House Panel OKs Money to Buy Parkland

A U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee on Wednesday recommended an allocation of $13 million to buy parkland in the Santa Monica Mountains in 1989.

The proposal heartened park supporters, who called it “a very critical step” because the House interior appropriations subcommittee is chaired by Rep. Sidney R. Yates (D-Ill.), a Chicago congressman who agreed last year to slash the amount for the Santa Monica Mountains from $12 million to $1 million. At the same time, Yates also harshly criticized the National Park Service on behalf of a Santa Monica Mountains landowner who is the son of a powerful Chicago politician.

The $13 million represents nearly a third of the $42 million suggested for buying federal parkland nationwide.

Two Houses Compromise

The Senate counterpart of the House subcommittee must still pass a version of the budget. A final amount then will be negotiated. Traditionally, the Senate has not earmarked any money for buying land in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The two houses have compromised by giving the area at least half the amount suggested by the House.

However, after last year’s severe reduction in funds, “I view it as an extremely positive sign that Mr. Yates not only matched last year’s (original House allocation), but increased it,” said Joan Shaffran, an aide to Rep. Anthony C. Beilenson (D-Los Angeles). Beilenson is a co-author of the 1978 legislation that created the national recreation area.

Beilenson had requested $28 million for buying Santa Monicas property next year, in light of the region’s soaring land prices and the rapid pace of construction in the area. Properties that would have been the park entrance and headquarters already have been lost to developers.

Along with Tuesday’s passage of a state parks bond issue that will channel at least $38 million to parkland purchases in the Santa Monica Mountains, “I am confident that we will get a final appropriation large enough for the Park Service to obtain some key properties,” Beilenson said in a statement.

Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, representatives of the newly formed Save the Mountain Park Coalition and Beilenson had lobbied intensively for more money for the park.