Ventura : Estuary Replanting Gets Council’s OK
A city plan to replace non-native plants with native vegetation at the Ventura River estuary does not require an extensive environmental review, Ventura council members agreed this week.
The council approved a staff report Monday that would allow the city to begin digging up invasive plants like the giant Kikuyu grass and castor bean as early as August and replacing them with shrubs native to the riverbanks.
The project to upgrade the estuary is being run by the city of Ventura, the California Department of Parks and Recreation and the California Coastal Conservancy.
The replacement of vegetation is the first part of a three-phase project to restore the area. In the second phase, the agencies will remove feral cats and other animals in addition to building wooden trails to protect the sand dunes. A visitors center and amphitheater are also planned for this phase.
The last phase will concentrate on restoring the second mouth of the river, and trails will be linked between the estuary and the second mouth.
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