Saving Sands of Time

Nearly 20 years ago, a small group of residents peered into the future and saw an Antelope Valley that troubled them: millions of people, widespread residential and commercial development and little apparent regard for the fragile desert.

They asked city officials in 1981 to set aside land so future generations would be able to appreciate the pristine landscapes, regardless of the suburban sprawl that might surround them.

Their vision will be fulfilled in September, when the city of Lancaster completes the Prime Desert Woodland Preserve, a 100-acre compound that will showcase the area’s unique ecosystem. Officials will break ground Tuesday on the final phase of the $13.2-million project, located at 35th Street West and Avenue K-8.

“Ultimately, this will become an area with 3 million people,” Mayor Frank Roberts said last week. “This preserve will be the jewel left to represent what it was once like in the Antelope Valley.”

Even with stands of Joshua and juniper trees scattered across northern Los Angeles County, officials said, this is the largest preserve of its kind in the area.

“I know of nothing like this in the vicinity,” Roberts said, “certainly no preserve that is as extensive as this will be.”

The preserve will feature a 2,400-square-foot interpretive center made from recycled and natural materials, including straw bales used as insulation to increase energy efficiency. It will be overseen by the city’s Parks, Recreation and Arts Department.

*

Inside, visitors will find educational displays and literature regarding the native plants, vegetation and wildlife indigenous to the area, said Parks Supt. Mike Campbell. A small reception area, offices and a gift shop will also be located there.

Outside, visitors can expect to see such desert visions as yucca plants in full bloom, juniper trees laden with berries and hawks peering down from Joshua tree limbs. They might see jack rabbits scampering amid the brush, rattlesnakes slithering in the fine sand and a spectacular sunset streaking the sky orange, red and purple.

“This is God’s country,” Campbell said, looking across the property to the snow-capped Tehachapi Mountains in the distance. “We have four seasons, fresh air and sunshine. It’s a picture a lot of people never see.

“If we didn’t seize the chance back in the ‘80s to preserve the area, we wouldn’t have what we have today,” he added. “We felt compelled to preserve it.”

Officials began studying potential sites in 1988; a year later the site was selected.

“We have a lot of environmentalists here, and this was a very popular idea,” said Anne Aldrich, a city spokeswoman. “There was no opposition to this project.”

Initially, only 35 acres were designated for the preserve. The area swelled to approximately 100 acres after land donations from a residential housing developer and the Lancaster School District, which gave some unused acreage that abuts Nancy Cory Elementary School.

Funding for the preserve came from federal and state grants and city matching funds.

The Prime Desert Woodland Preserve will be one of the latest recreation and entertainment activities to come to a city that is experiencing a development boom, Aldrich said.

The building activity is the result of an increase in people moving into the area, she said. A 20-screen movie theater, a softball sports complex and a soccer stadium are under construction.