Malibu Land Deal Ends 7-Year Environmental Battle

The spectacular views from the Santa Monica Mountains above the coast of Malibu offer a glimpse into a basic conflict of modern urban society.

When developers see the view, their mouths water. When environmentalists see the view, their eyes water.

For decades, while the two forces fought over the future of Malibu, housing developments slowly began appearing in the lush canyons, and long stretches of open beaches were replaced by restaurants, gift shops and exclusive private homes.

But recently, local conservationists announced that they had retained a portion of Malibu that has remained largely untouched since the Civil War: The Trust for Public Lands, a statewide organization of environmentalists, has purchased the remaining 345 acres of the 556-acre Roberts Ranch in Malibu’s Solstice Canyon and plans to open the property to the public in June.

“Being there is like going back in time,” said Bill Dempsey, project manager for the trust. “It’s a spectacular place . . . it’s just amazing that it has remained undeveloped.”

The acquisition by the San Francisco-based trust, which buys private land for public use, marks the end of a seven-year struggle to save the pristine property from development. Dempsey said the canyon area likely will become the most heavily used recreation area in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Early last year, The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy bought 211 acres of the lower canyon for about $2.5 million. To block developers from acquiring pieces of the 345-acre property, the conservancy, the Sierra Club and the trust put up a $250,000 option on the remaining land.

In October, Gov. George Deukmejian signed into law a bill that set aside about $20 million in state tideland oil revenues, including $1.4 million that the mountains conservancy funneled to the trust to purchase the property. The trust put together $1.6 million from other sources to make the $3-million acquisition this month.

Dempsey said the land will be managed by the conservancy but owned by the trust until the cash-strapped state agency can raise enough money to purchase the land. The conservancy hopes to buy the remaining land from the trust later this year, but the sale depends on whether the state can get additional money for public park acquisition.

The 556-acre Roberts Ranch boasts mountain scenery, several campground areas and a stream that runs year-round. The land runs from the ridge of the Santa Monica Mountains to within several hundred yards of Corral Beach and Dan Blocker State Beach in Malibu.

Environmental groups consider the land acquisition a major victory. The property is insulated from the traffic congestion along the Pacific Coast Highway and is hidden from most of the custom homes that have been built above Corral Canyon to the east. It is one of the last major tracts of undeveloped land in an area often called the last vestige of wilderness in Los Angeles County.