Embedded Files
Summary Statement of Conservation Objectives
Summary Statement of Conservation Objectives
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Sustainable City pLAn includes a goal to develop a City Biodiversity Strategy in 2017. This process will include working with an Expert Council to identify indices to measure biodiversity and develop a baseline LA Biodiversity Index. Following the index, and working with stakeholders, the Mayor’s Office and city departments will recommend policies and practices to protect and enhance biodiversity throughout the region.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Sustainable City pLAn includes a goal to develop a City Biodiversity Strategy in 2017. This process will include working with an Expert Council to identify indices to measure biodiversity and develop a baseline LA Biodiversity Index. Following the index, and working with stakeholders, the Mayor’s Office and city departments will recommend policies and practices to protect and enhance biodiversity throughout the region.
The Sustainable City pLAn is a comprehensive actionable directive that sets sustainability targets for the environment, the economy, and social equity. Progress is coordinated by the Mayor’s Office and chief sustainability officers in the city’s departments.
The Sustainable City pLAn is a comprehensive actionable directive that sets sustainability targets for the environment, the economy, and social equity. Progress is coordinated by the Mayor’s Office and chief sustainability officers in the city’s departments.
The Urban Ecosystem element of the pLAn sets goals for the protection and support of biodiversity, including:
The Urban Ecosystem element of the pLAn sets goals for the protection and support of biodiversity, including:
● Convene an expert council to develop soil health and “no-net-loss” biodiversity strategy for the City
● Convene an expert council to develop soil health and “no-net-loss” biodiversity strategy for the City
● Complete tree and tree-canopy registry to document LA’s urban forest and direct new planting to neighborhoods most in need
● Complete tree and tree-canopy registry to document LA’s urban forest and direct new planting to neighborhoods most in need
● Reduce rodenticide use by the city and pilot non toxic alternatives
● Reduce rodenticide use by the city and pilot non toxic alternatives
● Update watershed-protection policies to include enhanced stream protection
● Update watershed-protection policies to include enhanced stream protection
Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz had previously spearheaded several efforts to preserve local biodiversity in a city that has been best known for its smog, freeways, and conspicuous consumption, but was quickly becoming famous for its Hollywood mountain lion, P-22. These efforts included moving city departments away from using rodenticides, particularly in wildlife areas such as Griffith Park, requiring all native plant landscaping surrounding the West LA Expo Line Light Rail stations, increasing enforcement of wildlife protections in the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Area, inserting into the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s turf removal rebate program requirements to improve watershed health, soil health and spread the use of native plants and therefore pollinator and bird habitat, and establishing a wildlife corridor pilot project between Griffith Park and the 405 freeway. When he realized these efforts were part of a larger overall picture, he launched his #BiodiversifyLA campaign, an effort to establish and adopt a Los Angeles-specific City Index, to count and catalog the biodiversity in the city, and instill among city departments an ethic of biodiversity protection in all the city’s actions.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz had previously spearheaded several efforts to preserve local biodiversity in a city that has been best known for its smog, freeways, and conspicuous consumption, but was quickly becoming famous for its Hollywood mountain lion, P-22. These efforts included moving city departments away from using rodenticides, particularly in wildlife areas such as Griffith Park, requiring all native plant landscaping surrounding the West LA Expo Line Light Rail stations, increasing enforcement of wildlife protections in the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Area, inserting into the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s turf removal rebate program requirements to improve watershed health, soil health and spread the use of native plants and therefore pollinator and bird habitat, and establishing a wildlife corridor pilot project between Griffith Park and the 405 freeway. When he realized these efforts were part of a larger overall picture, he launched his #BiodiversifyLA campaign, an effort to establish and adopt a Los Angeles-specific City Index, to count and catalog the biodiversity in the city, and instill among city departments an ethic of biodiversity protection in all the city’s actions.
Driver(s) of Conservation Efforts
Driver(s) of Conservation Efforts
In 2012, Angelenos became aware of the presence of an apex predator living in Griffith Park, the city’s six square mile urban wildlife area. A mountain lion, P-22, had apparently crossed not just one but two major freeways (the 405 and the 101) to reach his destination. The city’s obsession with P-22 has lasted through his bout with mange due to exposure to rodenticide, his taking up residence under a house, and his dining on one of the zoo’s koala bears, who had an unfortunate resemblance to a raccoon. This arrival coincided with Councilmember Paul Koretz’s hiring the only city council staffer to work specifically on environmental policy. The staffer built a coalition of environmental organizations, neighborhood councils and universities in the area to move city policy, including CLAW (Citizens for Los Angeles Wildlife), Sierra Club, the Nature Conservancy, the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, UCLA, USC, CSUN, Loyola Marymount University, and, together, in a strong partnership with Mayor Garcetti’s sustainability team, has been steadily working to enhance biodiversity and protect P-22. Also, in a similar timeframe, UCLA launched its Sustainable LA Grand Challenge, which includes biodiversity and ecosystem health and the Nature Conservancy and the Natural History Museum have moved forward a joint educational and stakeholder effort on biodiversity
In 2012, Angelenos became aware of the presence of an apex predator living in Griffith Park, the city’s six square mile urban wildlife area. A mountain lion, P-22, had apparently crossed not just one but two major freeways (the 405 and the 101) to reach his destination. The city’s obsession with P-22 has lasted through his bout with mange due to exposure to rodenticide, his taking up residence under a house, and his dining on one of the zoo’s koala bears, who had an unfortunate resemblance to a raccoon. This arrival coincided with Councilmember Paul Koretz’s hiring the only city council staffer to work specifically on environmental policy. The staffer built a coalition of environmental organizations, neighborhood councils and universities in the area to move city policy, including CLAW (Citizens for Los Angeles Wildlife), Sierra Club, the Nature Conservancy, the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, UCLA, USC, CSUN, Loyola Marymount University, and, together, in a strong partnership with Mayor Garcetti’s sustainability team, has been steadily working to enhance biodiversity and protect P-22. Also, in a similar timeframe, UCLA launched its Sustainable LA Grand Challenge, which includes biodiversity and ecosystem health and the Nature Conservancy and the Natural History Museum have moved forward a joint educational and stakeholder effort on biodiversity
Basic Statistics
Basic Statistics
Land area of region: 503 sq-miles
Population: 3,971,883
Proportion of privately owned v publicly owned land in the region: 58% private, 42% public including roads
Image Credits
Image Credits
Puma - National Park Service, with permission; LA Council Member Paul Koretz at wildlife press conference - Andy Shrader
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