1 Vernice Hankins
From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, April 10, 2023 4:40 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Public Comment, Item 5 d. SGMA april 11, 2023 SMBGSP Adherence to GDE per SGMA, GC BEEP
MARGOT LETTER GDE REQUEST
Attachments: gc beep margot gde letter.docx
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council Members of the Santa Monica Basin Groundwater Sustainability Plan Agency We request that the GSA, the City of Santa Monica place as an AGENDA ITEM the need for the City Council of Santa Monica to direct its SGMA/ GSA representative to support a diligent Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem (GDE) evaluation upon the Ballona Wetlands/Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve--a Department of Water Resources acknowledged Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem.
The following undersigned organizations and Restoration Ecologist request that the Santa Monica Basin Groundwater Sustainability Plan Agencies ( Cities of Santa Monica; Culver City; Beverly Hills; Los Angeles, Dept. of Water and Power; LA County Board of Supervisors) approve a directive to its Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) representative for the Santa Monica Groundwater Basin Plan to support a Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem (GDE) evaluation of Ballona Wetlands and its environs within the Santa Monica Groundwater Basin performed with the stringent evaluation recommended by the Department of Water Resoures--namely the Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem protocol of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW). The Department of Water Resources has acknowledged Ballona Wetlands as a Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem.
Fish and Wildlife Groundwater Planning Considerations
Well-designed SGMA implementation will espouse CDFW’s mission to manage California's diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and for their use and enjoyment by the public. The
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Fish and Wildlife Groundwater Planning Considerations (PDF) document catalogues groundwater planning considerations to address the Department’s key groundwater planning questions and interests. The document is intended as a reference for GSAs and other groundwater planning proponents to encourage sincere consideration of fish and wildlife public trust resources in groundwater plan development.
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Fish & Wildlife Groundwater Planning Considerations: Freshwater Wetlands (PDF). 2 Please review the attached Letter Request and we look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Patricia McPherson, Grassroots Coalition