About Folar

About Us

(FoLAR) Friends of the Los Angeles River is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization founded in 1986, whose mission is to protect and restore the natural and historic heritage of the Los Angeles River and its riparian habitat through inclusive planning, education and wise stewardship. Once home to steelhead and grizzlies, the Los Angeles River meandered through wetlands, marshes, willow, alder and sycamore, providing desperately needed water for the region. Now running over 50 miles long - from the suburbs of the San Fernando Valley to the ocean in Long Beach - the Los Angeles River flows through 14 cities and countless neighborhoods. When the Army Corps of Engineers initiated a flood control project in the late 1930's, they began the process of paving 80% of the River, creating the world's largest storm drain. Over the ensuing decades, the River that had been the sole water supply for the City of Los Angeles before the Los Angeles Aqueduct was completed in 1913 almost disappeared from public consciousness. With the cement came a perceptual shift: the River no longer existed. Instead, it was a "flood control channel," a no-man's land, surrounded by fences and signs.

FoLAR was founded on the belief that effective advocacy, education, collaboration and imagination can accomplish great things. We know first hand that urban restoration requires creativity, technical knowledge and tenacity - but also that our goals, while vast and visionary, are also undeniably attainable:

  1. Restoring the L.A. River's natural habitat
  2. Developing recreational and commuter bikeways, pedestrian paths and horse trails on the riverbanks; as well as places for canoeing and kayaking in the River
  3. Applying flood-protection technologies that emphasize the restoration of a healthy ecosystem
  4. Reforesting and re-vegetating the River's watershed to control seasonal flooding and debris flow
  5. Creating educational programs which bring students to celebrate and study the River and to explain the importance of the River, its tributaries an its watershed
  6. Fostering efforts to monitor and improve water quality in the River and its tributaries, and to control toxic pollution from dumping and storm drains
  7. Coordinating community-based clean-ups and graffiti removal along the River in cooperation with other groups and agencies
  8. Creating an LA River Conservancy to coordinate public management of the River, to enact land-use ordinances and zoning laws and to manage development in the riparian corridor
  9. Placing the LA River bridges on the National Historic Registry, thus protecting and enhancing their historic and aesthetic value
  10. Encouraging appropriate uses of reclaimed water for irrigation and recharge of aquifers, thus promoting sustainable development.
FoLAR has seen remarkable victories, reminding us of what is possible. They include: Fighting the Los Angeles County Drainage Area (LACDA), which proposed building walls 2-8 feet high along the last twelve miles of the River to increase flood protection (our efforts were key in modifying the original plans, and led to the creation of the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council, a principal forum for discussion of the Rivers' future); Successfully mobilizing efforts to create a community park at the Cornfield Yards -- a 30-acre parcel of land between Chinatown and the Los Angeles River, which had been slated for warehouse development (the Chinatown Yard Alliance brought together diverse stakeholders including FoLAR, the Sierra Club, the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, Concerned Citizens of South Central L.A., Mothers of East Los Angeles and the Latino Urban Forum); and winning the battle to create a State Park at Taylor Yard -- a 220+ acre former railroad yard with more than 2 miles of living riverfront.

                     

Who We Are

Board of Directors:

Lewis MacAdams is the Chair of the Board of Directors and cofounder of FoLAR. He is a poet, journalist, and filmmaker.

Alex Ward the Treasurer and is an architect and principal of lxw design in Los Angeles.

William Weidner is the Secretary and a writer and story analyst in the entertainment industry, currently employed by Warner Brothers.

Katie Klapper is a public relations consultant specializing in art and design.

Stephanie Mancillas is an elementary school teacher living in Boyle Heights.

Adolfo V. Nodal is an arts administrator and writer, who served as General Manager of the city of L.A.'s Cultural Affairs Department from 1998 to 2001.

Frank O'Brien is the executive director of the Harbor Watts Economic Development Corporation

James Rojas a project manager at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

James Rojas

José Sigala is a Principal of Baca Sigala Advocates, a full-service public affairs firm.

Nancy Spiller is a Los Angeles-based journalist and writer.

Sarah Starr is an educational program consultant with the Coalition of Essential Schools.

Michael Woo is an adjunct professor in the USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development.


Staff:

Shelly Backlar
Executive Director
sbacklar@folar.org

Ramona Marks
Office Manager
mail@folar.org

Jonathan Brooks

Science & Outreach

jbrooks@folar.org

Alicia Katano
Education Coordinator
akatano@folar.org

William Preston Bowling
Website Coordinator

williamprestonbowling@yahoo.com

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