Project Updates - Los Angeles River Watershed
2016
Urban Waters Partners and California High Speed Rail
On Devember 20, the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSR) hosted a presentation and question and answer session for the Urban Waters Federal Partnership in Los Angeles. The partner meeting fielded questions from river stakeholders on the impacts of the rail alignments from Palmdale to Burbank to LA Union Station. Since the proposed alignments run along the Los Angeles River corridor and several communities and public lands in the watershed, river stakeholders are hoping for a transparent process that reflects the needs and challenges of the impacted communities.
Additional information on CHSR can be accessed here. Exit
Highlights from LA Partnership meeting
The LA River Watershed meeting hosted 40 people from various agencies and federal partners. Seven federal agencies provided updates including WRDA legislation, LA River tributaries, wildlife corridor connectivity, community development funding, and Environmental Justice funding opportunities. The meeting highlighted a diverse range of nongovernmental organizations, including the Trust for Public Land's completed riverfront park, The Nature Conservancy's habitat study, Southeast Asian Community Alliance's collaboration on equitable river revitalization principles, and a project inventory from all the attendees.
Former Ambassador receives commendation from Mayor
Congratulations to Pauline Louie of HUD! The Mayor of los Angeles issued Pauline a commendation for her work in the Urban Waters Federal Partnership and as the first Urban Waters Ambassador for the Los Angeles River location.
LA Urban Waters Partnership at the National Community Reinvestment Conference
On February 8-10, the Los Angeles Partnership participated in the National Community Reinvestment Conference sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Pauline Louie, Urban Waters Ambassador in LA, and local leaders led a tour of the Los Angeles River for participants from the financial sector on how to fund comunity development projects in LA. A parallel effort sponsored by the EPA Office of Environmental Justice, EPA Region 9 Brownfields and Office of Underground Storage Tanks held a panel at the conference on Brownfields to Healthfields. The Brownfields to Healthfields effort seeks to revitalize abandoned lands in the Los Angeles River watershed and transform them into health centers, and food and recreation zones.
Read more about this initiative.
22nd Screen Actors Guild Awards commits to 10,000 trees along the LA River
In January, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) teamed up with the Los Angeles Partnership's American Forests and the City of Los Angeles to plant the first of 10,000 native trees along the banks of the river near Universal Studios. The producer of ABC's Scandal and actor Katie Lowes helped kick off the dedication and planting. Neighbors living near the heart of the filmaking industry close to Universal Studios have been creating green infrastructure decomposed granite paths and inviting greenways along this section of the channelized river. Now, this tree planting will convert old easement land into a park where residents and locals can stop, enjoy and reconnect with their environment.
View our SAG tree planting photo gallery.