Coastal Comm'n LB Staff Looking Into City-Initiated Ocean Blvd. Tree Trimming That Residents Say Uprooted/Displaced Nesting Birds; See Pix And Details

LBReport.com

UPDATE / First (Again) on LBREPORT.com

UPDATE: Councilwoman Price Says Ocean Blvd. Repaving Project (area Belmont Plaza) Has Been Stopped And Will Be Rescheduled To An Appropriate Season For [Nesting] Birds; [Initial Mar. 26 Report] Coastal Comm'n LB Staff Looking Into City-Initiated Ocean Blvd. Tree Trimming That Residents Say Uprooted/Displaced Nesting Birds; See Pix And Details

Councilwoman Price thanks resident Susan Miller for the information she provided to the Council office. "Your vigilance in providing information both now and in the future will help to ensure the protection of species such as these."

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(UPDATE: March 27, 2015) -- LBREPORT.com has learned that the Ocean Blvd. repaving project (area of Belmont Plaza), described in our story below yesterday (Mar. 26), has been stopped and will be rescheduled.

In an email today (Mar. 27) to resident Susan Miller, the office of 3rd district Councilwoman Suzie Price (via Field Deputy Kristina Duggan) stated:

Councilwoman Price wants to thank you for the information that you provided to the Council office. As a result, the Ocean Boulevard repave has been stopped and will be rescheduled during an appropriate season for the birds. Your vigilance in providing information both now and in the future will help to ensure the protection of species such as these.

(March 26, 2015) -- LBREPORT.com has learned that Coastal Commission staff in the agency's Long Beach office is looking into the circumstances of Long Beach City Hall-initiated tree trimming that some area residents and wildlife advocates say uprooted and displaced nesting birds from trees in area of the Belmont Pool/parking lot/street median.

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Emails obtained by LBREPORT.com show the matter has also been brought to the attention Long City Hall staff and elected officials. The emails cite City of Long Beach policy (text below) governing tree-trimming in the Tidelands -- a policy that LB's Dept. opf Parks & Rec agreed with the Coastal Commission to follow under the Coastal Act.

The events stem from a project by the LB Dept. of Public Works to resurface Ocean Blvd. near the Belmont Pool/Belmont Beach parking lots and median strip.

In February 2015, Susan Miller (a nearby resident who favors retaining the current open space at "Belmont Plaza Park" and has raised several issues in opposition to plans to rebuild the Belmont Plaza Pool) emailed LB Coastal Commission staffers text and photos reporting on then-current nesting birds. Her email indicated that Belmont Plaza had a tree with one nest active with the Black Crowned Night Heron, the tree across from the temporary pool (Bennett/Ocean) had two active nests and two Black Crowned Night Herons and another tree down the parking lot from the pool had 23 active nests, 10 Black crowned night herons and one egret (evidence she said shows negative impacts from noise/lights at the temporary pool.)

Nests before. Feb. 23, 2015. Photo by Susan Miller

Photo by Susan Miller

Ms. Miller documented what visibly occurred on March 23, 2015 to other nearby trees. She tells LBREPORT.com that these trees weren't physically in the parking lot but had major branches interweaved into trees that had nests within them.

Photo by Susan Miller

On March 24, 2015, Ms. Miller emailed Coastal Commission staff that "after the tree trimming, the birds and nests are not there."

March 23, 2015. Photo by Susan Miller

On Mar. 24, 2015, Ms. Miller emailed LB Coastal Commission staffers, City Hall staffers, 3rd dist. Ass't City Manager Tom Modica, Parks & Rec Director George Chapjian, 3rd dist. Councilwoman Suzie Price, Mayor Robert Garcia and several bird/wildlife advocates.

[Mar. 24 Miller email] The tree trimming yesterday, March 23, 2015 butchered/removed every single nest and completely displaced the nesting Black Crown Night Herons in the nesting tree across from the Belmont temporary pool on East Ocean Blvd...I have the pictures of the active nesting to prove it. Eldorado Audubon Society had surveyed & documented the active nesting in this tree prior to the tree trimming devastation. This is sensitive coastal habitat protected by the COASTAL ACT...
...I am beyond upset by this violation!!!!! Active nesting was documented and the City had been properly notified in advance by the Audubon Society...

Long time avian wildlife advocate Ann Cantrell also sent an email directed to City Hall staff, Coastal Commission staff, Parks & Rec Director Chapjian and the 3rd dist. Council office:

[Mar. 24 Cantrell email] To Whom It May Concern:
There are currently Black-crowned Night Herons nesting in the trees adjacent to Ocean Blvd. in this area, and Snowy Egrets expected to start breeding next month. The Migratory Bird Act and the California Coastal Act protect breeding birds--the City of Long Beach should, too.
Since the destruction of the hundreds of Ficus trees at the Roosevelt Navy Base, this is one of the few habitats left suitable for herons and egrets. If this construction takes place, the birds will no doubt leave the area and have nowhere to go. As they only have one brood a year, this year's chicks will be lost. I urge you to postpone this project until the young are fledged.

And Ms. Cantrell followed up with a more sternly worded email to the same parties:

[Cantrell email] This is beyond outrageous. I was assured by Art Cox that this tree trimming was stopped yesterday at 9:30 a.m. I now find that the reason it stopped was because the crew had completed their goal.
This is destruction is totally illegal during breeding season. Before any tree trimming takes place during breeding season, a biologist is supposed to check the tree for nests. Art Cox told me yesterday that the Tree department were not aware that this construction project was occurring. When I called the city number on the posted notice, 570-5160, the person in Construction said, "Oh, is it breeding time?"
El Dorado Audubon Conservation Chair, Mary Parsell, showed the Parks and Recreation Commissioners pictures of the nesting Black-crowned Night Herons on Thursday [March 19] and asked [Parks & Rec Dir.] George Chapjian to warn Public Works that this is the wrong time to be doing this tree cutting and paving. There is an obvious lack of communication between departments.
There is an attitude of "Well, the birds can just go somewhere else". There is no place else along the coast in Long Beach with thick foliage, low trees and available food for them. You have destroyed a whole generation of Black-crowned Night Herons. I can't describe how disgusted I am with my hometown.

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Ms. Parsell of El Dorado Audubon has confirmed to LBREPORT.com that she spoke at the March 19 Parks & Rec Commission meeting (with Parks & Rec senior staff in attendance) and forewarned about nesting birds in the area. LBREPORT.com is the process of obtaining a recording of exactly what took place.

On March 25, Ms. Miller took the photos below, describing them as follows: "It was heart breaking walking down Ocean Blvd. this morning [Mar. 25]. Seeing the Black Crowned Night Herons desperately trying to cover themselves and their riddled nests with nearby branches. They had nests in the eight trees along Ocean Blvd. [before the City-initiated trimming on March 23.]

Photo by Susan Miller

And in the photo below: "Our homeless, feathered friend looks down as the crewman continue to prepare Ocean Blvd. to be resurfaced during the fragile weeks of nesting." LBREPORT.com digitally zooms-in to show a close-up of the bird below.

Photo by Susan Miller

Ms. Miller notes that the 3rd District Council office sent a mass emailing advising recipients about the East Ocean Blvd. project..that didn't mention the trimming trees or nesting birds.

She also indicates that a notice was placed on doors and car windshields in the area regarding the Ocean Blvd. Public Works project, but it likewise doesn't mention of the tree trimming or nesting birds.

The City of LB has a formally adopted on tree trimming in the Tidelands area, to which LB's Dept. of Parks & Rec agreed with the Coastal Commission. LBREPORT.com provides the text below.

It's currently unclear to us whether the City's policy above (through LB's Dept. of Parks & Rec) may or may not apply to other general city street work handled by LB's Dept. of Public Works...and whether additional federal or state laws may apply in other city areas. LBREPORT.com plans to report on this separately.

The Coastal Commission Enforcement Supervisor in the agency's Long Beach office, Andrew Willis, tells LBREPORT.com that he's in the process of track down information at this point.

Asked by LBREPORT.com to describe Coastal Commission policy/procedures generally applicable to such matters, Mr. Willis said the Coastal Commission protects trees for colonial wading birds (that return to the same trees year after year to nest and roost and form colonies.) Such trees are a protected resource under the CA Coastal Act and over time, the agency has worked out policies to avoid trimming the trees during nesting season to avoid disturbing these birds, and to limit trimming even outside nesting season to ensure the trees can continue to be used for nesting and roosting.

Mr. Willis indicated that when the agency gets a report(s), it looks at the trees and their history to determine whether trimming is consistent, or inconsistent, with policies in the area. At this point, the agency will examine the extent of the trimming, where it occurred, whether it impacted trees for nesting or roosting and the history of the trees, and that process is now beginning.

On March 25, Ms. Miller emailed Coastal Commission LB staff additional photos she says show full nesting in the tree (photo below) at Belmont Pool parking lot (down from the temporary pool) because, she says, "the tree trimming stopped shy by two trees before this magnificent tree nesting."

Photo by Susan Miller

LBREPORT.com informed Parks & Rec staff and management that this story was in preparation. We've invited that agency's response and we will add it here as received.

Developing...with further to follow on LBREPORT.com