Whittier Area Audubon has a long history of observation and care in our local area.
In the 1930’s, Whittier Nature Study Club began meeting at Whittier Narrows for the purposes of bird observation in the 1930’s. In 1939 the “San Gabriel River Wildlife Sanctuary” was created by the Los Angeles Audubon Society, which operated the sanctuary upon its opening. Soon after 1939, the National Audubon Society became interested in the Whittier Narrows bird sanctuary and, by 1942, had established a small nature center there. It was called the "Audubon Center of Southern California.” In 1948, the Whittier Audubon Society (the name was later changed to Whittier Area Audubon Society) was created by members of the original Whittier Nature Study Club.
In 1970, the National Audubon Society either sold or donated its Sanctuary and Center to Los Angeles County, which placed it under the responsibility of its growing Department of Parks and Recreation.
Whittier Area Audubon has remained closely affiliated to the Whittier Narrows natural area throughout the decades.
Current Action Items
There are several ongoing situations in the Whittier Area that we feel require citizen awareness and perhaps citizen action.
We plan to keep a close eye on these projects and we will be keeping our members informed.
Dam Repair
The US Army, Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District (Corps) is undertaking a major construction project at Whittier Narrows, known as the Dam Modification Plan (DMP). During the environmental documentation process, the Corps prepared, submitted, and finalized the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). This included consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Carlsbad Field Office (CFO), under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA or Act) of 1973, Section 7 (a)(1) for the Federal Endangered least Bell’s vireo and the Federal Threatened California Gnatcatcher and its designated critical habitat. The Corps did determine that the DMP project is likely to adversely affect the federally endangered Least Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus; LBVI or vireo), the federally threatened Coastal California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica; CAGN or gnatcatcher), and designated critical habitat for the gnatcatcher.
Our Chapter has been given the opportunity to submit written comments to the Corps in October 2021. The Board, and especially our Conservation Chair, Kathleen Berry, has been reviewing the DMP and the environmental requirements to see if there are areas we feel are not addressed adequately. We will give the membership an update at the October general meeting.
Homeless Encampments in The Narrows
Whittier Area Audubon is deeply concerned with the fire hazard and impact to the natural resources (specifically federal listed endangered and threatened bird species) posed by encampments of unhoused people. It’s a huge undertaking to address the issue of homelessness, as there is no single cause and the reasons are varied and complex. Unfortunately, with increasing encampments, the growth and frequency of wildfires in the area will also increase leading to ecological degradation, decreased biological diversity and habitat loss for many resident and migratory bird species, as well as loss of nature education opportunities for area schools and all visitors.
Hsi Lai Monastery Site
As proposed, the Project will have the potential to significantly impact protected and special-status species and their associated habitats. We are particularly concerned about the impacts to the federally threatened coastal California Gnatcatcher. Patches of coastal sage scrub habitat that occur on the project site may act as important “stepping stones” that allow gnatcatchers to move between adjacent open spaces. Whittier Area Audubon advocates for the protection and preservation of coastal sage scrub and riparian habitats in addition to the existing oak woodlands for the wildlife and habitat they support.