Home  |  Current Priorities  |  Join Us  |  News   Friends of the Angeles Chapter Foundation  News   San Gabriel Valley Tribune   17-mile trail touted for Rio Hondo area By Jason Kosareff Staff Writer   Friday, February 11, 2005 – EL MONTE — Officials from several cities and county agencies in the region met with conservationists on Friday to consider an ambitious plan that would link 17 miles of parkland, trails and waterways in the heart of the San Gabriel Valley.   Dubbed the "Emerald Necklace," the concept would tie together natural habitats in a giant loop.   Going counterclockwise, the "necklace" would run through Irwindale, Arcadia, Temple City, El Monte, Rosemead, South El Monte, Montebello, Pico Rivera, Whittier, Industry, Avocado Heights, Bassett and Baldwin Park.   "If we don't buy into this together, it's not going to happen," said El Monte Councilman J. Gomez.   Much of the Emerald Necklace already exists; it is mostly formed by the Rio Hondo to the west, San Gabriel River to the east, Whittier Narrows to the south and the 210-acre Peck Road Water Conservation Park to the north.   Where the string is broken is in Irwindale between the Sawpit Wash and the San Gabriel River, bordering the southern portion of Hanson Quarry.   Hanson officials were not at the meeting, but Jeff Yann of the conservation group Amigos de los Rios said Hanson seemed in previous talks to be open to the idea of running a strip of trees and bike paths along the area.   The officials — staff workers and elected politicians — stopped short of forming an Emerald Necklace Coalition, preferring instead to solicit approval from their respective city councils.   "If we ended up as a coalition, we could go out for grant money immediately," said Eleanor Torres of Amigos de los Rios.   What they will be pitching their elected bodies is 1,500 acres of parkland fed into by several "spokes" — Santa Anita Wash, Arcadia Wash, Eaton Wash, Rubio Wash, Alhambra Wash, San Jose Creek and Walnut Creek.   Trails along washes and streams would guide residents into the green loop; residents could conceivably jog, bike ride or horse ride on one of several unbroken 17-mile trails. Amigos de los Rios estimates home prices within 800 feet of the Emerald Necklace would rise up to 15 percent. About 3,300 acres of neighborhoods are within 800 feet of the necklace and another 2,900 acres of neighborhoods lie within 800 to 1,500 feet.   Increased property value for the entire necklace is estimated at $1 billion, according to Amigos de los Rios.   A massive effort to plant native trees and shrubs along the Emerald Necklace would help reduce air pollution and control floodwaters.   If completed, Emerald Necklace trees would absorb an estimated 100 tons of air pollution every year, including 40 tons of ozone and 30 tons of particulates, according to conservationists. The trees also would annually cleanse 3,300 tons of carbon dioxide from the air.   The trees also would annually prevent 185 acre-feet of water from loading into the storm drain system.   A total cost of building the necklace was not available, but officials say seed money and funds for maintenance would be available through grants.     Copyright © 2005 Friends of Angeles Chapter Foundation - All rights reserved