The “Our County” Stakeholder Engagement Team invited nonprofit organizations throughout Los Angeles County to provide input on the topics of Landscapes and Ecosystems for the County’s first Sustainability Plan.

The “Open Space, Recreation, Biodiversity and Habitat” workshop, held on September 17, 2018 at the Los Angeles Trade Technical College, attracted attendees from nonprofit organizations, as well as several public agencies, and members of the “Our County” Stakeholder Engagement team.

The workshop provided an explanation of how the “Our County” plan will be developed and an overview of landscapes and ecosystem issues the County faces. After introducing the Landscape and Ecosystems Goals from the Our County Landscape and Ecosystems Briefing document, attendees were broken up into three different groups according to their topic of interest (Housing and Land Use, Economy and Workforce Development, and Public Health & Safety). Participants in each morning section were asked to provide comments on the proposed Landscape and Ecosystems Goals related to the topic, and then rotated into an additional topic area to provide comments.

In the afternoon, participants were given a list of Draft Strategies and divided into five focus groups to allow for more in-depth discussion around a specific topic and draw out participants’ expertise on the policy area:

  1. Parks, Beaches, Recreation and Access
  2. Natural and Urban Biodiversity & Habitat and Climate Resilience
  3. Land Use (Infill-Exurban-Agriculture) and Displacement
  4. Multi-Benefit Projects: Green Infrastructure, Landscaping, Jobs, and Community Benefits
  5. The Los Angeles River

While each nonprofit organization brought their own unique set of recommendations and input for the “Our County” plan, there was general support for the proposed Landscapes and Ecosystems Goals as presented in the Briefing document. Additionally, several common themes emerged throughout the workshop that either seek to address missing issues or enhance the Landscapes and Ecosystems Goals. The following are the top themes identified:

Key Recommendations

  1. Improving open space and parks governance for more meaningful community engagement, inclusive decision-making, and effective cross-agency coordination.
  2. Creating climate-resilient and adaptive landscapes of the future that restore, preserve, and protect the natural environment and biodiversity.
  3. Increasing access and connectivity to parks and open space through universal design, mobility improvements, and anti-displacement strategies.
  4. Building healthy and safe public spaces that improve the quality of life for all, including unsheltered individuals.
  5. Reconnecting residents to nature and the outdoors through culturally competent programming and educational opportunities that advance ecological literacy.

 

Comments on the key recommendations can be directed to sustainability@lacounty.gov.

Read more in the Open Space Nonprofit Workshop Summary

Download the Open Space Nonprofit Workshop Notes

Download the Open Space Nonprofit Workshop Presentation

Download the Our County Landscapes and Ecosystems Briefing

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