Grant Saves Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy

The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, at risk of running out of funds for the first time in nearly 20 years, was saved Friday by a $326,000 state grant from Gov. Gray Davis.

The money will allow the organization to continue preserving land in the environmentally sensitive region for at least another year.

“This is great news,” said Joseph T. Edmiston, head of the agency. “Without this money, we would have had to close our doors. Now we can keep our six employees and continue our mission of protecting land.”

Throughout its history, the conservancy has scrambled to find money, often cobbling together county, city and state funds to save the mountains from mansions and subdivisions.

In recent years the agency was supported by Los Angeles County bond measures, but conservancy officials expected that money to run out by June 30.

It would have marked the first time since its founding in 1980 that the conservancy had no money left to buy land in the Santa Monicas.

“Thanks to a newspaper article, attention was brought to the situation,” Edmiston said. “It was very serious.”

Davis spokesman Sandy Harrison said the money will come from the Environmental License Plate program, in which residents pay extra for special plates to help fund conservation efforts in California.

The $326,000 is for the fiscal year that begins July 1 through June 30, 2000. Edmiston is confident that under Davis the conservancy will receive state funding in the years to come.

“It really looks good with this administration,” he said. “Davis did personal intervention in this case.”

Because the money is coming from the state and not just the city or county, the conservancy will not be limited to working in Los Angeles County as in past years, Edmiston said.