A day at the beach shouldn’t make you sick. It’s a core principle of Heal the Bay and many of our lawmakers deserve our gratitude for reminding others in Washington, D.C. of the importance of water quality testing. We especially want to thank Congressman Henry Waxman for his recent leadership and U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein for their support in the effort to reinstate funding for the BEACH Act grant program at the $9.8 million level. The program, run by the Environmental Protection Agency since its enactment in 2000, helps local governments pay for regular water-quality testing and has tripled the number of beaches monitored for unsafe bacteria levels, now more than 3,600 locations. These funds are crucial to local communities’ ability to pay for consistent monitoring, a critical element for letting the public know when it’s safe to dive into our coastal waters.
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Heal the Bay Blog
Author: Heal the Bay
Sarah Sikich, co-director of Heal the Bay’s science and policy department, celebrates a big win for the Santa Monica Mountains
In a unanimous decision, the California Coastal Commission approved the Santa Monica Mountains Land Use Plan at yesterday’s hearing in Santa Barbara. The Land Use Plan, created by the planning department of L.A. County and Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky’ s office, provides guidance for future development in a critical region of greater Los Angeles.
The plan, which had generated some controversy because of concerns from some landowners, ultimately protects scenic views, water quality, and wild lands in an area enveloped by the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, the largest urban national park in the U.S.
The Plan was endorsed by a wide group of supporters, including Heal the Bay, Los Angeles Waterkeeper, California Coastal Protection Network, Malibu Surfing Association, Mountains Restoration Trust, Surfrider Foundation, Las Virgenes Homeowners Federation, and many residents and equestrian groups from the mountains. Some members of the equestrian community and vineyard developers opposed the plan, arguing that it put undue restrictions on their activities. Each side packed the hearing room, adorned in stickers and buttons showcasing their respective positions
The Land Use Plan outlines the future of the 52,000-acre Santa Monica Mountains Coastal Zone, a region characterized by steep rugged mountains and wildlife ranging from large mountain lions to federally threatened red-legged frogs. It’s also dotted by large estates, ranches, and pockets of communities. Some highlights of the Plan include stream and riparian habitat setback requirements for development, measures to prevent erosion of hillsides and streambanks, policies to prevent polluted runoff and habitat damage from agricultural use in the mountains, and a provision that does not allow for new vineyard development in the mountains.
The provision prohibiting new viticulture drew vocal opposition from some members of the wine community. But, the rugged character of these mountains isn’t compatible with vineyard development. Erosion from soils between rows planted on steep slopes clogs stream habitat upon which newts and frogs depend, and excessive nutrients and pesticide runoff from vineyards can foul water quality.
“You would not plant vineyards in Big Sur, and they shouldn’t be planted in the Santa Monica Mountains,” said Supervisor Yaroslavsky, putting the policy into perspective when he explained the vibrant life and scenic quality of these mountains, which draw in millions of visitors annually. The Plan also grants existing permitted vineyards to remain, and also allows for organic farming in specific regions of the mountains.
The Coastal Commission and Los Angeles County will now work on a parallel path to create the Local Implementation Plan, which determines specific measures to bring the Land Use Plan into effect. That framework is slated for Coastal Commission consideration in June.
Want to learn more about the beautiful Santa Monica Mountain ecoysystem? Join the Stream Team, our citizen scientist program!
We love Earth Month. April is a time of renewal and rejuvenation, a time for millions to reflect on the health of the natural resources on which we all depend. But the reality is that every month is Earth Month for Heal the Bay. Our passionate staff members and dedicated volunteers work hard throughout the year to guard Southern California’s rivers, beaches and oceans. Protecting what you love is a 365 day-a-year job – be it fighting for strong pollution limits, providing hands-on marine education to local students or restoring habitat in degraded waterways.
We don’t take our local beaches and local neighborhoods for granted, and we know you don’t either. Whether you’ve joined one of our beach cleanups, visited our Santa Monica Pier Aquarium or just shared one of our social media posts with your network of friends, you’ve shown a deep commitment to our shorelines and the animals that call it home.
In honor of Earth Month, we’re asking you to go a step further. By committing to a modest monthly gift of $9, you’ll help sustain our work year-round. You’ll also become a card-carrying Heal the Bay Hero.
$9. What can it really get you these days? Maybe we’re biased, but we’re willing to bet you’d prefer a month of clean beaches to buying a single designer cocktail or a movie ticket to the latest vampire meldorama. In appreciation of your gift, we’ll also send you a limited edition t-shirt designed by celebrated local artists Tim Biskup and Florencio Zavala so you can literally wear your love of the ocean on your sleeve. You can also snag a shirt at ZJ’s, Channel Islands Scuba or at this Saturday’s Earth Month Extravaganza at the Santa Monica Pier, while supplies last. Beginning May 1, you’ll be able to purchase shirts via our website!
30 cents a day may not sound like an heroic amount, but recurring gifts from Heal the Bay Heroes will provide us with a reliable stream of funding while allowing donors like you to spread out your charitable giving more manageably throughout the year.
Over the course of the year, your donation would underwrite any of the following:
- Reusable supplies for five volunteer beach cleanups
- Two days of water quality testing at our local rivers
- Training for four volunteers to monitor newly established Marine Protected Areas
- Bus rides and a day of hands-on marine education for 60 underserved students
Your gift today will help us protect the Bay year-round. Who knew becoming a Hero could be as easy as setting aside 30 cents a day?
Thank you!
P.S.–Heal with your hands as well as your wallet! Check out our list of Earth Month goings-on here.
Follow @healthebay on Vine for our ongoing #HtBHero video series
For the past few months, our Santa Monica Pier Aquarium has been graced with its very own in-house curator. Viki Stathopoulos, by day the Outreach Facilitator and Director of Fun at Trash for Teaching, inspires visitors of all ages to imaginatively repurpose discarded materials into whimsical marine-themed works of art — and the results are museum-quality. Thanks to Viki for bringing her contagious (and renewable!) energy to the Aquarium and to Trash for Teaching for providing the raw materials.
We applaud Environment California for organizing California Ocean Day, a statewide celebration that brought Heal the Bay together with other nonprofit ocean advocates, students and business representatives to raise awareness about the ocean while educating Sacramento legislators about pressing environmental issues. Special thanks to Monterey Bay Aquarium for hosting a festive and delicious reception that honored those who’ve helped advance ocean health.
A few of our Ocean Day advocates, Heal the Bay’s Sarah Sikich (far right) and Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (middle)
The folks at apparel company Horny Toad have supported Heal the Bay in many ways over the years, and we’re thrilled to be featured on their website in celebration of World Water Day, coming up March 22nd. They love us for our dedication to improving the health of the ocean – and we love them for their sustainably produced and stylish threads!
A big thank you to Amgen for its donation of equipment and supplies to our Santa Monica Pier Aquarium and water chemistry laboratory. Heal the Bay staff members were invited to visit the Amgen warehouse and pick out useful items…and we came away with a truckload! These much-needed items will be used to analyze water quality in our lab, grow food for Aquarium animals, and create interpretive materials for the Aquarium’s educational program “Who Pollutes?”
Our awesome new crew of Speakers Bureau volunteers enjoyed a delicious dinner – delivered in eco-friendly reusable bags – at their final training session, thanks to Rubio’s. And last but not least, thanks to the City of Santa Monica’s Office of Sustainability and Environment for for providing these volunteers with parking passes.
With tax season upon us, it’s actually a good time to think inside the box. As April 15 approaches, ocean lovers throughout the state now have a chance to support their local beach when they file their returns.
By simply checking a box on your state tax return, you can make a one-time tax-deductible donation to the California Coastal Commission for any amount you choose.
Under the measure sponsored by Torrance-based Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, your contributions will support the Whale Tail Grants Program, doing an ocean of good for underserved kids, ocean-related museum exhibits, habitat cleanups and restoration projects.
So look sharp, feet-draggers: You’ve got a month to pinch those pennies for the Pacific!
There’s nothing fishy about our friends at Ascenta Health, a natural health products company that uses sustainable oil sources for its Omega 3-based products. Ascenta goes the extra distance as a member of 1% for the Planet, an alliance of businesses committed to donating 1% of their annual sales to creating a healthier, greener world. This week the company donated $21,600 to Heal the Bay to support our work on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and sustainable fishing practices.
More kudos: Thanks to new community partner Seasons 52 for pledging support to the world’s largest volunteer day, Coastal Cleanup Day, and a shout out to Macy’s for contributing to one of Heal the Bay’s signature environmental education programs, Key to the Sea.
Ever dream about building a custom home along the Santa Monica Bay shoreline? Well, you soon may get the chance – thanks to the return of Heal the Bay’s Designer Sandcastle Competition! On Saturday, April 26, teams from across the Southland will roll up their sleeves – and pant-legs – to create some truly spectacular sand creations near the Santa Monica Pier. We are now soliciting entries from architectural firms, design shops, entertainment studios, production companies, civic groups, community associations and other organizations.
This special fundraising event is a great way to help support the work of Heal the Bay in protecting our local beaches and oceans, while helping foster morale and esprit d’corps in your company or organization. It’s also a great way to showcase your civic-mindedness and creativity to the general public, which will be invited to view the competition as part of Heal the Bay’s well-attended Earth Month Festival. The sandcastle square-off is the centerpiece of the festival activities near the Pier, which also include our largest beach cleanup of the year, theme events at our Santa Monica Pier Aquarium and a sustainable seafood cooking demonstration.
Space is limited, so please sign up your team today!
Not a card-carrying AIA member? No worries! Our Santa Monica Pier Aquarium and Time Warner Cable’s Connect A Million Minds initative are hosting a Family Sandcastle Competition at noon on the 26th. Anyone with an imagination, shovel and pail can enter. Check in at the Aquarium the morning of the competion!
Today’s Thank You Thursday shout-out goes to all of the amazing organizations that helped to make our Volunteer Party on Monday truly special.
Thank you Bodega Wine Bar for hosting the party again this year. We love the space, the food, and your friendly staff is the best!
We had some awesome raffle items donated this year! Our big ticket items came from ZJ Boarding House, which graciously gave an epic skate deck and two board and wetsuit rentals, along with YogaWorks, with a 6-month membership pass! We were able to reward winning volunteers with cool swag from Poseidon Paddle & Surf, El Porto Surfboards, District Skate Shop, and REI.
The Trapeze School of New York and Perfect Day Surf Camp gave certificates for unforgettable experiences for a couple lucky raffle winners. Thanks to all of our special eats sponsors, Locanda del Lago, Pizza Antica, Hamburger Habit, Pitfire Pizza and Baja Buds, who supplied redeemable gift certificates.
And thank you, Becker’s Bakery, for donating 100 of your star sugar cookies for our volunteers to decorate and enjoy. Our A-List volunteers got the star quality treatment, all thanks to a little help from our friends! Thank you to all of our sponsors for making the evening unforgettable.
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THE ISSUE
Many don’t realize it, but Santa Monica Bay may soon be opened up to oil drilling
The City of Hermosa Beach currently has a moratorium in place that prohibits oil drilling. After years of legal battles, a settlement was reached between E&B Natural Resources and the City of Hermosa Beach that could potentially allow the community to be opened up to oil drilling by putting the moratorium up for reconsideration. Hermosa Beach residents will vote next March on a ballot measure to allow slant-drilling into the Bay. E&B Natural Resources wants to erect an 87-foot drilling rig and up to 34 wells on a 1.3-acre plot in a residential neighborhood, extracting up to 8,000 barrels of oil each day by slant-drilling under the seafloor and surrounding beach communities.
If voters repeal the existing moratorium on drilling, the City would have to pay $3.5 million to E&B, and the company would pursue permitting for the proposed oil drilling operation. If voters uphold the moratorium, drilling would be barred. But the city would have to pay $17.5 million to E&B under a complex settlement brokered by past city councils.
THE PROBLEM
Oil drilling off Hermosa Beach poses significant environmental and economic risks throughout the Bay
An oil spill isn’t restricted to city limits. With nearly 50 million annual visits to Bay beaches and a coastal economy worth over $10 billion, a spill off Hermosa Beach would be a financial and ecologic nightmare for all of Los Angeles. As the Deepwater Horizon disaster showed, it can take years for local ecosystems, economies and psyches to recover from a spill.
Oil drilling off Hermosa Beach would jeopardize public health
With the project site in close proximity to schools, parks, businesses and popular beaches, public health impacts are a major concern. Approximately 49% of the City’s residents live within 1/2 mile of the drilling site. Drilling near homes and pipes placed along busy streets put residents and visitors at risk from explosions, toxic flares and air and noise pollution.
Oil drilling off Hermosa sets a dangerous precedent for further exploitation of our Bay
Thanks to the hard work of Heal the Bay and its partners, there are no oil drilling operations in the Bay. Lifting the moratorium and allowing drilling to proceed in Hermosa is like opening Pandora’s Box. Other oil and gas companies may be emboldened to pursue similar drilling projects, rolling back years of hard-fought coastal protections.
THE SOLUTION
Uphold the moratorium
Voters naturally worry about paying off an oil company $17.5 million because of a bad agreement negotiated in the past. But Hermosa Beach is financially sound and has more than $6.2 million already set aside to cover the settlement cost. It’s better to settle a bad debt now than mortgage the future health of our Bay for decades to come.
Advocate for policies to prevent future slant drilling along entire Los Angeles coast
Our policy staff is now documenting the history of oil drilling moratoriums in all Santa Monica Bay cities and assessing energy policies in bordering cities. We are also using our technical expertise to evaluate risks to the community and environment. Heal the Bay successfully fought to enact the current moratorium in 1995, but now seeks a regional approach to stop drilling.
Worried about the prospect of oil drilling in our Bay? Sign up to stay informed.
The 34th Annual Beach Report Card Is Here
Find out if your favorite watering hole is on the honor roll or flunking out.