Yesterday, I outlined my top three green initiatives that
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa should tackle in the remainder
of his second term. Here’s a look at some other environmental issues
that he should make a priority:
Fast-track city approval of a Stream Protection Ordinance in 2010. The
Department of Public Works has spent three and a half years working on a
stream protection ordinance. Based on Watershed Protection Division
analysis, there are approximately 462 miles of riparian habitat that
would receive some level of protection under the draft ordinance.
Council districts 11 (Rosendahl), 2 (Krekorian), and 12 (Smith) all have
over 60 miles of habitat, while 11 out of 15 districts have at least 12
miles of habitat. The ordinance would protect the city’s remaining
stream habitat by requiring development buffer zones of 100 feet for
soft-bottomed habitat and 30 feet for concrete-lined channels. We need
to start treating streams like habitat rather than flood control
channels. Unfortunately, the ordinance has been frozen in the mayor’s
office for over two years. If the mayor says he wants to protect L.A.’s
streams, the ordinance would likely sail through City Council.
Unfortunately, the ordinance is not on the mayor’s radar.
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