In the aftermath of January’s wildfires, the City Council Friday called for a work plan to remove invasive plant species from the Sepulveda Basin, a 2,000-acre open space in the San Fernando Valley set to host events for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
In a 10-0 vote, the City Council instructed the Department of Recreation and Parks and the Bureau of Engineering to report on plans to remove invasive plants and develop a long-term proposal to promote native species.
Councilmembers Bob Blumenfield, Ysabel Jurado, Adrin Nazarian, Nithya Raman and Katy Yaroslavsky were absent during the vote.
Padilla and Rodriguez, who represent the Sixth and Seventh Council Districts, respectively, communities in the northeast San Fernando Valley, introduced the motion Dec. 2024. A month later, multiple wildfires burned several areas in the city and county of L.A. — with the largest fires impacting the Pacific Palisades and Altadena.
Strong Santa Ana winds and months of dry weather were significant factors that created conditions for the devastating fires.
The Woodley Fire, located in the Sepulveda Basin, burned 30 acres and the Hurst Fire burned 799 acres in Sylmar, according to Cal Fire.
While the motion aimed to prepare the Sepulveda Basin ahead of the 2028 Games, following January’s wildfires, the councilwomen noted the importance of eliminating invasive plants and reducing fire risk.
According to the motion, years ago, the city deployed technicians who controlled such plants using small quantities of herbicide. In 2019, more data on the use of chemicals such as glyphosate for weed control was found to be dangerous to humans.
The councilwomen are once again calling for a new plan to reduce plants such as mustards, thistle, harding and other grasses that pose significant fire risk and toxic plants such as Castor bean.
“As these invasive plant species dramatically increase not only do they overcrowd native plant species but they out-compete native species for resources such as light, water and nutrients, and are unsupportive of wildlife, and pose health risks to our communities,” the motion reads.
The San Fernando Valley is expected to host multiple events — a first for Los Angeles, which hosted the Summer Games in 1932 and 1984. Under an updated venue plan, the Sepulveda Basin will host modern pentathlon, BMX, skateboarding and 3×3 basketball, among other competitions.