The One Arroyo Foundation gathered with Rep. Adam Schiff and Supervisor Kathryn Barger recently to discuss the ambitious restoration efforts underway within the Arroyo Seco and in relation to the Rim of the Valley Corridor.
The nonprofit organization discussed on Sept. 10 its mission to restore and protect the Arroyo’s 900 acres of open space, and the soon-to-commence restoration of the trails under the Colorado Street Bridge and Devil’s Gate Dam sites.
The restoration initiative also dovetails with the Rim of the Valley Corridor trail system, a network of parks and trails connecting the Santa Monica Mountains to the mountains surrounding the San Fernando, Simi, Conejo and La Crescenta Valleys.
One Arroyo President/CEO Dan Rothenberg and Executive Director Rick Gould discussed the foundation’s origin and public support for its mission to restore and protect the area, and the soon-to-commence restoration of the Arroyo Seco-area trails.
“I believe the efforts to preserve and enhance the open spaces in the Arroyo will hopefully increase the accessibility of the Arroyo to the surrounding neighborhoods,” Rothenberg told the Review. “Further, we believe with the current trail projects, and potential future projects, that people will be more excited and enthusiastic about taking advantage of the natural resource available to us all in [the area].”
The restoration of the trails under the Colorado Street Bridge and Devil’s Gate Dam sites are set to commence in late 2023 or early 2024, Gould added, emphasizing the Arroyo Seco’s unique role as an urban wilderness park.
“The Arroyo Seco is also critically important in that it is a natural area within an urban setting unlike any other in the area and offers neighboring communities direct access to the natural environment,” he said. “Preservation and trail restoration efforts in the Arroyo Seco in Pasadena dovetail with the Rim of the Valley (ROV) effort directly. The ROV envisions a connecting trail around the entire protected space and the Arroyo Seco is part of the eastern link of this trail, connecting the L.A. River and Griffith Park with the San Gabriel Mountains.”
Schiff presented more insight into the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act, a legislative endeavor he has championed in Congress. The Act seeks to expand the corridor, enabling the National Park Service and the community to enhance their stewardship of natural resources and habitats, and provide communities with improved access to nature for recreational and educational purposes.
The current Rim of the Valley effort envisions a 200-mile-long trail around the Rim. This “loop” trail would use the Arroyo Seco to connect the eastern portions from the city of Los Angeles in Griffith Park and the Los Angeles River to the San Gabriel Mountains.
“The Rim of the Valley is an area of breathtaking natural beauty that connects our urban city centers, suburbs in the Los Angeles basin, and the spectacular wilderness that surrounds us. Our bill would help protect these lands for generations to come,” Schiff said when he reintroduced the bill in March.
“As more of this area is developed and open space diminishes, the wildlife it supports is increasingly at risk. Congress must preserve the Rim of the Valley and all that it offers, and we must act quickly on a bipartisan basis, or this precious opportunity will be lost forever,” he added.
Barger also expressed her support for the One Arroyo Foundation’s initiatives and praised the group’s collaborative efforts to protect and restore these vital ecological areas.
For more information about the One Arroyo Foundation and its ongoing projects, visit onearroyo.org.
First published in the September 22 print issue of the South Pasadena Review.
