FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jeanette Vosburg, Grassroots Coalition 310-721-3512, [email protected] Kathy Knight, Ballona Ecosystem Education Project 310-613-1175 [email protected] OXFORD LAGOON NEIGHBORS AND ACTIVISTS RAGE OVER CHAINSAW FELLING OF OLD GROWTH TREES WITH MONARCH BUTTERFLIES AND OSPREY: LA County Supervisors ignore violation of Streambed Agreement and On-Going Department of Fish and Wildlife Investigation. Tomorrow, Monday, January 5, 2015, the County tree cutters will be back at Oxford. Please help us end the destruction of this critical habitat. CONCERNED CITIZENS CAN CALL THEIR SUPERVISOR EARLY THIS MONDAY OR COME TO THE LAGOON AT 8 AM. PLEASE HELP! District #4 Don Knabe 213-974-4444 District #3 Sheila Kuell 213-974-3333 District #2 Mark Ridley-Thomas 213-074-2222 District #5 Michael Antonovich 213-974-5555 District #1 Hilda Solis 213-974-4111 For more information go to Facebook for Grassroots Coalition - Los Angeles, CA; Facebook for Friends of Oxford Lagoon; Facebook for Ballona Institute—Oxford Lagoon; and, Facebook Member Pages of Vegan. Monarch Butterfly Moves Toward Endangered Species Act Protection Feds Issue Initial Positive Finding on Petition Following 90 Percent Decline latimes/nation/la-na-monarch-butterflies-20141229-story.html A female Monarch photographed in Pacific Grove last February (2013) Neither LA County nor California Department of Fish & Wildlife have recordation or consideration of this type of occurrence at Oxford Lagoon a Designated Bird Sanctuary since 1963. Finally, New Years eve, after a very loud protest by a passerby who joined Patricia McPherson of Grassroots Coalition and others in anguished screams, the chainsaws were put to rest. Horrified on-lookers stared in amazement as Monarch Butterflies along the north fence of the Bird Sanctuary tried to fly. Unfortunately, it was a cold, rainy day. Monarchs don’t move much in cold, rainy weather. The County did not do their job getting the Monarchs safely out of the way or having a Monitor during cutting. See three YouTube videos below: The first YouTube shows the County cutting down this healthy Eucalyptus tree as part of an “Enhancement” project. This destruction is just one of about 650 other trees, already destroyed. Osprey & Monarch at Oxford Lagoon Destruction 2a youtu.be/tRlZ90AmWTY Osprey & Monarchs at Oxford Lagoon Destruction youtu.be/IRjjNKXAPJ0 Monarch Butterflys at Oxford Lagoon youtu.be/lbd4SlJdD90 OSPREY. According to California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s California Interagency Wildlife Task Group, Osprey are uncommon winter visitors along the Coast of Southern California (Garrett and Dunn 1981). Osprey prey mostly on fish. They require open, clear waters for foraging. They are coastal birds. This osprey uses the large eucalyptus trees at Oxford Lagoon everyday; it has been bringing its catch to the Eucalyptus or pine tree within the Bird Sanctuary. Osprey numbers appear to have declined starting in the early 1900s. The Institute for Wildlife Studies (IWS), in collaboration with the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy, has started an osprey reintroduction on Santa Catalina Island, California in order to return a key component of the ecosystem to the Channel Islands and southern California. The osprey is currently listed as a Species of Special Concern by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Friends of Oxford Lagoon members drove to Alhambra to meet with LA County Department of Public Works. Vincent Yu, who conducted the meeting, gave them the impression they would halt the chainsaws on that day, December 17, 2014, only to return to the site to find them taking out mature Eucalyptus. Even the District Assemblywoman, Autumn Burke, spoke with Vincent Yu the morning of the 17th to no avail as she stood watching the chainsaw activity. The County’s Streambed Agreement with Fish and Wildlife specifies a Biological Monitor should be on hand to avert harm to wildlife--no monitor has been present. No work is supposed to occur when there is rain but the County ignored the Agreement the day of this video. It had been raining off and on all day. WE believe numerous violations have occurred at Oxford Lagoon. The County’s defiance of our requests for a slower, phased approach for their landscaping project is unconscionable. The dead bird in the video was documented during the take down of trees and brush on December 29, 2014 at Oxford Lagoon. There is still time to save the remaining Eucalyptus. These photos were taken on December 31, 2014—the day after several Eucalyptus trees were destroyed. Monarch experts have said that a stand of trees has to be big enough and tall enough to support wintering staging areas for the Monarchs. We know the Monarchs are using this area, please help us make sure the remaining trees are saved. Osprey also need high perches to feel secure from disturbance, to be away from people. Tomorrow, Monday, January 5, 2015, the County tree cutters will be back at Oxford. Please help us end the destruction of this critical habitat. CONCERNED CITIZENS CAN CALL THEIR SUPERVISOR EARLY THIS MONDAY OR COME TO THE LAGOON AT 8 AM. District #4 Don Knabe 213-974-4444 District #3 Sheila Kuell 213-974-3333 District #2 Mark Ridley-Thomas 213-074-2222 District #5 Michael Antonovich 213-974-5555 District #1 Hilda Solis 213-974-4111 For more information go to Facebook for Grassroots Coalition - Los Angeles, CA and Friends of Oxford Lagoon
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 05:30:46 +0000
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