McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
From: Tim Brick
Sent: Monday, July 31, 2023 12:14 PM
To: PublicComment-AutoResponse
Subject: July 31 Meeting - Item 25: San Gabriel Mountains National Monument Expansion [A] CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you know the content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. Learn more...
Date: July 31, 2023
From: Tim Brick
RE: Pasadena City Council Meeting 7/31/2023 - Item 25 - Consideration of an Action of the City Council to Take a Position of Support for H.R. 3681 (Chu) San Gabriel Mountains Protection Act, Expanding the Area Covered by the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument Designation and Authorizing the Mayor to Send a Letter to President Biden (Mayor Gordo)
To: Mayor Gordo and Members of the City Council
When the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument (SGMNM) was established nine years ago, most supporters thought that the Arroyo Seco and other treasures of the San Gabriel Mountains and the Angeles National Forest (ANF) would be included in the monument territory. Imagine my surprise when I went to the victory party and discovered that the Arroyo Seco had been left out of the monument at the last minute, along with more than 100,000 acres on the west side and front range of the mountains. Many of the most treasured gems of the San Gabriel Mountains were excluded, including Tujunga Canyon and the upper watershed of the Los Angeles River.
After the monument was established, the National Forest Foundation asked me to serve on the Community Collaborative that they were establishing to support the monument. I asked, "why would I want to be on the collaborative for a monument that does not include the Arroyo Seco?" The NFF representative replied that they wanted me on the collaborative to assure me and others that the areas of the national forest outside of the monument territory would not be given short shrift because of the monument.
I have served on that collaborative representing the Arroyo Seco since its first meeting in 2015. It has provided an important forum for communities to improve the management and appreciation of the mountains and the Angeles National Forest. The Monument has developed a comprehensive management plan and some additional public support for the mountains. The Monument and the Community Collaborative are important vehicles to work together with the US Forest Service and the other communities and stakeholders who share a concern for the health of the forest.
I urge you and the City of Pasadena to support the expansion of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument to include the Arroyo Seco and the other neglected areas. There are two ways to do this. Congresswoman Chu's bill to expand the monument has passed the House several times but has never succeeded in being passed. It is unlikely that it will this year, so the request to President Biden to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to expand the monument, such as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass advocates, is a much more likely approach.
In expanding the boundaries of the monument, we also need to ensure that there are adequate resources to improve the management of the monument. Without that, the designation will just be another false promise. 7/31/2023
Item 25
The San Gabriel Mountains are faced with unprecedented challenges and inadequate resources. Fires, such as the Bobcat Fire and the Station Fire, have ravaged the mountains and destroyed stream and wildlife conditions.
There are numerous artificial barriers to a healthy watershed, most notably Brown Mountain Dam in the Arroyo Seco. More than 4.5 million people visit the mountains each year, putting an enormous strain on the forest.
Twenty years ago, the Arroyo Seco was one of five ranger districts in the Angeles National Forest. Today it is a neglected piece of the Gateway District, the name for the ANF territory that is not part of the monument.
Pasadena has an important stake in the San Gabriel Mountains. The Arroyo Seco Watershed has suffered because of this neglect. Expanding the monument will be an important step to improve forest management.
Please take this opportunity to renew Pasadena's support for better management of the Arroyo Seco and the entire Angeles National Forest for today and for future generations.
Sincerely,
Tim Brick
Pasadena, CA 91101
2 PASADENA RECEIVED
HERITAGE 160 NORTH OAKLAND AVENUE P 626.441.6333
PRESERVATION | ADVOCACY | EDUCATION PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91101-1714 WWW.PASADENAHERITAGE.ORG 2023 JUL 31 PM :15
CITY CLERK
CITY OF PASADENA
July 31, 2023
Pasadena City Council
City of Pasadena
100 North Garfield Avenue
Pasadena, California 91101
Re: San Gabriel Mountains National Monument Expansion
Dear Mayor Gordo and Members of the City Council,
Pasadena Heritage supports the expansion of the San Gabriel National Monument, which would preserve and protect some of Pasadena and Altadena's most important natural resources, water resources and recreational assets. We believe that it is proper to both support Congresswoman Judy Chu's H.R.368 I, San Gabriel Mountains Protection Act, as well as to urge President Biden to exercise his authority under the antiquities act to expand the monument unilaterally.
We thank the Council for taking a position on this important matter and for safeguarding the environment for future generations.
Sincerely,
Guatesmer
Susan N. Mossman Andrew Salimian
Executive Director Preservation Director
PRESERVATION / ADVOCACY EDUCATION
7/31/2023
Item 25