Panel urges county to protect birds

Addressing major redevelopment plans for Marina del Rey, the California Coastal Commission this week urged Los Angeles County to adopt strict protections for migratory birds nesting in the area and to draw up a comprehensive study of planned development.

The commission’s recommendations are not binding but nevertheless could have a significant effect on development plans for the county-owned waterfront property.

Many of the planned construction projects will need further approval from the commission.

Developers said they were disappointed by the decision, describing the new requirements as unfair and unnecessary.

But environmentalists and anti-growth activists who packed the meeting on Wednesday applauded the action as a blow to the county’s development plans and an important step toward protecting herons, egrets and other birds in the marina.

“I think the birds have a reprieve, and the community has a reprieve,” said Marcia Hanscom, managing director of the environmental group Coastal Law Enforcement Action Network.

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