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California Bill AB 1322
California Bill AB 1788
Here is how to report illegal use of 2nd generation anticoagulant rat poisons
Your City Can Ban PESTICIDES on City-Owned Property - Parks and Buildings
Malibu Earth Friendly Policy
Help Eliminate Poison Bait Boxes
Malibu Dumpster Ordinance
Malibu Local Coastal Program Amendment
May 13, 2021 Coastal Commission Hearing to Certify Malibu LCP Amendment
UPDATE!The Amendment was passed UNANIMOUSLY by the California Coastal Commission on May 13, 2021.
Ventura County Planning Commission Hearing, August 19, 2021
Ventura County Board of Supervisors Hearing Tuesday October 19, 2021

California Bill AB 1322

California State Assemblymember Laura Friedman has introduced a bill to ban first generation anticoagulant rodent poison diphacinone. Here is information about it.

Fact Sheet from sponsor State Assemblymember Laura Friedman.

Text of AB 1322.

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors February 28, 2023 support for banning diphacinone statewide.

Poison Free Malibu support letter submitted March 23, 2023 to California legislature advocate website.

Approved by the Assembly Environmental Safety & Toxic Materials Committee March 28, 2023.

California Bill AB 1788

UPDATE: 9/3/20
Governor Newsom SIGNED IT!

It becomes the law on January 1, 2021.

AB 1788 puts a moratorium on the use of 2nd generation anticoagulant rodent poisons by pest control service companies while the California Department of Pesticide Regulation comes up with new regulations, which hopefully continue the ban.

Governor Newsom signing AB 1788 September 29, 2020

Here is how to report illegal use of 2nd generation anticoagulant rat poisons

First, verify that the poison in the bait box is one of the four illegal ones. 
The four are bromadialone, brodifacoum, difethialone, and difenacoum.

ALL bait boxes MUST have labels (click for the law wording, page 3.5) with the product inside indicated.
In the photo below, “Bromadialone” is the active poison, one of the four illegal ones.

Next, please report the 2nd generation anticoagulants. Also report if there is no label or if it is illegible.
The Agency in charge is the County Agricultural Commission for your county.

Los Angeles County:
Website: acwm.lacounty.gov/environmental-protection-bureau/
Phone: 626.575.5466
Email: envprot@acwm.lacounty.gov

Ventura County:
Website: www.ventura.org/agricultural-commissioner/pesticide-use-enforcement/
Phone: 805.388.4222 or 805.933.2926
Email:  ag.inspector@ventura.org or venturacountyag.commissioner@ventura.org

Throughout California:
Phone: 877.378.5463
Website: www.cdfa.ca.gov/exec/county/countymap

Your City Can Ban PESTICIDES on City-Owned Property - Parks and Buildings

Here is How to Go About It
Click here for slides on How to Get Your City to Adopt a Pesticide-Free Policy

Malibu Earth Friendly Policy

Click here to see the official Malibu Earth Friendly Policy on our Earth Friendly Management webpage.

From Malibu's Resolution Against Rodent Poisons

“The City Council urges businesses in Malibu to no longer use or sell anticoagulant rodenticides, urges all property owners to cease purchasing or using anticoagulant rodenticides on their properties in Malibu and commits the City of Malibu to not use anticoagulant rodenticides as part of its maintenance program for City-owned parks and facilities.”
July 2013

Help Eliminate Poison Bait Boxes

Include your city’s Resolution opposing rodent poisons if it has passed one.
Here is a list of municipalities with Resolutions.

A copy of the city dumpster ordinances from the city’s Municipal Code. To find it, try Googling “{city name} municipal code”. Most cities have ordinances specifying that it is ILLEGAL TO LEAVE DUMPSTERS OPEN and trash on the ground.

Does the city have an educational pamphlet created by the city? Some that do are Malibu, Calabasas, Agoura Hills, Thousand Oaks, Ojai, Camarillo. Here are examples.

•  Educational graphics including a useful diagram showing how the poisons go up the food chain: Educational Graphics

•  Photos of animals before and after poisoning. See Poisoned Animals

•  A letter of concern to the particular business summarizing the issue. We have examples of such letters on request.

•  See our Rodents page for recommendations on rodent control.

Shopping malls, restaurants, businesses, and residential complexes are big users of poison bait boxes.

• Check in back of the malls and restaurants and businesses where the dumpsters arelocated.

•  Bait boxes come in various colors and shapes – black, silver, white, gray box shape or some that look like fake plastic rocks.

•  A label showing what ingredient is in use is required by law.

       – Usually, the ingredient is one item checked off in a list
       – Do not handle the bait box
       – The bait box by law must be tethered down
       – Photograph the bait boxes, including the label clearly.
       – Some bait boxes contain snap traps or repellents, not poison. 

• See above Types of rodent poisons –to identify and understand the INGREDIENT (not just the product name).

• Photograph the local dumpster situation. See Dumpsters for a check list on what can go wrong. Show the photos to the management. Recommend locking dumpsters and finding a pest control service that uses repellents. Western Exterminator is one example.

 

The city or Chamber of Commerce may have a listing of local businesses that are potential poison bait box users to canvas.

• At shopping or business complexes, it may be individual businesses or the overall property management that is in charge of obtaining the pest control service. Ask the businesses what the situation is. If it is the overall property management, get the contact information.

• Start a dialogue.
– Obtain email address to send educational information to.
– For individual small business, bring educational pamphlets in hand and ask for an appointment to see the manager or owner
– When educating larger chain stores, also obtain a corporate email address from the local management to start communication as the decision making authority may not be the local management.
– Restaurants sometimes are under the misconception that rodent poisons are necessary to obtain the “A” grade. This is completely untrue.
– Inform businesses that they will SAVE MONEY by getting rid of the monthly fee for resupplying the poison bait boxes.

• Homeowner Associations are big users of rodent poisons.

–  Is there an HOA member who is upset about the use of poison bait boxes? Have them set up a meeting with the HOA Board or the HOA membership.  We have given talks at many HOAs partnered with a wildlife biologist from the National Park Service which has an excellent outreach program.

Malibu Dumpster Ordinance

There is a CORRECT way to deal with excess rodents in commercial contexts.
It’s simple – STOP BREEDING THEM!
Yes, that is overwhelmingly what can be seen behind shopping centers, restaurants, and other food-serving businesses.
Dumpsters open, overflowing, and with food trash on the ground.
This provides a plentiful supply of food to multiply rodents!
And then, ridiculously, the poison bait boxes are placed there to counter this uncaring sloppiness.
See our section on DUMPSTERS.

Most cities and counties actually have ordinances that mandate dumpsters should be closed and food waste contained.
But they are commonly ignored!
Three features must be included in ordinances to make them truly effective:
• A monitoring and enforcement schedule (multiple times per year) WITH FINES!
• The dumpster lids must be intact, not warped, and able to be tightly closed.
• Dumpsters must not just be closed, but also LOCKED.
This is necessary to prevent over-stuffing, and unauthorized access, both from people raiding dumpsters and from people illegally dumping their garbage.

Here is a Malibu Times news story – All Commercial Dumpsters Must Have Locking Lids By This Summer  – summarizing the action.

The ordinance in detail, finalized April 2020, is here – § 8.32.640 Pre-collection practices..

Calabasas Ordinance
We were pleased that the city of Calabasas followed through in November 2021 with its own ordinance.
The effort was led by Calabasas High School student and City Environmental Commission member Zachary Rosoff.
Here is a link to Chapter 8.16 of the Calabasas Municipal Code. The amendments start on page 54.
Here is the link to the staff report.

Malibu Local Coastal Program Amendment

Malibu Local Coastal Program Amendment with
Pesticide Prohibitions Passes December 9, 2019

You can see it on YouTube at December 9, 2019 Malibu City Council Meeting Item 4A.
Here are direct links to each speaker:

SPEAKERS (click on name)

Staff Report from Bonnie Blue

John Mazza
Hamish Patterson
Wilmar Mejia Tree of Life Pest Control
Margot Smit
Debra Bianco
Sherman Baylin
Scott Dittrich
Judy Villablanca, Malibu Monarch Project
Bryce Anderson
Lisa Levinson, In Defense of Animals
Keegan Gibbs
Roger Pugliese, Las Virgenes Homeowners Federation
Norm Haynie
Attorney Noah Garrison
Attorney Kevin Shenkman
Kian Schulman , Poison Free Malibu
Susie Duff, reading Senator Henry Stern letter
Attorney Frank Angel
Attorney Michelle Black
Kelly Meyer, National Resources Defense Council
Stephany Lewis, California Wildlife Center
Georgia Goldfarb, Malibu Monarch Project
Steve Uhring, reading National Park Service letter
Randi Feilich, Project Coyote
Renata Pompelli, reading Xerces Society letter
Dennis Arguelles, National Parks Conservation Association
Patt Healy, Malibu Coalition for Slow Growth
Joel Schulman, Poison Free Malibu
Carson Meyer
Suzanne Guldimann
Tony Tucci, Citizens for Los Angeles Wildlife
Christine Renau, Poison Free Calabasas
Cameron Hellwood Wellwood
City Council Discussion and Vote

The intent of the Amendment is to align with the City’s vision and mission statement to create a program that encourages biodiversity and ensures preservation of natural resources including the ocean, marine life, creeks, canyons, plant life, mountains, wildlife and open spaces.

The Amendment promotes a problem-solving strategy that mandates the use of preventative practices and enrichment strategies that promote healthy soil, plant life, wildlife and safeguarding of structures.
 
The Amendment will protect the health of citizens and pets by  eliminating the use of hazardous chemicals and pesticides and shifting to environmentally compatible practices.
 
It guarantees the rights of citizens the safe use of city structures and recreation areas.’
 
We face urgent health and environmental challenges and strong action is needed.
 
With the rise of serious health problems including cancer, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, reproductive failures, developmental disorders, autism as well as the steep decline in biodiversity, it is time to embrace an urgent transition to Green management.
 
Green means protection of the environment, addressing issues critical to sustainability, clean air and water, managing carbon through regenerative soil management, and eliminating fossil fuel dependent fertilizers and pesticides.
 
Organic practices maintain and enhance ecological balance that makes chemical fertilizers and synthetic pesticides unnecessary.
 
The Amendment will provide a model for a green future to all who wish to be released from the grip of the pesticide industry and incorporate organic standards, principles and values.
 
These practices are integral to a green future.

May 13, 2021 Coastal Commission Hearing to
Certify Malibu LCP Amendment

UPDATE!
The Amendment was passed UNANIMOUSLY by the California Coastal Commission on May 13, 2021.

Here is the video of the hearing. Start at time 35:00.

WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW –  BY 5 pm THIS FRIDAY, MAY 7!!
 
Dear Friends,
 
We need your support for a very important step in our campaign to restrict pesticides in Malibu. We need you EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT A MALIBU RESIDENT as the goal is to protect wildlife throughout the Santa Monica Mountains, and we plan to work for similar regulations up and down the coast.
 
The California Coastal Commission will vote to restrict pesticides in Malibu NEXT WEEK Thursday May 13. It is to certify an Amendment to the Malibu Local Coastal Program (LCP). An LCP is the document that regulates development in the Coastal Zone. 
 
You may recall the great turnout we had when the Malibu City Council passed the Amendment on December 9, 2019. 
We need you again!
 
The agenda item with more details is at https://www.coastal.ca.gov/meetings/agenda/#/2021/5. Choose the “Thursday” tab and go to item 9b.
 
Send your support emails to this address:
To: SouthCentralCoast@coastal.ca.gov
Subject:  SUPPORT Item 9b – City of Malibu LCP Amendment No. LCP-4-MAL-19-0164-3 (Prohibit the Use of Pesticides)
 
EMAILS MUST BE RECEIVED BY THIS FRIDAY 5 PM FOR ALL THE COMMISSIONERS TO RECEIVE IT!
 
Here is a sample email, but personalizing is always good for more impact.
 
Dear Coastal Commissioners,
 
The Malibu LCP Amendment restricting pesticide use is urgently needed to preserve wildlife in Malibu and the Santa Monica mountains. Malibu is a long thin strip along most of the southern border of the Santa Monica mountains and this amendment is essential to protect both Malibu and the mountains.

As is well documented by studies by scientists from the National Park Service, UCLA and the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, 80-90% of predator wildlife – hawks, owls, foxes, bobcats, coyotes, raccoons, mountain lions, etc., are exposed to poisons.
 
 
Mountain lions are major victims of pesticide poisoning. 

Here is a quote from Dr. Seth Riley of the National Park Service and adjunct professor at UCLA:
“Just about every mountain lion we’ve tested throughout our study has had exposure to these poisons, generally multiple compounds and often at high levels.”

The most recent mountain lion deaths are P-67 last July orphaning two kittens, and P-78 last December. Other causes contributed to their deaths, but BOTH had five anticoagulant rodenticides and the NON-ANTICOAGULANT bromethalin, crippling them from dealing with the challenges of living in the wild.

And, it is not just predator species endangered by poisons!
 
It is widely known that the monarch butterfly population has been decimated, with a 97% decrease from the 1980’s in California. Habitat destruction and the reduction of their food supply by glyphosate weed killers are the suspected culprits. Pollinator bees are also well-known victims of insecticides, and a recent study from the University of London has documented that certain RoundUp products can kill 96% of exposed bumble bees, a threatened denizen of our mountains.
 
Rodenticides poisoning our predator species, insecticides attacking pollinators and other insects, and cancer-causing herbicides, need to be restricted in the especially sensitive California Coastal Zone.
 
Please vote for the LCP amendment for Malibu to reduce poisons in the environment.
 
Sincerely,
 
Name
Address

Ventura County Planning Commission Hearing, August 19, 2021

UPDATE 8/19/2021- THIS WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!
The Commission voted 4 to 1 to approve pesticide restriction language similar to Malibu's.
Next step is the Board of Supervisors.

The video of the whole meeting is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb6EbgA_f04
Poison Free Malibu, Joel, is  at https://youtu.be/sb6EbgA_f04?t=11575
Our attorney Sunjana Supekar from Chatten-Brown, Carstens & Minteer is at https://youtu.be/sb6EbgA_f04?t=12143
The discussion of the Commissioners and staff is at several places both before after our public comment, so it is a bit hard to follow.
The five part final motion is stated by Planning Director David Ward at https://youtu.be/sb6EbgA_f04?t=16450
He gives the new language clearly at that point.
Help Save Wildlife in the Western Santa Monica Mountains
ALERT: August 19 Ventura County Planning Commission Hearing
 
Dear Friends of Wildlife,
There is a very important meeting of the Ventura County Planning Commission Thursday August 19.
It is to consider new restrictions on pesticides – rodent poisons, herbicides, and insecticides – in the Ventura County Coastal Zone.
 
This is our chance to save mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, foxes, owls, hawks, and other predator species from the 90% exposure rate to poisons that you have heard about, and also save endangered insects including pollinator species such as honey bees, bumblebees and butterflies that are vanishing at an alarming rate.
The special region to be protected is the “Santa Monica Mountains Overlay Zone” shown in the above map (green region outlined in yellow).
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE FIRST SUPERVISOR DISTRICT (Supervisor Matt LaVere, who succeeded Steve Bennett) please scroll down for a suggestion to include the North Coast for the pesticide restrictions.
 
Our simple request is to SEND IN AN EMAIL TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION by 3:30 pm Wednesday August 18.
Here is an example, but individualized emails, especially including examples of encounters with wildlife, are the best. Instructions on how to attend the Zoom meeting and to speak are at https://vcrma.org/public-comments-for-planning-commission-hearings.
Thank you!
 
SAMPLE EMAIL TO PLANNING COMMISSION
SUBJECT: Item No. 6A ESHA LCP Update August 19, 2021
Dear Planning Commissioners,
We are pleased that the draft of the Local Coastal Program revision includes new language recognizing the harm being done by toxic pesticides to wildlife in the Santa Monica Mountains. However, in its present form it is inadequate and will do little or nothing to reduce the current poisoning of wildlife which is occurring at the 90% exposure level. 
 
The challenge is with the Coastal Zoning Ordinance draft language as follows (page 5-166).
Section 8178-2.8 Effects of Toxic Substances, Including Toxic Rodenticides, Insecticides, and Herbicides 
a. Santa Monica Mountains Overlay Zone: “… new development shall be prohibited from the use of toxic substances, including toxic rodenticides, insecticides and, herbicides that have the potential to adversely impact ESHA, coastal water quality, or wildlife….“  
 
The limitation to “new” development makes the ordinance ineffective, because no significant new development in the western Santa Monica Mountains is expected to occur. The pesticides that are harming development originate from areas that are already  developed and in which pesticides are in use. Wildlife easily passes through inhabited areas in their normal transit of open space, and also poisoned target rodents, which can take several days to die, are easy prey, passing the poisons up the food chain.
 
Fortunately, the Coastal Commission just recently certified a similar pesticide restriction for Malibu in May. 
It states
“… throughout the City of Malibu, development that involves the use of pesticides, including insecticides, herbicides, rodenticides, or any other similar toxic chemical substances, shall be prohibited in cases where the application of such substances would have the potential to significantly degrade Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas or coastal water quality or harm wildlife…..”
 
There is no mention of “new” in this language. It would give maximum flexibility to Ventura County in its implementation.
 
Please adopt this Coastal Commission certified language, as it was developed with careful consideration of the Coastal Act and everyone’s goal of protecting wildlife. Restricting only to new development does not accomplish this goal.


Thank you,

Name
Address
 
HERE IS MORE OF THE DETAIL
You can see the Ventura Coastal Zone here in three sections – North, Central, and South Coasts – https://vcrma.org/land-use-maps.
 
WE NEED YOUR INPUT to go to the Planning Commissioners to urge them to strengthen the language beyond what they are now proposing.
Instructions for submitting email and for speaking at the Zoom meeting are at https://vcrma.org/public-comments-for-planning-commission-hearings
Email goes to Case Planner Abigail Convery abigail.convery@ventura.org.
 
The situation is the following.
Restrictions on pesticides require approval by the Coastal Commission.
It is done through an agreement with Ventura County called a “Local Coastal Program (LCP).”
Ventura County is now revising its LCP so this is the chance to put in the pesticide restrictions!
 
The strongest provisions are specified for what is called the “Santa Monica Mountains Overlay Zone”
You can see it in this map above, green area outlined in yellow.
That is the western porting of the Santa Monica Mountains that it is our main goal to protect.
 
The Coastal Commission just approved new pesticide restriction in Malibu on May 13.
The Malibu LCP language included:
“… throughout the City of Malibu, development that involves the use of pesticides, including insecticides, herbicides, rodenticides, or any other similar toxic chemical substances, shall be prohibited in cases where the application of such substances would have the potential to significantly degrade Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas or coastal water quality or harm wildlife.“
 
The proposed Ventura County LCP does not go far enough. It says:
“Santa Monica Mountains (M) Overlay Zone: Except as authorized in subsection (c) below, new development shall be prohibited from the use of toxic substances, including toxic rodenticides, insecticides and, herbicides that have the potential to adversely impact ESHA, coastal water quality, or wildlife….”
 
Note the different language, in red. The proposed Ventura language includes “new,” that is not in the Malibu language. 
THIS MAKES THE VENTURA PROVISION COMPLETELY USELESS!
There will be no significant new development in the Santa Monica Mountains, so the restrictions will not even apply.
We are concerned with poison use in EXISTING development.
 
The full documents for this hearing are at https://vcrma.org/ventura-county-local-coastal-program-update

If you are in the FIRST SUPERVISOR DISTRICT

(Supervisor Matt LaVere who succeeded Steve Bennett) you have an extra goal we encourage you to support.
 
And here is map of the North Coast Coastal Zone in the First District – https://docs.vcrma.org/images/pdf/planning/programs/local-coastal/North-Coast-Aerial-Map.pdf
 
This part of the Coastal Zone is not now included in the extra protection provided to the Santa Monica Mountains Overlay Zone. We encourage you to write in and speak that you want the North Coast included too!  
 
Here is what Poison Free Malibu sent in to the Planning Commission
 
From: Poison Free Malibu <poisonfreemalibu@gmail.com>
Subject: PL 17-0083 August 19 2021 Planning Commission Hearing, Pesticide Provisions
Date: August 16, 2021 at 12:35:59 PM PDT
To: Abigail Convery <abigail.convery@ventura.org>
 
Dear Planning Commissioners,
There is one serious weak link in the proposed Coastal Zoning Ordinance, Exhibit 5, relating to pesticides relative to the May 13, 2021 Coastal Commission approved Malibu LCP Amendment referred to.
 
We believe that the Malibu language should be considered as the template for pesticide restrictions in other Coastal localities.
The Coastal Commission was extremely enthusiastic about the Malibu LCP Amendment at the May 13 hearing and encouraged it as a model for other localities up and down the coast.
The recording of the hearing is at time 35:00 at https://cal-span.org/unipage/?site=cal-span&owner=CCC&date=2021-05-13. 
There were hundreds of letters of support including State Senator Henry Stern, LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, National Park Service, Santa Monica Mountains Fund, Center for Biological Diversity, California Wildlife Center, Heal the Bay, Malibu Foundation, Project Coyote, and many individuals. 
 
The critical difference between the proposed Ventura County LCP language as compared to the May 13 approved Malibu version is as follows.
 
The proposed Ventura County Coastal Zoning Ordinance Sec. 8178-2.8 says:
 
“Effects of Toxic Substances, Including Toxic Rodenticides, Insecticides, and Herbicides
 
Santa Monica Mountains (M) Overlay Zone: Except as authorized in subsection (c) below, new development shall be prohibited from the use of toxic substances, including toxic rodenticides, insecticides and, herbicides that have the potential to adversely impact ESHA, coastal water quality, or wildlife….”
 
The corresponding Malibu LCP Amendment says:
 
“Except as permitted pursuant to this provision or Policy 3.20, throughout the City of Malibu, development that involves the use of pesticides, including insecticides, herbicides, rodenticides, or any other similar toxic chemical substances, shall be prohibited in cases where the application of such substances would have the potential to significantly degrade Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas or coastal water quality or harm wildlife…..”
 
Please consider replacing the proposed “new development ...” by the Malibu Amendment language “development that involves the use of pesticides, …”.
 
This sentence was the topic of MUCH discussion among Ventura Office Coastal Staff, our team, and the city of Malibu Planning Director Richard Mollica. It went through several versions to arrive at what is there now. “new development” had been in previous versions, and was purposely removed and replaced by Coastal Staff. The reason was that they realized that specifying “new” development might mistakenly leave out “development involving the use of pesticides.” 
 
What was strongly emphasized by them (Coastal staff Barbara Carey and Steve Hudson) was:
 
1) The use of pesticides can and has been considered to be development in itself under certain conditions by the Coastal Commission.
2) They repeatedly told us that the interpretation of what is development and when pesticides adversely impact ESHA, coastal water quality, or wildlife can, and actually must, be subsequently determined by the city or county. 
Therefore, changing the wording in the way we are suggesting only empowers the County by giving it the maximum flexibility possible.
Ventura County still has total control over the implementation details.
 
It is well established that a locality cannot be sued for LCP language alone, so there is no risk at this stage.
The case usually referenced is Charles A. Pratt Construction Company v. California Coastal Commission, 162 Cal. App. 4th 1068, 1075 (2008).
A locality can be sued if and only when it does something to implement the language in a way that someone doesn’t like, e.g., deny a permit or impose a fine.
The Malibu language is now established as the standard which provides a locality with the flexibility to devise policies for implementing restrictions in the most legally safe and effective manner.
 
Please adopt the Coastal Commission staff recommendation for the Malibu language, as it was developed with careful consideration of the Coastal Act and everyone’s goal of protecting wildlife. Restricting the restrictions to new development only does not accomplish this.
 
Thank you,
 
Joel Schulman
Poison Free Malibu

Ventura County Board of Supervisors Hearing Tuesday October 19, 2021

Here is the email we sent out on October 16 soliciting support for the BoS hearing.
It includes a sample email to send in to the BoS.

Dear Friends of the Santa Monica Mountains and All Wildlife,

We, Poison Free Malibu and allies, have worked hard FOR YEARS to protect Santa Monica Mountains wildlife.
The way to help out now is simple – 
 
Please send a short email (sample below) to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors for their Tuesday October 19 meeting. Yes, numbers count to demonstrate that people care!
You do not have to be a Ventura County resident to send an email. 
 
As you know, wildlife predator species are being sickened and killed by rat poisons, including hawks, owls, bobcats, foxes, coyotes, and tragically mountain lions.
In addition, endangered insects including pollinator species such as honey bees, bumblebees and butterflies are vanishing at an alarming rate.
 
This Tuesday October 19 at 3 pm there is a simple step you can take to protect the wildlife in the western Ventura County portion of the Santa Monica Mountains Coastal Zone.
You can see in the map that it stretches from Pt. Mugu State Park to Leo Carrillo State Park and inland a few miles, following the Coastal Zone boundary.
An overview Santa Monica Mountains Coastal Zone map is at https://www.coastal.ca.gov/maps/czb/. Click on “Ventura” in the list at the left.
 
We have already protected the Santa Monica Mountains wildlife in the Los Angeles County Santa Monica Mountains Coastal Zone including Malibu by promoting provisions in the development rules, the “Local Coastal Program,” restricting pesticides that are doing the damage to these wildlife species. 
 
Achieving this in the Ventura County western portion will complete the protections for all the Santa Monica Mountains Coastal Zone!
 
Speaking at the hearing at 3 pm is also a great support – even just a simple statement that you care about wildlife and the Santa Monica Mountains.
We learned at the August Planning Commission hearing that public comments make a BIG IMPACT!
 
 
SAMPLE EMAIL – Due by Monday October 18 12 pm.
 
SUBJECT: BoS meeting Item 50 – SUPPORT Phase 2C LCP Amendment Pesticide Restrictions
 
Dear Board of Supervisors,
 
The Santa Monica Mountains is a precious resource for wildlife and all who love nature. 
The hazards of harmful pesticides to wildlife is well established from studies by the National Park Service, UCLA, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. 
 
In response, the eastern portion in the Los Angeles County Coastal Zone, including Malibu, have now been protected by provisions in their Local Coastal Programs restricting pesticides. The Planning Commission has approved similar language at its August 19 hearing for the Ventura County portion of the Santa Monica Mountains.
 
We strongly support the Planning Commission recommendation and urge you to approve it as is.
 
Sincerely,
Name
Address