Tomorrow (that’s right, the Ides of March when Julius Caesar was assassinated), I’ll be mailing this postcard to Donald Trump protesting his abuse of our public lands. It reads simply, “Hands off national parks, public lands, national monuments and the federal employees who protect and maintain them.”
President Donald Trump
White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500
Pretty simple. Please join me and thousands of others in this simple way to voice your opposition. Don’t wait until your national park vacation to find out it’s different this year.
The Forest Service has released its draft Piru Creek Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive River Management Plan (CRMP) and is inviting public comments by March 31, 2024. This plan will be the legal framework for management of Piru Creek for decades and must, by law, protect the creek’s free-flowing character and “outstandingly remarkable” values.
BACKGROUND:
Located in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, Piru Creek originates in the Sespe Wilderness on the Los Padres National Forest. The creek is a rare free-flowing waterway draining the dry mountains of southern California. The creek provides unique recreation opportunities and supports several threatened and endangered wildlife species.
For years, CalWild and many other organizations and activists have pressed the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to expand protection of Piru Creek by recognizing its many natural and cultural values as outstandingly remarkable. Unfortunately, the Forest Service has a long history of opposition to protecting the creek downstream of Pyramid Dam.
In response to continued advocacy by CalWild and others, the USFS has now determined in the draft Plan and its accompanying resources report that the creek possesses the following outstandingly remarkable values: scenery, fish, and geology.
Still, the USFS refuses to identify an outstandingly remarkable recreation value for Piru Creek, even though the stream offers a rare opportunity in southern California for class III-V whitewater kayaking and catch and release trout fishing. In addition, Frenchman’s Flat on the recreation segment of the creek is a popular low-cost swimming destination for local communities, many of which are communities of color.
For a more extensive version of this alert, click here.
TAKE ACTION!
Either submit the form letter below to comment on the draft Plan by the March 31 deadline, or write your own letter using the example for talking points. Be sure to include any personal experience you may have enjoyed recreating in Piru Creek.
To submit an electronic comment by the March 31 deadline, go to: https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public//CommentInput?Project=58710. Fill in the required contact information and cut and paste your comments in the Letter Text box provided. You can also mail a hard copy of your comments by March 31.
If you have any questions about this alert, feel free to contact Steve Evans, CalWild Rivers Director, email:sevans@calwild.org, phone: (916) 708-3155.
SAMPLE LETTER
Supervisor Roman Torres
Angeles National Forest
701 North Santa Anita Avenue
Arcadia, CA 91006
Attn: Piru Creek CRMP
Dear Supervisor Torres:
Thank you for determining in the Piru Creek Comprehensive River Management Plan that the designated segment of Piru Creek possesses outstanding scenery, fish, and geology values. However, I urge you to include the creek’s rare and unique recreational opportunities as a specific outstandingly remarkable value protected in the Plan.
Piru Creek between Pyramid Dam and Piru Reservoir provides a rare opportunity for class III-IV whitewater kayaking in a truly wild setting, all just an hour drive from Los Angeles.
In addition, the trackless Wild segment of Piru Creek offers a rare but easily accessible canyoneering experience, while Frenchman’s Flat upstream is a popular family recreation destination for local communities of color to seek respite from the summer heat. A short segment of the creek is also one of only two catch and release trout streams in southern California and is popular with anglers.
I urge you to recognize Piru Creek’s outstanding recreational value. I support the proposed and potential future management actions in the draft CRMP and urge the U.S. Forest Service to complete its visitor use capacity analysis as soon as possible.
Trout Unlimited is leading efforts to sign as many people on to this new petition as possible, shooting for 50,000 signers. This petition will be delivered by sportfishing representatives from Bristol Bay when they go back to Washington to lobby President Trump and members of Congress later this spring.
TU has rolled out their new petition calling on the president to stop Pebble altogether. As the permitting process nears completion in the next six months, the decision is going to come down to Trump and his administration. It is imperative that he hear from all of us (especially moderate and conservative sportsmen and women) that we need him to intervene to stop Pebble before it’s too late.
Are you motivated to push back against the tide of environmental rollbacks? Would you like to be part of a campaign that works to build a more resilient water future?
FOR is seeking motivated, gritty folks who want to train as organizers, be part of a Point Positive campaign and get an inside look into California water issues. There is no right age, just the right time for you. RATS can be working parents, retired professionals, students seeking more career experience or someone looking to take action on the value of community and action.
We have two important opportunities to help the recovery of steelhead in Southern California coming up FAST!We lost another one last week to starvation, and the impacts of the drought have continued. These fish need desperate help NOW!
Restoration of damaged habitats for our struggling native species is as important as anything. Look at the amazing job that was done at the Carmel River Restoration Project. Thank you, Chris
DUE FRIDAY BY 5 p.m.!!!! Rindge Dam Removal
Below I am forwarding an email from Jamie King of State Parks who is hoping that we can provide comments to the Coastal Commission on the upcoming review of the Rindge Dam Removal Project. Please take a look at the plan if you have not already, and take a moment to send in your thoughts. Support for this will be super helpful!
Hi, thanks for all your hard work. My concern is that all this habitat restoration will ideally occur but the rising temperatures in SoCal might mean that the water will be too warm to sustain the steelhead? Just a thought. Wondering about what maximum water temps are for those beautiful fish.
Meeting on Tuesday 6 February 6-8 p.m.
On another front, I am attaching the media release sent out by State Parks regarding on going visitor services at Topanga Lagoon.
We have an opportunity on Tuesday, Feb. 6, to share our thoughts about the restoration of Topanga Lagoon. State Parks is holding a public meeting at the Santa Monica Civic Center to get input on concessions. The RCDSMM has worked for years with State Parks to obtain funds needed for the next steps of lagoon restoration, and these funds could be available soon.
The RCDSMM supports prioritizing lagoon restoration as envisioned by the Topanga State Park General Plan (2012). Any concessions/leases located in the proposed footprint of the lagoon restoration should be conditioned so that restoration planning and implementation can begin within 5 years.
Please take a look at the General Plan (found at parks.ca.gov) and either come to the meeting to speak, or send an email with your thoughts about the priority of lagoon restoration and how visitor services can supplement that vision in the General Plan to Angeles District Superintendent Craig Sap at craig.sap@parks.ca.govand/or Suzanne Good at sgood@parks.ca.gov.
Thanks so much for your help in responding to these fast moving requests for input. Your voice is important!
Please feel free to spread the word! For the fish, Rosi
Hello Friends of the Rindge Dam Removal Project,
Our project goes in front of the California Coastal Commission on 2/7 for a CCC Consistency Determination. As we had hoped, the Locally Preferred Plan (CA State Park preferred plan) is the option that has been selected by the USACE and California State Parks and was supported by the vast majority of public commenters.
We invite you to show your support for the project either by sending comments in to the CCC Commissioners by 5 pm this Friday, AND/OR attending in person.
Edits to the FEIR/EIS and responses to comments are ongoing and we are looking to wrap that up in the next two months, and have the document sent up the state and federal chains for review and approval.
With thanks for all your support during this project, Jamie
“MONUMENT COMMENTS FLOOD IN: The comment period on Interior’s review of nearly two dozen national monuments closed Monday and environmentalists and public lands advocates are boasting of millions submitted comments in support of keeping the monuments exactly as they are. The Center for Biological Diversity said a survey of “dozens” of organizations found 2.5 million comments in favor of the monuments, while the Center for Western Priorities released an analysis claiming a random sample of 1,000 comments showed 98 percent in favor of existing monuments. Many organizations appear to have submitted comments on each individual national monument under review, such as the Sierra Club’s here. More than 200 outdoor business leaders asked Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to “maintain the national treasures Presidents of both parties have protected” and “defend the integrity of the monument-making process.”
Many of you have heard me speak about the Rindge Dam removal. Well now is the time I need you to help me!
Please take a few moments to email a message to the US Army Corp of Engineers expressing support for the Rindge Dam removal project on Malibu Creek. The Environmental Impact Statement and Feasibility Study are outMalibu LPP Placemat_v5 28FEB17 for public comment and now is the time to go on record. Specifically address support for the Locally Preferred Plan (LPP Alt2B2), described in the attachment and link, which removes the entire concrete dam structure and barges the sand and other materials to areas that will benefit it the most. The LPP Alt 2B2 is favored by the local resource agencies and I am choosing to support it. I hope you join me.
Please send a quick email supporting LPP Alt2B2 to
Eduardo T. Demesa
Chief, Planning Division
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District
ATTN: Mr. Jesse Ray (CESPL-PDR-L)
915 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 930
Los Angeles, California 90017
Your clubs can send in a message, your members can send in a message, all expressing the desire to see the dam removed and miles of habitat opened up for spawning and early growth. This anadromous fish is an endangered species that only 60-70 years ago flourished in our local waters. We can help them recover by taking the time to express your concern for the future of this wonderful fish and support for LPP Alt 2B2.
Beautiful canyons such as this one dot the San Gabriel Mountains.
L.A. transportation projects are the big winners in President Obama’s budget, while the L.A. River is left out, according to today’s piece in the Los Angeles Times. The article quotes Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) saying that the “president provided no support for widening and restoring the Los Angeles River.”
Meanwhile, tomorrow a diverse group will speak to a joint U.S. House and Senate hearing about the current effort to restore parts of the Clean Water Act. The Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers have proposed a rule to restore protections to small streams and wetlands that contribute to drinking water. You can read more about “Waters of the United States” here.
According to the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, 2 million miles of streams are without guaranteed protection from pollution, and those streams, in turn, provide drinking, swimming and fishing water to one in three Americans.
Bird’s eye view: Inside a storm drain, safe for kids, one of the many improvements made at the North Atwater Creek Pocket Park. (Jim Burns)
The City of Los Angeles is busy presenting the proposed 2013 Los Angeles River Recreational Zone Pilot Program for Glendale Narrows with the second meeting occurring right now at City Hall. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend, but will post when the final meeting is to occur, sometime next month. The idea is to get public comment on a plan to open up recreation within that approximately seven-mile stretch of our river.
I’ve read the pilot program and all you kayakers out there should be pretty excited. If passed, the proposal would mean that individual non-motorized boaters would be able to launch from North Atwater Park, Steelhead Park and Marsh Park, from Memorial Day through Labor Day, when there is very little chance of a flood from torrential rain. That also means you could be fly fishing from your kayak as well, because the proposal also calls for fishing, bird watching and hiking. Swimming would still be a no-no. And float tubes are just plain impractical because of low water.
Dept. of Fish and Wildlife regs would then apply in the river.
I really wonder what this would mean for the eradication of carp in the river, as the U.S. Army Corps views it as an invasive species, even though carp have been resident for decades.
From the report: On Aug. 28, 2012, Governor Brown signed Senate Bill 1201, which amended the Los Angeles Flood Control Act “to provide for public use of navigable waterways under the district’s control that are suitable for recreational and educational purposes, when these purposes are not inconsistent with the use thereof by the district for flood control and water conservation.”
Here is a call to action to Brad Sherman, as well as independent action from another activist blogger. Please do copy/paste this letter and send it to the newly elected congressman.
See you on the river, Jim Burns
By Rosi Dagit
Chris York
Bob Blankenship
Thea Boyanowsky
lariverflyfishing 