Plans for Ormond Beach, wetlands lack cohesion A bureaucratic bog Carpeted with sod farms that border aging industrial buildings, a creaky power plant and the Halaco Superfund cleanup site, Ormond Beach is a world away from the clean streets of Copenhagen. But the debate surrounding climate change and rising sea levels at the United Nations summit over the past two weeks might have more bearing on this corner of Oxnard than anywhere else in Ventura County. With the land rising to no more than about a dozen feet above sea level in some spots, the area is vulnerable to the most conservative state estimates of a 4-foot rise in ocean levels over the next 100 years. "It’s not a matter of if," said local activist Larry Godwin. "It’s a matter of how fast and how high." — Ventura County Star – 200912191755

Ormond Beach Wetlands Restoration Project California State Coastal Conservancy Ormond Beach is a 1,500-acre area composed of agriculture, industry, and wetlands. A two-mile-long beach extends from Port Hueneme to the northwestern boundary of Pt. Mugu Naval Air Station, which encompasses Mugu Lagoon. Although the wetlands have been drained, filled and degraded over the past century, this is one of the few areas in southern California with an intact dune-transition zone/marsh system. The Ormond Beach area hosts over 200 migratory bird species and more shorebird species are known to use Ormond Beach than any other site in Ventura County.

HARBOR WANTS ORMOND BEACH From an e-mail sent by Ormond Beach activists Shirley and Larry Godwin — At the end of the Ormond Beach Task Force meeting today (Nov 19) we finally heard from Anthony Taormina, Executive Director of the Harbor District, what he and others at the Harbor District didn't want to tell us. This is what he said: The 33 acres [33 acres left of the 38-acre proposed Gateway Park site] is zoned light industrial, and the harbor will take it and any other zoned light industrial land at Ormond. The Harbor District will not buy or develop the land but will have that done by companies that do business with the Harbor. This will be done with or without a harbor overlay. Aren't dictatorial, government-sponsored and authorized tax-collecting entities, nice? So much for democracy in our own nation! Oxnard sees no direct benefit from the Harbor District.

Photos courtesy Alan Sanders What's the Fuss? The Vision News Calendar Maps The Editor's Observations Links   Photo by Roger Pariseau This pair of trumpeter swans has been seen at Ormond Beach and at the estuary of the Santa Clara River and the ocean. All birds opportunist- ically feed where the pickings are easiest. During both sites of their migrations, others of their kind note each other's condition and will follow the healthiest to wherever they opt to migrate. As our local "greenies" have more and more success in making Ormond Beach Wetlands and the Santa Clara River more hospitable, more and more species are attracted to these areas. Why haven't our political leaders been opportunistic themselves and promoted our avian advantage to effect? Ventura County is home to more than 450 different bird species, some 291 in ZIP 93030 alone! Of Ventura County's 19 species of endangered or threatened birds, 17 have been seen at Ormond Beach.	Since the founding of our nation, the area now containing the State of California has lost 91% of its wetlands. Here in Oxnard we personally experience the harm done with our "years of the spiders, the flies and the gnats" — Some bird species that normally visit us skipped those years, or were driven away from overcrowding by other species. As we continue to overpopulate our state, it is imperative that we restore what wetlands we can. If we fail, we do so at our children's and their children's peril. These pages try to explain and to prove that assertion. Fuller's Report — Special Birds Seen At Ormond Beach: Northern Fulmar, California Condor (reported seen feeding on a seal carcass), Snowy Plovers, Semipalmated Plovers, Virginia Rail, Peregrine Falcon, White Ibis, Egrets, Great Blue Heron, Black Rail, Western Grebe, Surf Scoters, Black Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike, Belted Kingfisher, Black Crowned Herons (seen arguing with each other), Red Tailed Hawks, Trumpeter Swans!, White-Tailed Kites, Bald Eagle Fledgling! (seen fishing in the drain between the Perkins Rd. parking lot and the wetlands), three (3!) Golden Plovers, Eared Grebes, Indigo Bunting, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, and Ruddy Ground Dove. The last three were seen by Auduboners at Ormond Beach and are firsts in these parts. Also, on June 14, an informal count at Ormond netted 31 Snowy Plover nests and 48 Least Tern nests.
NEW ORMOND VIDEOS   RIGHT CLICK on the following links to download new videos   explaining the importance of Oxnard's Ormond Beach Wetlands:    — ORMOND: Wetland Wonderland [WMV, 139 MB] —    — Presentation to Planning Commission [WMV, 20 MB] —   (These files will NOT stream on-line — at least not for long!)
NATURE AT WORK This colorful pair of Yellow Headed Blackbirds represent just one of the hundreds of bird species that visit Ormond Beach every year. This Spring has seen Bald Eagles and White Pelicans stirring the air around Egrets and Great Blue Herons, Ibises and Why is this? Birds! Ventura County is home to more than 460 different bird species. More than 300 species visit Ormond Beach. In turn, all those birds consume the insects that would otherwise be pestering us at night. Let's preserve Ormond Beach and our bird sanctuaries! Avocets along with all manner of smaller water birds. Ormond Beach's wetlands and adjacent upland areas breed tens of thousands of birds every year. In turn, the avians consume many of the insects that otherwise would be pestering us. — HALACO History and Superfund Site — — EPA: Toxic Waste Found of Halaco Site; Removal Action Planned — — EPA Halaco Fact Sheet — — EPA Hoja Informativa de Halaco — — THE HALACO FILES — Ventura County Star — — Recycling plant dangers cited — Los Angeles Times — — Rejuvenated Bolsa Chica wetlands flourishing — — Threatened Birds in Ventura County — — Bird Count at Ormond Beach – Video – Story — VCS — — Grant to aid wetlands preservation — — KCLU News Ormond Beach Story, Oct. 13, 2005 [mp3 audio file - 6 min.] — [ Home | Fuss | Vision | News | Calendar | Maps | Commentary | Links ]