The Planning and Land Use Management Committee is recommending that the City Attorney prepare an ordinance making it illegal (trespass) for visitors to leave designated trails and walkways at Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park and enter into Protected Areas for Wildlife without authorization.

What is Being Proposed?

The Planning and Land Use Management Committee is recommending that the City Attorney prepare an ordinance making it illegal (trespass) for visitors to leave designated trails and walkways at Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park and enter into Protected Areas for Wildlife without authorization. This would create enforceable penalties for unauthorized access to sensitive wildlife areas within the park.

Why?

The ordinance aims to protect sensitive biological resources and wildlife habitats at Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park and the Harbor City Waterway. The motion recognizes that these areas need stronger legal protections and proposes that both locations be designated as Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas under California's Coastal Act, which provides additional state-level protections.

Key Details

The PLUM Committee unanimously approved this motion on October 14, 2025, with all five members voting yes (Blumenfield, Hutt, Nazarian, Lee, and Raman). The Committee also requested that the City Attorney report within 30 days on existing protections for parks, sensitive areas, protected areas, and wilderness areas citywide before drafting the ordinance. The motion was initiated by Councilmember McOsker and amended by Councilmember Raman.

Impact

This primarily affects park visitors and the community in Harbor City. The ordinance would restrict public access to certain areas of Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park to protect wildlife and habitats. Residents and visitors would need to stay on designated trails, while the park and wildlife would benefit from reduced human disturbance in sensitive ecological areas.

What is Being Proposed?

Martin Byhower, a long-time advocate for Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park, is submitting a public comment in support of an unspecified measure (referenced as "this measure") related to the park. While the exact proposal is not detailed in this communication, Byhower indicates it involves protective measures to control public access to sensitive habitat areas.

Why?

Byhower emphasizes that Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park has successfully recovered thanks to prior restoration efforts and protective measures. He argues that the park's natural values can only be sustained if strong measures are implemented to prevent unauthorized wandering and trespassing into valuable habitat areas. His support is grounded in decades of personal stewardship and his instrumental role in securing approximately $100 in Proposition O funding that enabled the park's initial restoration.

Key Details

Submitter: Martin Byhower (now residing in Texas) Location: Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park in Harbor City/Wilmington Background: Byhower spent over 30 years advocating for the park, including service on the Park Advisory Board Prior Funding: Proposition O funding (approximately $100) was secured for restoration and improvements Submission Date: October 10, 2025

Impact

This communication represents public support from a credible, long-term park advocate for measures designed to protect the park's ecological resources. The measure would likely affect visitors by restricting access to certain habitat areas, though the specific restrictions are not detailed in this document.

What's Being Proposed

The motion seeks to create stronger protections for Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park in Harbor City (Council District 15) by making it a trespass to enter designated Protected Areas for Wildlife without authorization. The City Attorney and Department of Recreation and Parks are directed to prepare an ordinance restricting access to trails, walkways, and recreation areas within these protected zones. Additionally, the Department of City Planning is asked to report on further protections for sensitive biological resources, including potential designation as an Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area under the California Coastal Act.

Why This Matters

Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park is home to hundreds of bird species that depend on the park's natural water habitat for annual migrations. The centerpiece of the park, Machado Lake, was designated an impaired body of water due to contamination and received over $100 million in rehabilitation efforts, including dredging and water treatment systems. The park is recognized as a Protected Area for Wildlife supporting endangered and threatened species and serves as a critical wildlife corridor through the city. These new restrictions aim to prevent unauthorized human access that could disrupt the park's ecological recovery and wildlife habitat.

Key Impact

This motion protects both the City's substantial investment in environmental restoration and the habitat needs of migratory and local wildlife. The ordinance will restrict public access to certain areas, creating a balance between the park's use as a recreational green space and its function as sensitive wildlife habitat.