Conservancy Close to Deal on Parkland

The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy is on the verge of acquiring a parcel of land considered to be a valuable part of a 20,000-acre tract of open space that runs from the San Diego Freeway to Will Rogers State Park and the San Fernando Valley floor, conservancy officials and the property owner said.

The 326-acre parcel, part of the “Big Wild” open space area, is sprinkled with the bright yellow leaves of California black walnut trees, oak and willow forests and purple sage.

Chaparral-covered hillsides surround a narrow dirt trail that connects the Valley floor with an elevated spot on the unpaved part of Mulholland Drive, offering a spectacular view.

For years, hikers and bicyclists have used the trail, which is about a half mile long.

“It’s the last piece of rural Los Angeles,” said Joseph T. Edmiston, head of the conservancy. “We have a great opportunity to keep that area wild. Our plans are to incorporate the property within the state park system.”

Located south of Ventura Boulevard in the hills above Woodland Hills, the scenic area is near Topanga State Park and bordered by Mulholland Gateway Park to the south and, to the northeast, two 40-acre isolated parcels--one owned by the city of Los Angeles, the other by the conservancy.

Edmiston said the conservancy is close to finalizing the deal to buy the land from Avatar, a Florida-based development company.

On Monday the conservancy’s nine-member governing board is expected to formally approve the purchase, which should be completed in the next few weeks, said Chris Funk, Avatar’s attorney.

“It’s selling for a little less than what it was appraised,” Funk said, adding that the property had been privately appraised.

Negotiations began about a month ago, Funk said, even though the property has been on the conservancy’s most wanted list since 1993.

Edmiston said he could not disclose the sale price until the deal is final.

The money to purchase the land will come from Proposition 12 funds. The statewide measure, approved by voters in March, is the largest parks bond in U.S. history, providing $2.1 billion to repair and expand local and state parks and to preserve open space and wildlife habitat.

The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy will receive $35 million from the bond, $17.5 million of it this fiscal year.

Edmiston said the funds will allow the 21-year-old agency, which has struggled financially in recent years, to continue preserving land in the environmentally sensitive region.

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

The conservancy manages about 35,000 acres of parkland in a 450,000-acre zone that includes the Santa Monica Mountains and other mountain ranges.

Late last month, the conservancy announced plans to expand into the fast-growing Santa Clarita Valley.

The Santa Monicas, however, appear to still be the agency’s priority. This latest acquisition will be a tremendous asset to the Big Wild’s single largest area, the 10,000-acre Topanga State Park.

“It will provide a major addition of high quality habitat to the north end of Topanga State Park,” said Paul Edelman, the conservancy’s chief of planning and natural resources. “That’s of big value to the Big Wild.”