Los Angeles Zoo Vision Plan
The Zoo Vision Plan’s Final Revised EIR is now available online at: https://eng.lacity.org/about-us/divisions/environmental-management/projects/los-angeles-zoo-vision-plan.
Background
In 2016, the Los Angeles Zoo began a public process for what would become the Zoo’s Vision Plan for 2028 and Beyond to guide the transformation of our campus into the future.
By 2018, we had drafted the conceptual plan under the guiding principles of animal care, conservation, visitor experience, world-class destination, environmental sustainability, and operational excellence.
In mid-2021, the plan’s final Environmental Impact Report (EIR), which was developed with a public feedback process, was published by the City’s Bureau of Engineering (BOE), and transmitted by the Zoo to the Los Angeles City Council for its approval.
Since then, the Zoo has continued to actively listen, engage, discuss, and reflect on comments that have been shared and have decided to make some changes based on those and on powerful local and global shifts.
In 2022, our social, environmental, and geopolitical landscape had changed dramatically. We experienced the worst global pandemic, which affected the health, lives, and economy of everyone around us and the animals in our care. We experienced historic demands for racial justice. Los Angeles continues to experience extreme heat and water restrictions associated with an ongoing megadrought in the western U.S. Finally, our planet is experiencing its sixth mass extinction of biodiversity, which is intrinsically linked to climate change, the illegal wildlife trade, deforestation, and human-wildlife conflict.
Given this context, and under new leadership at the Zoo (then-Mayor Eric Garcetti appointed Denise Verret as CEO & Zoo Director in 2019 who hired the Zoo’s first-ever Director of Conservation, Dr. Jake Owens, who oversaw the completion of the Zoo’s historic, bold, and ambitious Conservation Strategic Plan in 2021), the Zoo made changes!
Resources
In 2022, the Zoo shared a new option for the Vision Plan—Alternative 1.5 or the California Focused Conservation Alternative in a Focused Recirculated EIR that was shared with the public for 71 days from July 14, 2022 to September 23, 2022. Many comments were received – in writing and verbally at two virtual public meetings – and the Revised Final EIR responds to all of them.
- Get a quick overview by viewing videos in English and Spanish
- Read the full plan by downloading “Los Angeles Zoo Draft Plan 2022—Alternative 1.5” in English or Spanish
- Read the Revised Final EIR at the City’s Bureau of Engineering website
With your support, together, we can be an inclusive, equitable, innovative, and beloved Zoo, which will continue to meet the challenges of protecting local and global wildlife species—helping them to thrive in the face of climate change.