$80 MILLION SOUGHT FOR L.A. RIVER BOXER BILL MAY LEAD TO FUTURE RESTORATION.Byline: DANA BARTHOLOMEW Staff Writer A plan to turn the barren Los Angeles River The Los Angeles River is an intermittent river flowing through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the west end of the San Fernando Valley, 51 miles (82 km) southeast to its mouth in Long Beach. into a bucolic waterway got a potential boost Thursday with a request for millions of dollars in federal funds Federal Funds Funds deposited to regional Federal Reserve Banks by commercial banks, including funds in excess of reserve requirements. Notes: These non-interest bearing deposits are lent out at the Fed funds rate to other banks unable to meet overnight reserve . Sen. Barbara Boxer Barbara Levy Boxer (born November 11, 1940) is an American politician and the current junior U.S. Senator from the State of California. A member of the Democratic Party, Boxer was first elected to the U.S. , D-Calif., announced pending legislation to authorize $80 million to restore the Los Angeles River. If authorized, the federal funding would provide valuable seed money for a developing plan to clean up and return portions of the the concrete flood channel to a natural state, at a potential cost of $1 billion. "I'm going to introduce legislation to revitalize the L.A. River," the senator said during a news conference with city officials at Rio de Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. State Park, a $43.5 million city-state park slated to open next year along the waterway at Taylor Yard in Cypress Park. "This revitalization plan will benefit the community in diverse ways - it will link diverse neighborhoods, maintain open space, protect wildlife, promote economic development, provide low-income housing and more schools." Boxer said her bill would help pay for river projects now being developed according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan. The $3 million plan aims to add paths, parks, restaurants and housing along 32 miles of Los Angeles riverfront. If approved, Boxer's bill would pay: $4 million to the Army Corps of Engineers to develop a plan to restore water flow and re-create wetlands and river habitat to provide recreational and economic opportunities along its banks. $35 million for flood control systems, graffiti removal, wetlands restoration and other river enhancements. $40 million for water re-use to increase water flow and habitat renewal. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Antonio Ramon Villaraigosa (born Antonio (Tony) Ramon Villar, Jr. on January 23, 1953) is the mayor of Los Angeles, California. He is the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles since Cristobal Aguilar in 1872. , council President Eric Garcetti Eric Garcetti (born 1971) is the son of former Los Angeles county district attorney Gil Garcetti, and was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 2001. He was reelected in 2005. , and Councilman Ed Reyes Ed P. Reyes has served on the Los Angeles City Council since April 2001. A native of Northeast Los Angeles, Councilmember Reyes represents many of the neighborhoods he grew up in including Lincoln Heights and Cypress Park. joined state parks Director Ruth Coleman to endorse the plan. The $80 million is vital because it serves as seed money for further grants, said Coleman. "It'll be the big push to create more gems along the emerald necklace" known as the Los Angeles River, she said. "I think it can give legs to the city planning efforts," added Joe Linton of Friends of the Los Angeles River. "If we can get money behind this project, it won't be another (river) plan that sits on a shelf." dana.bartholomew(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3730 IF YOU GO: Friends of the Los Angeles River will host the nation's largest river cleanup from 9 a.m. to noon May 6 between the Tujunga Wash and Long Beach. For more information, call (323) 223-0585, or go to www.folar.org. CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: BOXER Box: IF YOU GO (see text) |
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