LOS ANGELES, CA (January 28, 2021) — LA Sanitation and Environment (LASAN)'s exemplary work on biodiversity has been recognized by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). In a blog piece published this week , the NWF commends the groundbreaking work done in the 2020 Los Angeles Biodiversity Report and recognizes the City for becoming the largest city registered in the NWF’s Community Wildlife Habitat program, joining over 250 communities around the country that are working to become more healthy, sustainable, and wildlife-friendly.
"Biodiversity in Los Angeles is globally significant and a source of great pride for Angelenos. The City of Los Angeles is proud to participate in the NWF Community Wildlife Habitat Program and is working hard to become the largest certified City in the U.S. We hope our participation in the program will encourage Angelenos across the City to take action in their yards, schools, and workplaces to provide habitat for wildlife," said Enrique C. Zaldivar, Director and General Manager of LASAN.
To achieve Citywide certification, the City of Los Angeles is encouraging residents to apply for and achieve their own certification by gardening with wildlife in mind, using native plants, planting trees, using sustainable practices, and reducing or eliminating the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Designing gardens and green spaces following these principles will support wildlife, restore connectivity, and enhance climate resilience.
“Even though it is the second largest city in the country, Los Angeles is home to a vast array of wildlife, including hundreds of bird species, coyotes, bobcats and even mountain lions, including the famous Hollywood cougar P-22. Today, the city is making great strides to support wildlife conservation and biodiversity as they continue their work to build and track metrics with the LA City Biodiversity Index,” said Patrick Fitzgerald, senior director of community wildlife at the National Wildlife Federation. “Los Angeles is also already making tremendous progress in the National Wildlife Federation’s Community Wildlife Habitat program, showing how communities can enhance environmental sustainability, protect biodiversity and support environmental equity and justice.”
The partnership and recognition by NWF comes shortly after the release of the 2020 Los Angeles Biodiversity Report, the second such report produced for the City. The 2020 report presents the groundbreaking LA City Biodiversity Index as an approach for measuring urban habitat quality and connectivity in Los Angeles. It also includes a number of biodiversity case studies that serve as emerging models for biodiversity stewardship. With increasing impacts of climate change affecting the southern California region, this work is extremely important for Los Angeles, one of 36 global biodiversity hotspots.
The 2020 LA Biodiversity Report builds upon the action items and concepts identified in the 2018 Biodiversity Report, which used the Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity for Los Angeles to create recommendations for a customized LA City Biodiversity Index. Equitable distribution of biodiversity and healthy ecosystems across the City are a sign that infrastructure is well integrated with built, natural, and social systems. The City set an official goal of no-net biodiversity loss in the 2015 Sustainable City pLAn, LA’s Green New Deal (2019 pLAn), as well as biodiversity measures included in the City’s General Plan. Creating and certifying wildlife gardens across the City of Los Angeles will create high-quality pockets of habitat in the urban matrix that can help achieve the goals of LA's Green New Deal.
The 2020 Los Angeles Biodiversity Report is available here.
For more information on getting your home, school or business certified, visit nwf.org/certify