ConnectingCalifornia.org

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L.A. County Funds Major Land Purchases in Santa Monica Mountains
5/18/07

Board of Supervisors Chairman Zev Yaroslavsky has announced approval of $2.32 million in grant funding to help purchase six parcels of prime open space in the Santa Monica Mountains to expand the County’s hiking and equestrian trail system.

The money comes from competitive grant awards under the Natural Land for Trails program funded through Proposition A, a park and open-space measure championed by Yaroslavsky and approved by County voters in 1996.

The projects, funded by a combination of sources, are:

• Lindero Creek - $200,000 from Prop. A to the City of Agoura Hills completes funding for an $1,8773,800 package to purchase 18 acres for city park with hiking trail

• Upper Topanga Canyon Trail Connection - $320,000 from Prop. A to the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority completes funding for a $425,000 package to purchase 8 acres for a trail connection between Summit to Summit at Henry Ridge Motorway

• Cold Creek Trail - $300,000 from Prop. A to the County of Los Angeles Parks and Recreation Department completes funding for a $400,000 package to purchase 266 acres for trail development in the Cold Creek Preserve Area, owned by the County and managed by the Mountains Restoration Trust

• Cold Creek High Trail - $500,000 from Prop. A to the Mountains Restoration Trust for the purchase of the 99-acre Ty Sisson property as part of the remaining 145 acres identified for open space and trail acquisition for the Cold Creek Restoration Plan, encompassing 520 acres

• Upper Solstice Canyon – Solstice Canyon Trail - $500,000 from Prop. A to the National Park Service completes funding for a $1.6 million package to purchase 80 acres considered a “critical acquisition” in the Upper Solstice Canyon

• Corral Canyon - $500,000 from Prop. A to the Trust for Public Land toward the funding of a $4 million project to purchase 199 acres in Corral Canyon adjacent to Malibu Creek State Park, surrounded on three sides by public property

Yaroslavsky explained the public agencies and qualified nonprofit organizations are eligible for the funding, giving priority to those with demonstrated success in completing acquisition and trails development projects in the Santa Monica Mountains within the Third Supervisorial District, consistent with the Los Angels County Trails Master Plan.

For a photo gallery of other Third District projects funded by Prop. A, visit 3rd District Open Space.

To learn more about the County’s programs to preserve and protect open space and improve neighborhood parks, visit the Regional Park and Open Space District.

To see a list of parks purchased with County park bond funds, search here by zip code, city or parks agency: http://cmsapp.co.la.ca.us/rposd/psearch.asp