Trying to Save the Land

• The land now saved as a preserve never had been developed. It was held vacant except for an oil drilling platform on a small portion of it. Oil drilling had begun in the 1920s, when the land was far from any other development. In essence, oil production saved it.
• In the 1950s and 1960s, Torrance expanded. Housing tracts were built. Soon the city engulfed the marsh and it’s adjacent land. One of the nation’s largest malls was built; it became the county’s third largest city.
• City management and, in particular, the Parks and Recreation Department, found it could not keep up with the loss of open space and the need for it.
• A consultant report confirmed that Torrance was falling behind in it’s ratio of optimum open space per capita and identified the private oil drilling property as potential permanent open space.
• In this process, the City became aware that Audubon and others used the marsh area was for bird watching. Professors and students in biology and other nature study classes at El Camino College and California State University at Dominguez Hills and California State University at Long Beach used it. City staff prepared a proposal for a nature park, citing experts and demonstrating the beneficial natural uses to which it could put. It proved that the land had value that was unique in the city.
• The City wanted to test the water for public support. It held a public meeting attended by a fairly broad spectrum of interests. From then, public pressure mounted and the Friends of Madrona Marsh was founded and grew to be a very large and influential force.
• Civic and ecological organizations joined the support effort.
• The land continued to be owned by the oil company, however.
• The Friends of Madrona Marsh and the City lobbied for money to buy the land. Preservation of the marsh came to be included in numerous bills introduced in the House of Representatives and the State Legislature. They received Licensed Plate funds, County recognition and inclusion in the Keene Wetlands Bill. The lobbying and letter writing kept going throughout.
• One of the most important assets of the group was dynamic leadership- relentless and informed. They held a consortium of interests together for 15 years. The continued to give talks, lead walks, have social events, work at all volunteer events throughout the area, keeping the idea alive. All this time, volunteers planted, weeded and watered native species as part of the restoration of the marsh and upland preserve.

The Receipt Of The Land

• The City and the Friends of Madrona Marsh still sought the money to buy the land, but it was much too costly. In the late 1970s, a massive development was fended off for several reasons—intensity of the development primarily.
• In the mid-1980s, the oil company (owner of the land), the owner of Del Amo Mall and Watt development company formed Torrance Investment Company, a corporation with the intent of building condominiums. The land involved not only the 54 acre marsh site, but the 110 acres to the east. As part of the agreement between the City and TIC, a density bonus would be granted the development in return for dedication of the 42 acre marsh site. The City further agreed to build a street from Crenshaw to the shopping center.
• Final deeding of the land to the City took place in 1987.

City And Friends After The Land Was Saved

• The City hired a professional naturalist to establish the programs for land and water management and restoration. He also conducted tours, held classes, and was liaison with the Friends. During this time, the Friends continued to be visible and active. Membership remained at a high level.
• In the early 1990s, Madrona Marsh received a part of County park bond funding. That money was used to build the existing Nature Center . The FOMM were seriously consulted about the contents and uses of the Center, as City staff recognized that they needed academically trained scientists to develop ecology programs and natural history exhibits.
• The Metropolitan Water District funded a native plant (xeriscape) garden around the perimeter of the Center.
• The on-going restoration of the land, water, plant and animal life on the Preserve has been intensified by additional planning and funding afforded by the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project.