Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Open Space Trails topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rancho Palos Verdes wins $500,000 design grant as trail closures continue after landslides
Summary
City open-space staff said about 12.5 miles of trails remain closed for land movement, but a $500,000 LA County grant will fund design work for a connector trail between Philip Orme and Three Sisters reserves; volunteers and the Land Conservancy have helped reopen 3.5 miles.
Rancho Palos Verdes recreation and open-space officials said the city is balancing a months-long effort to reopen trails damaged by recent land movement with a newly awarded $500,000 grant to design a connector trail.
"We received a half a million dollar grant from the LA County Regional Park and Open Space District," said Katie Lozano, Rancho Palos Verdes Recreation and Parks open-space and trails manager, saying the funding covers design only and not construction. Lozano said the proposed connector would link Philip Orme Reserve with Three Sisters Reserve and will require careful engineering because it traverses loose soils and a significant canyon.
Why it matters: The Palos Verdes Nature Preserve covers roughly 1,500 acres and the city maintains about 50 miles of trails; Lozano and Senior Park Ranger Taylor Fox said about 12.5 miles of trails remain closed because of land movement while 3.5 miles in Portuguese Bend and Filiorum were reopened in December. The city and its partners use seven trail counters to measure trends and inform management; Taylor Fox said earlier counters showed roughly a quarter-million visits at two heavy-access points in 2019.
Officials described the city's working relationship with the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy. "While the city owns the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve and we're more responsible for public access and public safety and public use, the Land Conservancy is our habitat manager," Lozano said, noting the Conservancy plants over 5 acres of habitat and removes at least 5 acres of invasive plants each year.
Lozano stressed that some beaches and trail segments remain closed for safety: Abalone Cove, Sacred Cove, and the beach east of Sacred Cove are closed because of land movement. She urged visitors to follow posted signage, keep to open trails and check the city's trail alerts page before hiking. "Park rangers are issuing citations in those closed areas too for folks that are found," Lozano said.
Protection for wildlife was a recurring theme: Lozano listed species and sensitive seasons that shape trail management, saying the California gnatcatcher nests from mid-February through the end of August; the Palos Verdes (PV) blue butterfly's flight and reproduction occurs January through May; and the El Segundo blue butterfly reproduces from mid-June through early September. City staff said staying on trails during breeding seasons helps avoid disturbing those species.
Volunteers from the Land Conservancy played a direct role in repairing and reopening trails by performing manual labor, upgrading unsustainable alignments and installing water-mitigation features, Lozano said. The city also plans public outreach and forums: the next quarterly Preserve public forum is scheduled for April 30 at the Ken Dyda Civic Center, 6:00 p.m., with virtual attendance available via rpvca.gov.
If you see hazardous conditions or wildlife concerns, the city's ranger information/reporting line is 310-491-5775 and trail alerts are published at rpvca.gov/trailalerts. Lozano emphasized the grant covers only design work and that construction, schedule and final alignment will require further coordination.
The city did not provide a construction timeline or a contractor for the connector trail; Lozano said those details are pending engineering work and further approvals.
