Locals Plant Seeds of Renewal in ‘Greening of Laguna’ Effort

Business leaders, vowing to make the community even better than it was before the fire, announced a campaign Tuesday to help local agencies replant scorched hillsides to restore Laguna Beach’s scenic beauty.

Another main goal of the Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce’s “The Greening of Laguna” campaign is to let people throughout the country know that business and tourist destinations are open as usual, chamber President Joe Orsak said.

“We’re doing all that we can to let the world know Laguna is alive and well,” Orsak said during a luncheon meeting attended by about 75 people.

Green ribbons symbolizing the “greening of Laguna” will be going up throughout town, and T-shirts were made Tuesday conveying that message.

While the fire last Wednesday destroyed 366 homes and caused at least $270 million in damage, the city’s business district and famed tourist spots, including the Festival of the Arts grounds, were spared. All local hotels, restaurants and businesses have since returned to normal operation, Orsak said.

The chamber plans to work closely with city and county organizations that are developing a reseeding plan and to do whatever it can to help, from donating seeds and seedlings to providing financial backing and volunteers, Orsak said.

County officials have said a reseeding plan, which is crucial to preventing winter mudslides and flooding, could be ready by week’s end, Orsak said.

Before the winter rains begin, the chamber also plans to hand out information about erosion prevention.

Peter Phillips, general manager of the Surf & Sand Hotel on Coast Highway, said the fire has affected business, especially since there is a “national perception that the village was destroyed.”

But he, like others at the meeting, was optimistic that the setback is only temporary and that word will get out that the village was spared from the flames and is open for business.

“Out of this tragic fire, I sense we’ll be coming together,” Phillips said. “We see that happening today.”

The chamber is also accepting donations for a separate Fire Relief Fund and is organizing golf tournaments to benefit fire victims. For more information on how to help, call the chamber at (714) 494-1018.