LA creek restoration project goes out to bid!

It’s not often that we can announce that a creek in LA is being restored – even more exceptional to pass along word that there’s a call for bids for qualified contractors to do the restoration work. Got some know-how in soil bioengineering, native plants, grading natural stream channels? Follow this link to get ahold of the bid packet.  Bid walk’s June 8 at the site.

And the site in question is a small intermittent drainage that flows through North Atwater Park, where Chevy Chase dead-ends at the LA River.

Drill Baby Drill

It’s easy to blame BP’s gulf oil spill on irresponsible profit-hungry corporations and the politicians that do their bidding. This includes the republicans (above video) enthusiastically cheering ”Drill Baby Drill!”

Wondering about the water bond?

There’s $11.4 billion for water-related projects waiting in the wings – to vote for, or against?  The upcoming Water Summit sponsored by the Planning and Conservation League may help you to decide.  Thanks to Miguel Luna at Urban Semillas for making me aware of the event.

From the Facebook page:

The Summit will feature a presentation and discussion on the $11.14 billion water bond (full agenda to follow)

When: Wednesday June 2nd, 10:00am – 1:00pm

Lunch provided with RSVP to summit@cawatersummit.org

Where: SEIU Local 721- Auditorium , 500 S. Virgil Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90020, (5th & Virgil)*
*Near Wilshire/ Vermont Red Line Station

Parking lots on 5th & Virgil and street parking is also availible
Please remember to RSVP!

GoogleEarth files of historical creeks

Creekfreaks, I must confess some technical limitations: I don’t know how to upload GIS layers into a mapping program that we could then insert into Creekfreak that would allow you all to scroll around and find the lost creeks of LA from our site. Joe’s got good ideas about how to do it, and at some point I’ll wade through the process…

Til then, click to link to my Google Earth community posts of .kmz files of creeks, wetlands etc. So far, I just have the Ballona Creek watershed and one image of Woodbury Creek. More to come, unless I figure out the mapping bit first.

And post about your adventures looking for these creeks!

More Images of the Riverdale Green Street Project

Riverdale project under construction earlier this week

The city of Los Angeles’ Riverdale Avenue Green Street project is under construction. Creek Freak recently wrote about the project, and Kai Craig of California Eco Design commented, referring us to project renderings. Below is a photo gallery featuring those images and recent photos of the project nearly completed.

Glendale’s Glendale Narrows Riverwalk Coming Soon

Map of overall City of Glendale Riverwalk project - courtesy city of Glendale

It’s been a long time coming but it looks like the city of Glendale is finally poised to improve their short stretch of the Los Angeles River. Their riverfront linear park will be called the Glendale Narrows Riverwalk, and construction of the initial phase is expected late summer 2010. Creek Freak sat in on a briefing about the project this week and is happy to bring you lots of details about its various phases.

Construction at Confluence Park

Confluence Park plaza and fountain area under construction today

  

I was glad to see construction proceeding at Confluence Park today. In early 2008 construction started there, but then stopped in late 2008 or early 2009 when state bond funds were frozen. I don’t have much recent insider information on this project, so I’ll try to get more details and pass them along to our readers. What follows is basic information on where and what Confluence Park is.  

Rock the Boat Screening This Friday!

Come on down to Los Angeles Eco-Village at 7:30pm this Friday May 21st 2010 and see a nearly-finished version of Rock the Boat! It’s a suggested $20 donation, but no one turned away for lack of funds. For lots of information and to RSVP go to the event page on Facebook. Eco-Village is located at 117 Bimini Place, LA 90004 – it’s located a couple blocks south of the Beverly/Vermont Metro Red Line Station. Directions here.

Arroyo Seco Bike Path Moving Forward Slowly

The edge of this L.A. City Sanitation Yard will become a bike path and walk trail along the Arroyo Seco. (Photo: Bing Maps)

As announced here, last Thursday, the county of Los Angeles Public Works Department held a public meeting on its plans for adding more bike path along the Arroyo Seco. Creek Freek covered the plans for this bike path earlier and that background information is still applicable. It’s going to take a while, but the project is moving forward. Additional details after the jump.

Small NGOs have til Monday to file forms with the IRS

We love our friendly neighborhood environmental nonprofit organizations, and want you to know of this news we just received (thanks to friends at the Coastal Conservancy for forwarding this email from the Land Trust Alliance). If you’re a small NGO that has previously been exempt from filing Form 990, you could use your tax-exempt status – permanently – if you don’t file by MONDAY. Read on:

from the Land Trust Alliance:

Form 990 Drop Dead Date

And the IRS means drop dead!  Up to 25% of all nonprofit organizations could lose their tax exempt status this week. We need your help to ensure that land trusts aren’t among them. Organizations with gross receipts under $25,000 may file the 990-N e-postcard, with 8 simple questions.  Starting May 17, 2010, organizations that have not filed a 990 for three consecutive years will automatically lose their tax exempt status on the due date of their return: the 15th of the fifth month following the end of their fiscal year – May 15 for calendar year filers (May 17 this year since May 15 is a weekend).  Organizations that lose their exempt status may no longer receive tax deductable contributions and must pay taxes on their revenues.  Click here for an IRS notice that discusses this requirement.

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Subject: One-Fourth of Nonprofits Are to Lose Tax Breaks – NYTimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/23/us/23exempt.html