State Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – Pasadena) testified yesterday during the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy in strong support of a $1 million grant from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC) to the One Arroyo Foundation.
“One Arroyo is a great project for the City of Pasadena and I was very excited to collaborate with former Mayor Bogaard and many others to help make this grant come to fruition,” Portantino said. “I am grateful to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy for its analysis and vote in favor of the $1 million grant and very pleased that the State Senate made funding our conservancies a top legislative priority. I look forward to continuing efforts to expand and preserve open space in our communities. This is an important step towards that goal.”
The $1 million grant from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to the One Arroyo Foundation will be used to restore and reunify the Arroyo Seco trail network in Pasadena, focusing on the Lower Arroyo Trail Loop. The project will restore and enhance about 3.5 miles of trail, making it safer and more accessible by including features for people with disabilities, new signage, erosion control, and slope stabilization. There will also be opportunities to learn about the history of the Arroyo Seco and ongoing conservation efforts. The project will allow for continuous travel by wildlife in the area and protect native plant species from drought.
“The Foundation extends profound thanks to Senator Portantino for his interest in the Arroyo Seco and his support for One Arroyo’s mission to restore the twenty miles of trails on the banks of the Arroyo,” Bogaard said. “This grant enables the Foundation to proceed ahead of schedule with its first major Arroyo trails restoration project. We could not be more grateful to the Senator and the SMMC.”
According to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the Arroyo Seco encompasses over 900 acres of urban forest and provides 22 miles of trails in Pasadena. It is one of Pasadena’s most treasured natural resources. Significant deterioration has caused the trails in Lower Arroyo Park to become noncontiguous, difficult to navigate, and in some areas inaccessible and unsafe.
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One thought on “Senator Portantino Helps Secure $1 Million Grant for One Arroyo”
Senator Portantino has a propensity for old time pork barrel politics rather than tough prioritizing. That is money that could have gone to expand the homeless teams at the Pasadena Police Department who do a good and humane job of getting homeless into shelter and treatment, but are sorely understaffed. Arroyo trails likely could have been improved with private donations and there is a concern that the area will become homeless camps overflowing from Los Angeles.