ENCINO, Calif.--The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District has scheduled an informal public information meeting to discuss resumption of operations and maintenance work in a 48-acre area south of Burbank Boulevard at Sepulveda Dam Flood Control Basin.
The public meeting will be held in conjunction with the Encino Neighborhood Council Parks Committee meeting on Monday, Oct. 7, at 7:00 p.m., at the Balboa Sports Complex, Clubhouse 1, 17015 Burbank Blvd., in Encino. District representatives will be on hand to discuss the planned activities and answer questions about the vegetative management area.
Short-term actions include removal of debris piles and fallen trees. Additional work will include identification, tagging and removal of dead and non-native trees. The area will then be selectively treated with herbicide to prevent the re-emergence of non-native vegetation.
“The Los Angeles District is committed to an open and collaborative process as we create a more valuable native habitat that allows for inspection, monitoring and maintenance of the vegetative management area,” said Col. Kim Colloton, commander of the Los Angeles District. “Transparency and community involvement is vitally important to us.”
Long-term actions include the development of an array of alternatives from which a final plant palette will be selected. In a future phase of the project, the Corps will plant the selected vegetation, creating an area ideally suited for operations and maintenance of flood risk management infrastructure while also supporting passive recreation activities such as bird watching and hiking.
The plan is compatible with America's Great Outdoors Initiative and complements revitalization efforts along the Los Angeles River, balancing the objectives of flood risk management, habitat restoration, passive recreation and public safety.
For more information about the public information meeting or the planned activities, please contact Jay Field, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, at 213-452-3920 or by email at thomas.j.field@usace.army.mil.