Berm 101: Who's Responsible, What They're For, And What You Can Do

If you want to cut through the clutter of agencies and governments responsible for the beach area, here's the one thing you should know:

Sand berms are ultimately the responsibility of Los Angeles County.

Not the city, not the mayor, etc.

Here's the second thing you should know:

The berms are NOT constructed to protect homes.

They're constructed by a county department in order to protect a county business (operation of parking lots). The body in charge of the county is the Board of Supervisors, which has five members. The berms go up in the Third District, which is represented by Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky.

So talk to Zev and tell him how you feel. Click here for contact info.

You can also sign this petition, which will send an email to Zev and his fellow Supervisors when you sign it.

Here's the third thing you should know:

The berms are expected to be built again on November 18, 2013.

Time is running out, so contact Zev now.