City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: August 27, 2024
Agenda Item: 7.A
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Rick Valte, Public Works Director, Public Works, Office of Sustainability & the Environment
Subject: Santa Monica Beach Dune Restoration Phase 3
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that City Council:
1. Provide direction on project elements such as community outreach/engagement, project scale, placement, and other necessary project elements;
2. Review and comment on the high-level plans set forth for the expansion of Santa Monica’s beach dune network; and
3. Provide direction on the creation of a specific plan related to the SaMo3 project, beach dune master plan or sea level rise mitigation plan.
Executive Summary
As per City Council (Council) authorization on May 24, 2016, the City of Santa Monica (City) entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with The Bay Foundation (TBF) to conduct a pilot restoration of a three-acre portion of Santa Monica beach. In December of 2016, the Santa Monica beach dune restoration pilot project was installed and subsequently underwent adaptive management and monitoring until the conclusion of those activities in 2021. The pilot project was successful in demonstrating the potential for low-cost natural solutions, such as beach restoration, to bring significant ecological and resilience benefits to Santa Monica’s coastline.
In January of 2024, the original MOU from the pilot project was amended to include a scope of work for an additional 5-acre expansion of dune restoration south of the existing pilot site on north Santa Monica beach. This Phase 2 (SaMo2) project was 2 of 15
installed in March of 2024 by TBF and will undergo a 5-year monitoring and adaptive management program similar to the pilot project.
To further demonstrate low-cost natural coastal adaptation solutions in the face of climate vulnerabilities such as sea level rise and coastal flooding, staff proposes an expanded beach dune restoration scenario across Santa Monica beach as a Phase 3 of this project (SaMo3). The goal of this study session is to seek Council direction on various details of the proposed scenario, related community/stakeholder outreach efforts and guidance on related planning elements to support the successful implementation of the next phase of this project.
Background
Benefits of Beach Dune Restoration
Santa Monica beach is one of the most heavily used beaches in California, with over 17 million visitors every year. As the last line of defense between the ocean and urban landscape, Santa Monica beach is a uniquely situated resource. Southern California beaches are highly sensitive and are easily impacted by threats such as: native species removal and extinction, erosion, non-natural sediment and sand transport, pollution, and loss of natural structure due to daily vegetation and topsoil removal through grooming and other regular beach maintenance. As a vital buffer, beaches and beach dunes offer protection to homes, roads, and critical infrastructure (bike paths, telephone lines, parks, etc.) from sea level rise as well as natural tidal and wave fluctuations. Natural beach habitats and dune systems regulate sand transport to create resilient beaches, which better adapt to climate change impacts.
Santa Monica beach, and other beaches in LA County/Southern California, have been subjected to the continuous removal of natural features over many years. Mechanical maintenance, the construction of harbors and breakwaters, coastal infrastructure, piers, and other developments have interrupted physical and biological processes of natural beach and dune ecosystems. To draw more tourists to Santa Monica beach, grooming was implemented long ago to create bigger, flatter, more aesthetic beaches. Santa Monica grooms its beaches more frequently than many other beaches throughout the 3 of 15
state to maintain this aesthetic and remove debris. On the other hand, ungroomed beaches have developed natural features such as low dunes away from active recreations areas. These features not only support native, endemic species of plants and animals, they also provide a natural, cost-effective buffer to storm surges and other predictable threats, including sea level rise and increased erosion.
Southern California beaches, such as Santa Monica beach, provide habitat for many birds and animal species, including federally-designated “critical habitat” for the threatened Western Snowy Plover. In addition to providing habitat for birds and animals, coastal strand ecosystems have diverse native vegetation communities and provide a vital habitat for invertebrate species. The current condition of Santa Monica beach’s groomed and flattened sand with removed vegetation provides almost no habitat value for these species. Without vegetation, erosion is more frequent and there is no system in place to promote sand build-up.
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History of the Santa Monica Beach Restoration Pilot Project and SaMo2 In 2016, Council authorized an agreement (Attachment A) between the City and The Bay Foundation (TBF) to conduct a pilot restoration of a three-acre portion of Santa Monica State Beach (Figures 1 and 2).
Figure 1. Santa Monica Beach Restoration Pilot site plans 5 of 15
Figure 2. Aerial rendering of Santa Monica Beach Restoration Pilot The pilot project restored approximately three acres of sandy coastal habitats located on the beaches of Santa Monica by utilizing existing sediments to transform a portion of the current beach into a sustainable coastal strand and foredune habitat complex resilient to sea level rise.
In December of 2016, the Santa Monica beach dune restoration pilot was implemented.
This included the installation of fencing and seeding of native coastal strand vegetation species. The project was then physically and biologically monitored over the next 5 years.
In December 2021, TBF released the final Year 5 annual report (Attachment B) for the Santa Monica Beach Restoration Pilot Project summarizing activities and findings from December 2015-October 2021. As stated in the year 5 report on page 1, “The project positively engaged the public, created new partnerships and outreach connections, restricted grooming in a 3.25-acre area, allowed vegetation to grow, encouraged sand hummocks (small dunes) to form along fence lines and within the project area, provided 6 of 15
comprehensive science-based monitoring data to inform nature-based beach restoration solutions, and is bringing back a rare coastal habitat type to the Los Angeles region.”
In 2021, TBF secured funding from the Refugio Beach Oil Spill Settlement through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to pursue an additional beach restoration project in Santa Monica (SaMo2). This project builds on the pilot project by restoring an additional 5 acres of sandy coastal habitats (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Aerial perspective of the latest site plans for the SaMo 2 Beach Dune Restoration Project The SaMo2 project is located 500m south of the existing pilot site and expands around the existing Snowy Plover enclosure (Image 4).
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Image 4. View of recently installed NW restoration polygon at SaMo2 site.
Stakeholder Outreach
Significant public outreach took place to solicit stakeholder feedback on various elements during the project development stage of both the pilot project and SaMo2.
During phase 1 (pilot project) stakeholder outreach, members of the public, as well as key stakeholder organizations had multiple opportunities to provide feedback on the project and suggested changes that were included in the design. Since its completion in 2021, the project has been featured in scientific articles and in the press. Most notably, Johnston et al. 2023 (Using Dune Restoration on an Urban Beach as a Coastal Resilience Approach) was published in Frontiers in Marine Science in July of 2023 and was featured in the USCB Current newspaper. In October 2023, the LA Times wrote an op-ed highlighting the importance of natural coastal restoration efforts.
In 2022 and 2023, the SaMo2 project entered the planning, design and permitting phase. Like the pilot project, multiple public meetings were held to gather input from organizational and residential stakeholders.
In January of 2024, the previously approved MOU from the pilot project was amended as a Contractual Services Agreement to include the Scope of Work for the SaMo2 8 of 15
project (Attachment C). This agreement terminates in 2027, with 5 one-year renewal options. In early 2024, an updated Coastal Development Permit application was submitted by the City of Santa Monica to the California Coastal Commission (CCC). In addition, the Commission on Sustainability, the Environment and Environmental Justice provided a letter of support for the project to the CCC (Attachment D). The project was listed on the March 2024 CCC meeting agenda as an immaterial amendment and was unanimously approved by the CCC. The project was then installed by the Bay Foundation on March 14th.
The pilot project has served as a valuable proof of concept for scalable, low-cost natural solutions to adapt to climate change and associated hazards. The SaMo2 project is expected to deliver similar results over the next 5 years. In addition to being the first line of defense for the coast, the public benefits of these projects include beautifying the developed coastline, educating the public about the importance of natural landscapes, and promoting tourism based on environmental values. Perhaps most importantly, these projects have served as examples of strategies that balance priorities of both climate action/adaptation and public recreational use.
It is certain that Santa Monica and other coastal cities in California will experience some degree of sea level rise and coastal flooding. To protect the coastline, while delivering additional ecosystem services, staff have determined that scaling beach dune restoration across Santa Monica beach must be prioritized to meet climate goals.
Discussion
Santa Monica’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP - 2019) (Attachment E) and Climate Vulnerability Assessment (2017) (Attachment F) both identify coastal sea level rise and flooding as one of Santa Monica’s most substantial climate threats. The CAAP outlines the enhancement of natural systems to prevent coastal flooding as a priority objective. Action CF5 in the CAAP lists beach nourishment and dune creation to allow for these types of projects to take place on beaches within the City. As we move towards the future, the magnitude and frequency of coastal flooding events is expected to increase, with latest guidance suggesting that California may see anywhere from .5 to 9 of 15
1.2 feet (.15 - .36 meters) of sea level rise by 20501. As an adaptive and preventative measure, low-cost natural solutions to improve coastal resilience, such as beach dunes, have become a vital tool to combat vulnerabilities brought by Climate Change.
Project Overview
Based on the success of the 3.25-acre installation of phase 1 in Santa Monica, and the recent installation of 5-acres as ‘SaMo2’, the City of Santa Monica is partnering with The Bay Foundation with the intention of installing an additional 43 acres of coastal sand dunes with California native vegetation on Santa Monica State Beach. The proposed project will consist of a checkerboard-type footprint of smaller polygons, ranging from one to two acres in size, spanning the beach from the border with Will Rogers State Beach to the border with Venice Beach. To balance the need for recreational space and access to the shore with conservation and coastal resilience, some of the polygons will be near the shoreline and the other polygons will form a back dune habitat adjacent to the bike path, parking lots and the upper portions of storm drain outfalls. The project is fully funded by State legislative appropriation to The Bay Foundation, with funds managed by the State Coastal Conservancy. The Bay Foundation will lead development and implementation of the project, while, as the land manager, the City holds authority to make final decisions on project design, placement, stakeholder outreach, coastal permitting, etc.
The Office of Sustainability and the Environment Division of Public Works has been working with TBF to develop a draft site plan option for the SaMo3 project. This expanded dune restoration scenario, as outlined below, will bring significant, longlasting ecological and coastal resilience benefits to the City of Santa Monica. The proposed site plan balances priorities of public recreation and existing use space while maximizing restored area. Staff is seeking Council direction on planning/design components of the restoration scenario listed below.
1 California Ocean Protection Council (OPC), “State of California Sea Level Rise Guidance: 2024 Science and Policy Update”, (2024).
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The work plan for this dune creation project will involve a sequential approach every six months, along 4 areas (10-13 acres/area) of the coastline within City borders. Each phase of this dune project will consist of six components: 1) area delineation and implementation, using a minimalist post-and-rope boundary approach to define polygons and pedestrian pathways and minimal use of sand fencing, followed by the introduction of California native dune vegetation species from a CCC-approved palette with seed and container stock, 2) using standardized and regularly scheduled dune monitoring protocols to measure success and inform adaptive management (supplementing seed and container stock), and regular maintenance, such as weeding and litter removal, 3) community outreach using engaging signage and social media, 4) public engagement by way of regularly scheduled volunteer events for the duration of the grant (2.5yrs) with the possibility of the City extending the volunteer program into the future, 5) educational opportunities for all levels of students, and 6) basic and applied research to improve understanding of dune creation, sand accumulation and the associated dynamism.
Stakeholder Outreach
Extensive outreach will be conducted prior to and through project implementation through a series of meetings, stakeholder workshops, and public field trips. Once feedback is received from stakeholders and Council, adjustments to the final site footprint will be made. A first round of stakeholder meetings is currently ongoing with the public agencies, such as State Parks, LA County Department of Beaches and Harbors, LA County Lifeguards, Santa Monica Police, Santa Monica Public Works staff and local tribes. Also included in this round of stakeholder meetings are other elected officials (neighborhood, County, State, Federal), and organizations, including USC Sea Grant, Surfrider Foundation, State and local chapters of Audubon, and Heal the Bay. A community handout will be published and distributed to the above stakeholders, describing the importance of sand dunes for coastal resilience and biodiversity, and a map of the proposed footprint.
Once initial stakeholder feedback is received, a second round of outreach will be held, which will be specifically for community members, business owners and other users of 11 of 15
the Santa Monica beach in the broader Los Angeles vicinity. This will be held in-person in a local, accessible location and virtually to maximize outreach to the public. In both settings, a slide show demonstrating the benefits, with photos of successful Santa Monica dunes and the footprint, with renderings for scale and color, will be presented.
Further, an online comment period will be conducted to provide community members with the opportunity to contribute to this stage of the project.
Ultimately, the final footprint of the project will be adjusted after the input of each of these three rounds of outreach.
Project Benefits
In addition to providing habitat for wildlife and beautifying beaches, dune systems accumulate and sequester sand as plants mature, resulting in structures that are resistant to erosion. The erosive threats of sea level rise and intensifying storms leave mechanically groomed beaches vulnerable to erosion. Dune vegetation builds dunes that resist such erosive forces with a remarkable resilience. The vegetation in the dunes at the forefront of phase 1 of the dunes project, namely saltbush (Atriplex leucophylla, Amaranthaceae), have exhibited post-disturbance recovery accompanied by sand replacement. As such, with the development of the smaller “embryo” dunes coupled with the increased elevation of the foredunes, the natural “softscape” of sand dunes will greatly improve coastal resilience, and the long-term benefits of habitat availability to coastal wildlife, including for sensitive species. Dunes will also create a natural buffer between the ocean and beachfront homes and municipal infrastructure.
The proposed project will increase biodiversity by installing California native coastal dune vegetation, from a previously approved species palette to an otherwise highly disturbed sandy beach. While none of the species on the plant palette are special-status plants, the coastal dune vegetation of southern California is among the rarest in the region. After installing the perimeter of the dunes and during the stormy season, natural driftwood and seashells will be placed into the restoration areas. The driftwood would add natural character to the site, contribute to sand accumulation and dune formation, and provide microhabitats for additional wildlife.
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Substantial increases in the diversity of native flora and fauna are expected. This coastal dune plant community would attract a wide array of additional wildlife, from invertebrates such as spiders, beetles, and butterflies to the potential for the California legless lizard, and birds, several of which are species of interest. Nesting shorebirds, such as the western Snowy Plover and the California Least Tern, will benefit by the increase in protected roosting and nesting sites, and in the back dune restoration areas, with the addition of sea cliff buckwheat the host plant for the federally endangered El Segundo Blue butterfly will be provided.
SaMo3 Site Plan – Total Area = 43 Acres
Figure 4a. Aerial view of proposed site map for SaMo3 on North Santa Monica Beach 13 of 15
Figure 4b. Aerial view of proposed site map for SaMo3 on South Santa Monica Beach.
SaMo3 Site Plan (Figures 4a & 4b): The proposed footprint has a total of 43 acres and strikes a balance between shoreline and back beach restoration zones. This scenario offers both benefits of maximized shoreline protection, shoreline access, storm drain beautification, and wildlife considerations, while leaving plenty of recreational space and maintaining existing resources, such as volleyball courts and permitted use sites. For all maps, peak summer umbrella density was used as an overlay and beach parking lot visitation is color coded for total occupancy during peak summer months. The maps also display existing permitted beach use and sports areas, ensuring that these locations are not impacted. The hatched area north of the Santa Monica Pier adjacent to lot 1550 is subject to further updates pending Olympic volleyball planning. On the south side of the pier, the area near Barnard way features four polygons with pathways representing North, South, East and West.
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On the westward facing edges of each shoreline polygon, it is important to consider that these areas will not be fenced, and that the area in between the ocean and west edges of polygons will maintain existing use as recreational space. This scenario considers the need for restoring portions of the beach, while adjusting for heavily used beach recreation areas and leaving them open for public enjoyment. Project-specific benefits include:
• Protection for bird species, including the Western Snowy Plover • Beautified bike path area protected from sand accumulation • Sufficient spacing for emergency vehicles and beach maintenance teams • Designated areas for interpretive experiences for the public • Maximized shoreline recreation space and access from key points such as parking areas and walkways including ADA access
Environmental Review
The Phase 3 Dunes Restoration Project is statutorily exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 21080.56 of the Public Resources Code, which exempts a project to restore or provide habitat for California native fish and wildlife meeting certain requirements. On June 20, 2024, the City submitted a concurrence request to the Director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21080.56, subdivision (e). The request seeks the CDFW Director's concurrence with the City’s determination on June 20, 2024, that the Project meets certain qualifying criteria set forth in Section 21080.56 of the Public Resources Code.
On August 2, 2024, the CDFW Director concurred with the City’s determination that the Project meets the qualifying criteria set forth in Public Resources Code section 21080.56, subdivisions (a) to (d), inclusive (Concurrence). Specifically, the CDFW Director concurred with the City that the Project meets all of the following conditions: (1) the Project is exclusively to conserve, restore, protect, or enhance, and assist in the recovery of California native fish and wildlife, and the habitat upon which they depend; or is exclusively to restore or provide habitat for California native fish and wildlife; (2) the 15 of 15
Project may have public benefits incidental to the Project’s fundamental purpose; (3) the Project will result in long-term net benefits to climate resiliency, biodiversity, and sensitive species recovery; and includes procedures and ongoing management for the protection of the environment; and (4) Project construction activities are solely related to habitat restoration. This concurrence is posted online at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Notices/CEQA.
Therefore, the Project is statutorily exempt and no further environmental review is necessary.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
There is no immediate financial impact or budget action necessary as a result of recommended action. Staff will return to Council if specific budget actions are required in the future.
Prepared By: Nico Predock, Sustainability Analyst
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Staff Report MOU for Beach Dune Restoration Pilot Project (1) B. SaMo-Beach-Project-Year-5_FINAL (1)
C. City_of_Santa_Monica_CSA_Bay_Foundation_SaMo2_1-9-24_FINAL.docx D. BeachDune2.0 Letter of Support (1)
E. CAAP_SantaMonica
F. Santa_Monica_Vulnerability_Assessment
G. Written Comments
H. PowerPoint Presentation