April 22, 2024 Edition

Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day allows us to pause and consider what we can do to keep our environment protected. On this 54th annual celebration, I am so grateful for Irvine's amazing outdoor space and I'm leading the charge to establish even more. 

We have many sports fields, community parks, neighborhood parks, and Open Space Preserves to explore, with even more natural space coming soon.

Closing the All American Asphalt Plant & Establishing the Gateway Preserve The All American Asphalt plant located near Orchard Hills and right near Northwood High School was at the center of environmental concerns expressed by our residents. I'm proud to have spearheaded the negotiations which closed the plant for good. Following the acquisition of the asphalt plant, the City Council approved plans to establish the Gateway Preserve, which includes 700 acres of new conservation areas for visitor facilities, habitat restoration, and 9 new miles of additional trails. It was an honor to work with the local community and solve this environmental issue. Our mission is to work together for the benefit of all of the Villages of Irvine.

“By listening to our residents and proactively addressing their concerns, we have been able to create dedicated open space and eliminate a public nuisance, while creating a hub for hiking, biking, and enjoyment of the outdoors. That is the Gateway Preserve,” (my statement in Irvine Finalizes Plans to Establish Gateway Preserve).

The Gateway Preserve ensures the North Irvine community can thrive in a safe and sustainable environment. Stay tuned as this thrilling project unfolds. For more information, click here.

Permanent Removal of Toxic Pesticides Irvine is at the forefront of sustainable municipal initiatives. With the support of Mayor Christina Shea’s leadership, we established the City's Organic Pesticide Use policy has been a successful program for over six years. I'm strongly committed to maintaining and expanding the nontoxic Organic Pesticide Use policy to protect the health of our families, children, pets, and wildlife.

“I support Councilmember Mike Carroll’s commitment to maintaining the nationally recognized, environmentally friendly pesticide use program," Shea said in a statement. "I brought forward the municipal plan that requires nontoxic pesticides be used for our parks, green belts, and Open Spaces to protect Irvine families and wildlife from dangerous cancer causing pesticides." 

Joining the Clean California Campaign Irvine does excellent work in keeping our streets clean, and the City launched the new state-led Clean California pollution prevention program to obtain the Clean California Community designation. Thanks to our local clean streets efforts, Irvine is on its way be one of the first cities to achieve this recognition. To read more about the Clean California Community in my memo, click here.  

I hope today you gain more appreciation for our planet and enjoy learning about the City's dedication to local conservation. We ask residents to properly recycle household and hazardous waste. To support Irvine’s permanently conserved land - like Rocky, Bruno, and Noma (pictured at top) have been having fun doing for years - you can volunteer to provide trail maintenance, remove invasive weeds, support our native seed farm, and more with the Irvine Ranch Conservancy. To learn more about these volunteer opportunities, click here.

Thanks for reading this edition of my Community Update. Hope you enjoyed it. 

Mike Carroll