NATIONAL PARK : Do’s and Don’ts for Living in Mountains

To avoid polluting a starry night with electric light, position outdoor lamps so their beams point downward.

To allow animals to roam freely, install fences with gaps big enough for a mountain lion to slip through.

And to avoid disrupting the ecosystem, landscape only with native plants.

These tips, along with half a dozen others, are listed in the National Park Service’s latest free brochure, titled “Welcome to the Neighborhood.”

The neighborhood in question is the 46-mile Santa Monica Mountain Range, which stretches from Camarillo through Woodland Hills and encompasses 73,000 Ventura and Los Angeles County residents, along with 18,000 acres of undeveloped parkland.

To help residents design ecologically sensitive homes that blend with the rolling hills and untamed brush of the Santa Monica Mountains, the park service offers free consultation with land-use planners.

The brochure also lists hints for protecting resources and preserving the environment.

“Homeowners can integrate building plans with the land early in the planning process, or even after your home is built and you are considering landscape changes,” a parks official said.

For information or a brochure, call 818-597-1036, ext. 232.