The Ballona Wetlands is a source of great pride for locals — and also a bone of contention. Since 2003, when the state of California purchased the 577-acre ecological reserve, a variety of environmental groups have voiced their differing opinions about the best laid plans for its restoration. While everyone awaits the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) revised environmental impact report (EIR), each group is trying to “move that needle a little bit,” said Walter Lamb, president of the nonprofit Ballona Wetlands Land Trust (BWLT) since 2012.
The Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve is divided into three areas — A, B and C — bordering Marina del Rey, Playa Vista and Playa del Rey. Nobody disagrees that it is home to native and migrating birds and native and invasive plants, and its benefits include absorbing carbon in the atmosphere and buffering coastal communities from flooding. The source of tension lies in how and how long it will take to restore the wetlands. CDFW’s initial EIR was published in 2017, certified in 2020 and struck down by a judge in 2023. It has yet to submit the revised version. . . .
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Jessica Koslow 