancement objectives, and in securing the necessary funds. The Clearinghouse will use the Southern California Coastal Wetlands Inventory, now available on the Internet, as its principal planning tool. This inventory describes 41 coastal wetlands between Point Conception and the Mexican border and contains historical and current maps, descriptive profiles, and annotated bibliographies. Questions the inventory may help to answer include: Where are coastal wetlands today, and who owns them? What kinds of plant and animal communities do they support? What is the use of adjacent lands and associated watersheds? What is the source and quality of the water? What has been done to protect the wetlands? Where are the data gaps? The Inventory can be accessed through the web sites of either the Conservancy: www.coastalconservancy.ca.gov; or the Resources Agency: www.ceres.ca.gov. The Clearinghouse consists of a governing board of top agency administrators, chaired by the Secretary of Resources, and is staffed by the Coastal Conservancy. Members include the Resources Agency; Coastal Commission; Coastal Conservancy; Department of Fish and Game; California Environmental Protection Agency; State Lands Commission; the Regional Water Quality Control Boards of the Central Coast, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, and San Diego; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and National Marine Fisheries Service. Citizens and organizations with interests in southern California wetlands (in Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego Counties) are invited to participate in the planning process. Contact Joan Hartmann, public outreach coordinator for the Clearinghouse, 150 South Muirfield Road, Los Angeles, CA 90004; phone: (213) 938-5530; FAX: (213) 954-9907; e-mail: jrhartmann@aol.com. |
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