Closing the Gap

Gazing at the chaparral valley and rugged mountainside, Chumash Charlie Cooke said Mother Earth and Father Sky would be happy to see what has happened in this place of quiet beauty.

Turning first to the east, where the day begins, he placed a conch to his lips to bless the land with the shell’s plaintive, foghorn-like tones. The sweet perfume of burning white sage wafted from an abalone shell in the direction of the morning sun.

Then turning south, then west, and finally north, Cooke repeated the conch notes, accompanied by sage smoke.

Done. Full circle. The land was blessed.

In a similar manner, those who gathered Wednesday morning at a dedication of two five-acre parcels as part of a public preserve said their long efforts had finally come to fruition. The two parcels were the final long-sought pieces to add to the 57-acre Cold Creek Valley Preserve.

In 1992, the Mountains Restoration Trust wanted to acquire a 67-acre property from developer Jordin Youngblood. But with $2.5 million available, the trust’s coalition--which included the state Coastal Commission, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and the Sierra Club--could buy just 57 acres, trust President Stephen Harris said.

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The preserve, south of Mulholland Highway and bisected by Stunt Road, protects the Cold Creek riparian habitat--home to mountain lions, deer, bobcats and woodwardia, the giant chain ferns that are the tallest ferns in North America and uncommon in Southern California, said Joseph T. Edmiston, executive director of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.

The eventual purchase of the remaining 10 acres became the saga of a music star and his wife, who together wouldn’t take no for an answer, dogged community efforts and the political pull of the right officials.

“We moved here five years ago and noticed the ‘For Sale’ sign,” said Timothy B. Schmit, bass player for the Eagles. “Then I woke up one morning two years ago and saw the backhoes digging out down here. I got on the phone with the neighbors.”

Soon after, Schmit’s wife, Jean, started her own version of coffee klatches--except she brewed tea and baked scones--uniting neighbors, conservationists and eventually politicians.

At times, the tensions and hurt feelings of various interest groups and conservationists surfaced at the Schmit house. But the couple continued to hold get-togethers, frequently calling officials “every other day.” In the end, unity and compromise were reached.

Catherine Cappel, a resident of the area since 1966, said neighbors had fought to protect the property since 1967. The Youngblood property was slated for 72 homes at one time, and many people had shrugged off any hope of buying it as a public preserve.

On Wednesday, Cappel, the Schmits and “Titanic” composer James Horner and his wife were each honored for contributing at least $10,000 toward the land purchase.

Several officials, including county Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and Assemblywoman Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica), were also recognized for their efforts in the acquisition.

More than 185 donors statewide contributed $150,000, and coupled with $550,000 in county Proposition A funds, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy was able to buy the two parcels, completing the purchase last month, Harris said. The Mountains Restoration Trust will manage the land.

“Twenty years ago when we started this effort, and we saw all the white splotches on the map for private property, people said we’d never be able to do it,” Edmiston said. “No one entity can do this. It’s a combined effort.”