Urgent Plea to LA County Officials to Stop July 4th Fireworks in Marina del Rey Wildlife Area

Concerned citizens call for an end to Marina del Rey, Ca. fireworks near Endangered Species Habitat

Signs near where fireworks are set to go off warn of need to protect Endangered Bird Habitat

Concerned citizens say fireworks pose a greater threat to endangered wildlife.

Carcass found on ground after fireworks

A group of concerned citizens say the threat posed by authorized fireworks celebrations to nearby endangered species is severe and violates the law.

Baby birds have fallen from their nests at the first fireworks blasts and, if spotted by community members, have been cared for at wildlife rescue centers - many don’t survive.”

— Christina Ku, Attorney, Wildlife Advocate

MARINA DEL REY, CA, UNITED STATES, June 22, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A coalition of concerned citizens will gather outside the office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell on Monday, June 22nd at 1pm pacific time to hold a news conference calling for an immediate end to the annual July 4th and New Year’s Eve fireworks over Marina del Rey. Then, the group will travel to the LA County Department of Beaches and Harbors in Marina del Rey to deliver the message there as well.

The action represents a last-ditch effort by residents who have tried traditional channels of dialogue with local officials without success. Advocates argue that the percussive shockwaves, toxic smoke, and intense flashes from fireworks inflict severe trauma on vulnerable and endangered wildlife nesting in the adjacent Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve and the Endangered Bird Habitat for the California Least Tern.

They will also present both offices with a letter, drafted by attorney Christina Ku, highlighting predictable violations of the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). The fireworks directly overlap with active nesting seasons for state and federally protected species, including the California Least Tern, Belding’s Savannah Sparrow, Least Bell’s Vireo, and the nearby Western Snowy Plover. The sensory assault causes nesting birds to panic and flee, leading to egg cooling, nest abandonment, and fatal premature fledging.

"Baby birds have fallen from the nests at the first fireworks blasts and, if spotted by community members, have been cared for at wildlife rescue centers - many don’t survive," said Ku. Additionally, the fireworks terrify the many pelicans, cormorants, egrets and other species that call that wildlife region home, along with the sea lions that call the Marina and its waters home.

"These fireworks are like dropping a bomb on ground zero for Southern California wildlife," said UnchainedTV President Jane Velez-Mitchell, who is a local resident. After last July's fireworks, the TV network held an Emergency Town Hall to sound the alarm regarding the devastating impact fireworks have on wildlife in Marina del Rey and California's other coastal communities.

Around the very area where these fireworks will terrify wildlife, there are many posted signs warning residents not to let their dogs onto the beach between April 15th and September 30th because it's near the Endangered Bird Habitat for the California Least Tern. While the need to keep dogs leashed in these sensitive areas is clear, massive fireworks displays have the ability to create far worse outcomes for the birds.

The coalition notes that it is time for a sane environmental strategy while biodiversity is under attack from climate change, pollution, and overdevelopment.

"We live in greater Hollywood, home to the world’s most creative minds," said the organizers. "Traditional fireworks belong in the dustbin of history. Innovative drone and light shows are being adopted globally; Los Angeles should lead this transition, not lag behind while harming endangered species, terrifying pets, and triggering neighbors with PTSD."

Event Details:
What: News Conference
When: Monday, June 22, 2026, at 1:00 PM
Where: Outside LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell’s Office at 500 West Temple Street, near Grand, Los Angeles 90012. The letter will be delivered to office 383, the executive office. It will be followed by a group visit to LA County Beaches and Harbors Office at 13837 Fiji Way, Marina del Rey, 90292.

UnchainedTV will be LIVE at both events.

For further information, please contact:
Christina Ku, Attorney at law
9854 National Blvd. #1446
Los Angeles, California 90034
310-351-2616
Ckulaw@gmail.com

Jane VELEZ-MITCHELL
UnchainedTV
+1 310-351-2616
email us here

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