Senator Portantino Helps Secure $1M Grant for One Arroyo
For Immediate Release: January 25, 2022
Contact: Lerna Shirinian, (818) 409-0400
Senator Portantino Helps Secure $1M Grant for One Arroyo
Sacramento, CA - State Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – La Cañada Flintridge) testified yesterday in strong support of a $1 million grant from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC) to the One Arroyo Foundation. The Senator provided comment during the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy meeting yesterday evening, when the grant was up for consideration. The Conservancy received significant funding in the 2021-2022 State Budget as a result of Senator Portantino’s negotiations and the State Senate’s budget priorities. Today’s action is a direct result of those efforts proving to be fruitful.
“One Arroyo is a great project for the City of Pasadena and I was very excited to collaborate with former Mayor Bogaard and many others to help make this grant come to fruition,” stated Senator Portantino. “I am grateful to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy for its analysis and vote in favor of the $1 million grant and very pleased that the State Senate made funding our conservancies a top legislative priority. I look forward to continuing efforts to expand and preserve open space in our communities. This is an important step towards that goal.”
The $1 million grant from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to the One Arroyo Foundation will be used restore and reunify the Arroyo Seco trail network in Pasadena, focusing on the Lower Arroyo Trail Loop. The project will restore and enhance about 3.5 miles of trail, making it safer and more accessible by including features for people with disabilities, new signage, erosion control, and slope stabilization. There will also be opportunities to learn about the history of the Arroyo Seco and ongoing conservation efforts. The project will allow for continuous travel by wildlife in the area and protect native plant species from drought.
When informed of the grant, Bill Bogaard, former City of Pasadena Mayor and CFO of One Arroyo Foundation, stated: “The Foundation extends profound thanks to Senator Portantino for his interest in the Arroyo Seco and his support for One Arroyo's mission to restore the twenty miles of trails on the banks of the Arroyo. This grant enables the Foundation to proceed ahead of schedule with its first major Arroyo trails restoration project. We could not be more grateful to the Senator and the SMMC."
According to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the Arroyo Seco encompasses over 900 acres of urban forest and provides 22 miles of trails in Pasadena. It is one of Pasadena's most treasured natural resources. Significant deterioration has caused the trails in Lower Arroyo Park to become noncontiguous, difficult to navigate, and in some areas inaccessible and unsafe.
Senator Portantino is the Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and was instrumental in the final budget negotiations that yielded strong fiscal support for the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. He has been a long time and consistent supporter of preserving our precious open spaces and expanding outdoor recreation activities. As a former Mayor of La Cañada Flintridge, he understands the challenges cities nestled up against the foothills have in acquiring land and preserving land for future generations.
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