Walk Aims to Save Two Sites From Development

Under cloudy skies and against cool winds, about 30 true believers gathered along Victory Boulevard on Saturday to begin a four-day, 38-mile trek across Los Angeles in the hope of saving two environmentally sensitive sites from development.

Although the group of men, women and children appeared small next to the large homes that stood around them, they said they want to make a big impact on environmental awareness in the city, as well as raise funds through pledges for local and national environmental groups.

The walkers are participating in the first of what is planned as an annual Earth-Water-Air-L.A. walk, a tour that roughly follows the path of the Los Angeles River from the Los Angeles-Ventura county line in West Hills through the San Fernando Valley and into the L.A. Basin. The tour, sponsored by Social Environmental Entrepreneurs, an affiliate of the Malibu-based Earth Trust Foundation, will end Tuesday--which is Earth Day--at the Del Rey Lagoon in Playa del Rey.

“Our trek will link Ahmanson Ranch with the Ballona Wetlands, two habitats that are being threatened by urban sprawl,” said Mary Altmann, an Agoura Hills resident and a director of the Santa Monica Mountains Resource Conservation District.

The walk became embroiled in controversy and lost the support of several area politicians last month after DreamWorks SKG, the movie studio that wants to build on the Ballona Wetlands, complained that promotional information about the event failed to say it was targeting its project.

Lawmakers including Los Angeles City Councilwoman Laura Chick and state Assemblywoman Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) said they had been under the impression that the walk was only a general, environmental-awareness event and would not have endorsed it had they known it was singling out specific projects for protest.

But as she pulled up behind her supporters, Altmann defended the event Saturday, maintaining, “We did not hide anything from them in our written materials.”

Ahmanson Ranch, a 5,144-acre patch of oak trees and native grassland in Ventura County, abutting the far western San Fernando Valley, is the proposed site for a controversial housing development. The Ballona Wetlands, one of the few remaining wetland ecosystems in Southern California, is currently under consideration by DreamWorks for home and business development.

Before the walk started in earnest, participants gathered together where Victory Boulevard dead-ends at the county line to pray, sing and make speeches about encroaching development.

The first stage of the trek took marchers five miles east on Victory to a midday rest stop at Pierce College. Marchers plan to camp outdoors Saturday night at Lake Balboa Park in Encino, and begin a 12-mile hike to UCLA today.

Along the way, people in passing cars honked at the marchers, some in support, but others in impatience as the walkers stepped out into the street to pass out leaflets.

That got the attention of the LAPD, which sent three cars out to check on the event. However, the police did little outside of directing traffic at major intersections to get the marchers and their entourage across.

Howard Weinstein, a lifelong resident of West Hills, ran out of his house in the 24000 block of Victory Boulevard to greet the marchers.

“I wish that I knew about this march earlier. I would’ve liked to walk part of the way with them,” Weinstein said.