Snowy Plovers get protection on LA County beaches!

Los Angeles County Beaches & Harbors have agreed to protect Western Snowy Plovers on Dockweiler State Beach. The decision was made aftera a four-hour meeting arrangefd by the County agency with Los Angeles Audubon's Conservation Chair Garry George, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Los Angeles Planning Commission, Los Angeles Fire Department Lifeguards, Coastal Commissioners Sara Wan andWilliam Burke and Tom Ryan of Ryan Ecological Consulting.

The coastal population of Western Snowy Plover was listed as a federally threatened species under the Endangered Species Act in 1993. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Serivce designated portions of Dockweiler State Beach as critical habitat for the recovery of the Snowy Plover.  

Fencing will be placed at Dockweiler that iwll be 300 feet long, with sides of 100 feet at each end and open to the shoreline. The fence will be monitored by volunteers from the Snowy Plover program of Los Angeles Audubon, Santa Monica Bay Audubon and Palos Verdes/South Bay Audubon. Los Angeles Audubon will also create a volunteer docent program to inform beachgoers about the birds and why they need to be protected.

There is more on the Snowy Plover program including reports, volunteer events and information on the birds on the Los Angeles Audubon website