This Tuesday, March 7th, the Redondo Beach City Council will consider 2 resolutions to formally invite the State Coastal Conservancy in to assist with the preliminary analysis to convert the AES power plant site and some adjacent properties to parkland. Either of the resolutions proposed on Tuesday will demonstrate local government support, so we're hopeful that one will garner the required support. We'll keep you posted.

It's hard to believe it has already been a year since the advisory vote, but what happens on this site will be here FOREVER, and if it takes another 10 years, so be it. We hope it doesn't, but those of us in the South Bay Parkland Conservancy want to ensure that the needs and wishes of the South Bay are met, and engaging the help and support of the Coastal Conservancy is clearly the way to go. We'd like to thank our state representatives, Assemblyman Ted Lieu, and State Senator Debra Bowen, for writing letters of support to the Coastal Conservancy encouraging their assistance in helping Redondo Beach restore this valuable piece of the California coastline.

Why the Coastal Conservancy? To name a few success stories; Portuguese Bend Preserve in Rancho Palos Verdes, Hearst Ranch in San Luis Obispo, East Bay Park on the Berkeley Marina, and numerous wetland restorations including those surrounding the Hilton Hotel and Hyatt Regency on PCH in Huntington Beach. All these success stories took years of commitment and support from a variety of groups, particularly locally elected officials like our City Council.

As has happened in almost all these cases, funding will come from a variety of sources, but right now our state government is considering a very large infrastructure bond that could provide several billion dollars for public projects just like ours. Below is another letter of support sent to the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee from the South Bay Parkland Conservancy asking them to set aside funding for open space and parks. Again, it's important to be proactive to ensure agencies like the Coastal Conservancy get the proper funding, and not just wait and see IF they do. You'll be hearing more as this process moves forward.

Finally, thanks to local blog, The Aesthetic, http://theaesthetic.com/index.html for recognizing our efforts. We get precious little credit for all that we've done, so it's rewarding to see a life long resident approve of our commitment. Here is his reference to us:

"As the Los Angeles Times pointed out earlier this week, the Governor's proposed capital improvement bonds have attracted scores of lobbyists looking to get a piece of the action for their clients. What might be less well known is the ongoing effort by the South Bay Parkland Conservancy to get some of that money to pay for a regional park on the current AES power plant site in Redondo Beach. We support these efforts, if for no other reason than that it's nice to see somebody working for something in the South Bay. When opponents were successful in passing a referendum effectively killing the Heart of the City project, they could have easily faded away like so many others have in the past. Instead, they're making good on their promise to fight for a park. Nice to know they weren't bullshitting anybody. (Feb. 15, 2006)"

Bill Brand

President

South Bay Parkland Conservancy

PO Box 7000-408

Redondo Beach, CA 90277

310-809-4405

www.southbayparks.org

February 14, 2006

California State Senate
Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee

Dear Chairwoman Kuehl and Committee Members,

I'm writing to encourage you to provide significant funding for parks and conservation programs within the infrastructure bond bills under consideration. This funding is both needed and supported by the residents of California as demonstrated by a lack of park space in urban areas, an increase in pollution, decline in adolescent health, loss of natural habitats and the consistent approval by voters of legislation such as Propositions 40 and 50 to deal with these problems.

It has been almost 4 years since the last bond was approved for these programs, so funding is beginning to dry up. If a large infrastructure bond is approved without adequate resources dedicated to these issues, important state agencies such as the Coastal Conservancy and Wildlife Conservation Board will not be able to continue to carry out their missions to address the above. Not only will there be insufficient funding, the size of the infrastructure bond will eliminate their ability to raise any new funds for many years to come.

Attached are descriptions of some coastal areas in California that need restoring. Only through the help of state agencies that have developed the expertise to raise funding from a variety of sources (not just state funds), and provide the technical expertise developed over many years, can important areas such as these be restored for the generations to come. These areas are just a small example of the need and desire to continue such programs.

It's very important for all the members of the committee to consider the consequences of failing to adequately fund these types of programs in a large bond that will in all likelihood, lock-out the funding pool that allows this work to continue. It is not unreasonable for the public to expect 5% of a large infrastructure bond to accommodate these programs. In fact, including sufficient funding for these programs will enhance the probability of voter approval, while excluding it will have the opposite effect.

I urge you to send a strong message to the conference committee that an infrastructure bond must include significant funding for these types of programs.

Sincerely,

William Brand

President

South Bay Parkland Conservancy

February 14, 2006

State Senator Debra Bowen - 28^th District

Assemblymember Ted Lieu - 53^rd District

Mayor Mike Gin - Redondo Beach

Sam Schuchat - State Coastal Conservancy

Al Wright - Wildlife Conservation Board