Oak Woodlands Update for Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles County Oak Woodlands Habitat Conservation Strategic Alliance, comprised of Los Angeles County Foresters, Regional Planning staff, Board of Supervisors staff, Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains (RCDSMM) staff, Building Industry Association (BIA) staff, University of California Integrated Hardwood Range Management Program (UC/IHRMP) staff, California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) staff, local arborists and consultants have released the Draft Los Angeles County Oak Woodlands Conservation Management  Plan, March 2011.  This plan evolved over a two year period, and incorporates the input from over 100 community members, as well as over 3,500 hours of time spent reading, writing and thinking about oak woodlands. 

The group, lead by Rosi Dagit, Senior Conservation Biologist at RCD of the Santa Monica Mountains, set out to preserve southern California's vital and rapidly shrinking oak woodlands, balance the regulatory elements of the existing Los Angeles County Oak Tree Protection Ordinance with incentives to encourage voluntary conservation and expansion of oak woodlands, and allow access to the State of California Oak Woodlands Conservation Fund to encourage preservation and expansion of oak woodlands as wells as provide guidance for balancing the long-term housing needs of the County with conservation and enhancement of oak woodlands.   The draft plan, which is available at www.lacountyoakwoodlandplan.org will soon be presented to the Board of Supervisors for their consideration.