Conference on Bolsa Chica: The Work Isn't Finished

Update, Fall 2007:
The “Conference on Bolsa Chica: The Work Isn’t Finished” held March 23 & 24 of this year, was a great success in not only providing excellent information on the natural resource, but it was also a financial success. With this success we will now be able to be pro-active in making sure that the wetlands and uplands are well managed in an integrated manner. As you know, this conference was sponsored by the Amigos de Bolsa Chica, the Western Alliance for Nature and the Bolsa Chica Land Trust. Since the conference, the three organizations have met with Fish and Game and have determined how the money raised from conference should be used. All three organizations felt that it was very important to have a comprehensive plan for the entire Bolsa Chica. A great deal of work has been done on restoration and management planning that was only focused on the wetlands, and now we all feel that there is a need to look at the entire ecosystem which includes the uplands.

We are now in the first phase of this planning effort with all three organizations working closely with the Department of Fish and Game and the Bolsa Chica Steering Committee to develop a comprehensive plan with funds raised from the Conference which incorporates the entire ecological system. At this time we are outlining what we feel is important in such a plan, gathering all of the information available and establishing objectives. We want to achieve a plan which will secure the future of the Bolsa Chica ecosystem, not only for all of us, but for future generations. If we can achieve this, we can all be assured of leaving a true legacy that we can be proud of. Amigos will keep you posted as this planning effort moves forward.

On March 24, 2007 at the Waterfront Hilton in Huntington Beach, over 200 people attended the all day "Conference on Bolsa Chica," hosted by the Western Alliance for Nature, Amigos de Bolsa Chica and the Bolsa Chica Land Trust. This purpose of this tremendously successful event was to launch a capital campaign to fund an endowment for the stewardship of the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. The funds will be held in trust by the Western Alliance for Nature for use by the Amigos de Bolsa Chica and the Bolsa Chica Land Trust to fund education and management oversight programs.  

The Conference is the beginning of fundraising efforts for this endowment. Sponsors and contributions will continue to be sought.  Matching grants will now be sought. A capital campaign will commence in order to ensure community involvement in stewardship of this precious resource, the Bolsa Chica.

The core mission of the Western Alliance for Nature is the preservation of biodiversity by conservation of endangered and rapidly vanishing habitats; managing and restoring them to functioning ecosystems; and preserving endangered wildlife habitats to protect biodiversity needs to be a global endeavor. Ecosystems are intricately linked in the web of life. Preserving biodiversity means conserving diverse ecosystems. That is why the WAN conservation programs span both North and South American continents. WAN is now focusing on the maintanence of a critical habitat in the Northern Hemisphere – the Bolsa Chica, a Southern Californian coastal wetland ecosystem.

Many thanks to the Waterfront Hilton and the Robert Mayer Corporation for hosting the Conference and their assistance with underwriting much of the cost of putting on this event.

Thanks also to all of the organizations and corporations who sponsored the event: 

Non-Profit Sponsors: Los Angeles Audubon, Sea & Sage Audubon, Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club, Surfrider Foundation, Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust, Orange County Coastkeepers and Friends of Harbors, Beaches and Parks.
Corporation Sponsors: Chevron, PG&E, SES, Port of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach, Makar Properties, CIM, Tree of Life Nursery, Hearthside Homes, Woodfin Suites, Moffatt & Nichol, Action Embroidery, Lyon Management Group and JCC Homes.
Individual Sponsors: Bob & Shirley Dettloff, Gerald & Patricia Chapman, and Joe Shaw, greetingsfromhb.com.
Silent auction donors: King’s Fish House, Duke’s, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, La Fontana Ristorante, Five Crowns Restaurant, La Parolaccia Restaurant, Hotel Healdsburg, REI, Barnes and Noble, Newport Theatre Arts Center, State Senator Tom Harman, Barbara Delgleize, Kay Dolton, Margaret Carlberg, Linda Moon, Al Vari, Village Nursery, Armstrong Garden Centers & Wild Birds Unlimited.
Artist donors: Thomas Anderson, Connie Boardman, Adele Earnshaw, Susan Labouri, Rudy Gardea, Terry Miller, Jo Anne Romero, Diane Versteeg & Larry Wan.
Entertainment: John Sotter, Acoustic Warrior.
And many thanks to all of the volunteers who helped make the day run smoothly!