The possibility of a fee for admission to both the Arboretum and Descanso Gardens is being considered by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. At a hearing, Hal Roach, a member of the Board of Governors expressed the hope that the Supervisors would not resort to charging a fee. The fee would NOT be used to keep up the Arboretum, but would go into the County General Fund.
Peter Atkine, Chief Executive Officer of the Arboretum, has told the Los Angeles Arboretum Foundation Board of Trustees that he will resign as of July 1.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a program for the development of a Hall of Environmental Education at the Arboretum. The Arboretum foundation has pledged $500,000 to the total $1,295,000 bill. There is no timetable for the work, but it will take approximately 2 or 3 years.
The fountain created by Millard Sheets which sits at the entrance to the Los Angeles County Arboretum may be removed and replaced by another water feature. The plan is in the early stages and the final decision will be make by the Arboretum Foundation Board of Trustees.
County supervisors called a halt to a plan to merge the Department of Arboreta and Botanic Gardens with the county Museum of Natural History because the county's Economy and Efficiency Commission has not made sufficient progress on it and because the board needs to replace recently retired arboreta department head Francis Ching.
Joan De Fata, plant sciences librarian at the Arboretum of Los Angeles County has been awarded the 2002 Charles Robert Long Award of Extraordinary Merit by the International Council of Botanical and Horticultural Libraries.