The Voice for Valley Neighborhood Councils
March 12, 2026 Meeting Recap
- Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils (VANC)
- Meeting Recap – March 12, 2026
4- Opening
- VANC Chair Linda Gravani opened the March 12 meeting and welcomed attendees. She announced that Mayor Karen Bass, originally scheduled for this meeting, had cancelled but is expected to attend the April 9 VANC meeting for a 45-minute session.
- Linda read the Ralph M. Brown Act preamble, emphasizing transparency and the public’s right to participate in government.
- Guest Presentation
- Goat Grazing Fire Mitigation Project – Sepulveda Basin
- Speaker: Pat Bates
Former President & Treasurer, Encino Neighborhood Council
Member, San Fernando Valley Audubon Society 4
- Overview
- Pat Bates presented a case study on the recent goat grazing fire-prevention project in the Sepulveda Basin, which began February 22, 2026.
- The project introduced 1,000 goats to graze vegetation in the Model Airplane Field, a 75-acre area historically prone to fires.
- Why Goat Grazing Was Needed
- The wildlife reserve burned catastrophically around 2020, causing significant ecological damage and one fatality.
- The Model Airplane Field burns roughly every two years.
- A major fire could spread across 75–200 acres, threatening communities in Encino and Lake Balboa.
- In August 2024, a fire in the same area required 69 firefighters and 90 minutes to stop forward progress.
- Project Funding
- The San Fernando Valley Audubon Society funded the project with $15,000.
- This funded a 35-acre grazing pilot program designed to create a firebreak.
- Project Timeline
- September 2025: Right-of-entry request submitted to LA Recreation & Parks.
- October 2025: Rain delayed the project until winter.
- December–January: Permitting delays and bureaucratic questions slowed approval.
- Final approval required intervention from:
- The Mayor’s Office
- LA Fire Department
- Council District 6
- Army Corps of Engineers
- Within two days of final approval, the goats were deployed.
- How the Grazing Works
- The grazing company Fire Grazers Inc. used a rotating system:
- Goats graze 8–10 acre sections at a time.
- Temporary electric fencing defines grazing zones.
- A herder lives onsite 24/7 in a trailer.
- Guard dogs (Great Pyrenees) protect the herd from coyotes and intruders.
- Goats rotate through sections until the targeted vegetation is cleared.
- Environmental Observations
- The goats selectively ate invasive plants including:
- Mustard
- Bastard cabbage
- Filaree
- Native plants such as ragweed were largely left intact.
- Next Steps
- Monitoring will focus on:
- Vegetation regrowth
- Native plant recovery
- Bird and wildlife activity
- Potential re-grazing in 2027
- The project is the first goat-grazing fire mitigation program approved by LA Recreation & Parks and the Army Corps of Engineers in this region, making it a potential precedent.
- Discussion Highlights
- Public Safety Benefits
- Participants emphasized that goat grazing:
- Reduces wildfire fuel loads
- Prevents invasive plants from reseeding
- Is less destructive than mechanical clearing
- Permitting Lessons
- Pat Bates noted that the approval process revealed how unfamiliar agencies were with grazing programs. Detailed project descriptions and coordination with fire officials are essential.
- Potential Expansion
- Future grazing projects may occur in high fire hazard hillside areas, including Corbin Canyon, though permits are still pending.
- Second Presentation
- SB 79 – Housing Near Transit Implementation
- Speakers: Maria (community advocate) and Jeff
- The speakers provided an update on SB 79 implementation in Los Angeles, which would allow increased density near transit stops.
- Key Timeline
- City Council expected to consider implementation around March 24, 2026
- SB 79 becomes effective July 2026
- Planning Department Options
- The city developed three possible implementation strategies:
- Option C1 (Preferred by speakers):
- Limits development near transit to 3-story buildings (4–16 units)
- Delays high-risk areas (fire zones, historic districts, low-resource areas) until 2030
- Option C2
- Allows 7-story buildings near rail stops
- Option C3
- Allows 7-story buildings near all transit stops
- The presenters recommended Option C1 as the least disruptive to neighborhoods.
- Key Concerns
- Lack of community outreach
- Potential rezoning impacts
- Effects on single-family neighborhoods
- State pressure on cities to meet housing mandates
- Neighborhood councils were encouraged to submit Community Impact Statements (CIS) supporting the C1 option.
- Broader Discussion
- Several attendees raised additional concerns:
- Housing Development Impacts
- Participants cited examples of:
- High-density projects with little parking
- Potential misuse of state housing laws
- Community notification gaps
- Fire Safety and Development
- Speakers emphasized the risk of increased housing density in high fire hazard zones, particularly in the San Fernando Valley foothills.
- Closing Notes
- The meeting concluded with updates on additional neighborhood council initiatives, including:
- Charter reform proposals affecting neighborhood councils
- Advocacy on copper wire theft legislation
- Youth engagement programs
- Upcoming civic meetings and events
- Chair Linda Gravani thanked participants and emphasized the importance of continued regional collaboration among neighborhood councils.
- ✅ Overall Themes from the Meeting
- Wildfire prevention is becoming a major civic priority.
- Creative environmental solutions like goat grazing are gaining support.
- State housing laws continue to create tension between development goals and neighborhood planning.
- Neighborhood councils remain key advocates for community safety and transparency.
VANC OPPOSITION TO CUTTING 403 LAPD CIVILIAN POSITIONS
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