Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

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Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
Map showing the location of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Location Santa Monica Mountains; Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, California, U.S.
Nearest city Malibu, California
Coordinates 34°06′14″N 118°36′09″W / 34.10389°N 118.6025°W / 34.10389; -118.6025Coordinates: 34°06′14″N 118°36′09″W / 34.10389°N 118.6025°W / 34.10389; -118.6025
Area 154,095 acres (62,360 ha)
Established November 10, 1978
Visitors 447,190 (in 2005)
Governing body National Park Service; with State and local agencies.

The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is a United States National Recreation Area containing many individual parks and open space preserves, located primarily in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California. The SMMNRA is located within the greater Los Angeles region, with two thirds of the parklands in northwest Los Angeles County, and the remaining third, including a Simi Hills extension, in southeastern Ventura County.

Overall administration is by the National Park Service, coordinating with state, county, municipal, and university agencies. The Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area preserves one of the best examples of a Mediterranean climate ecosystem in the world. It also protects one of the highest densities of archaeological resources in any mountain range in the world.[1]

Contents

[edit] Geography

Main article: Santa Monica Mountains

The Santa Monica Mountains NRA contains 154,095 acres (62,360 ha) in the Santa Monica Mountains of the Transverse Ranges between the Pacific Ocean and inland valleys. Its southeastern slopes are part of the headwaters of the Los Angeles River. The California State Park system owns 42,000 acres (17,000 ha), the National Park Service controls 21,500 acres (8,700 ha), and the rest of the SMMNRA lands are in local agencies parks, university study reserves, and private property conservation easements. In size the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is the largest urban national park in the United States.

Westward Beach at Point Dume
Shoreline and grasses along Pacific Coast Highway (Fountain Grass, an invasive species)
King Gillette Ranch Park

[edit] Park history

The movement to preserve the Santa Monica Mountains has a long tradition that is frequently overlooked by historians who often focus exclusively on the environmental movement of the 1960s and 1970s which culminated with the establishment of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in 1978.

[edit] Griffith Park

The first area in the Santa Monica Mountains set aside for public use was Griffith Park which was donated to the city of Los Angeles by Griffith J. Griffith in 1896.

[edit] National Forest

During the first decade of the twentieth century, Frederick H. Rindge made several attempts to create a forest reserve in the Santa Monica Mountains. These reserves were precursors to national forests. In 1902 California’s State Mining Bureau examined the area being considered for the establishment of a forest reserve. The resulting report was sent to Washington where the proposal for a reserve was denied.[2]

In 1907 an application was submitted to the Secretary of the Interior requesting that at least 70,000 acres in the mountains be designated a forest reserve.[3] This time state mineralogist Lewis E. Aubury opposed the venture. He wrote the L.A. Time newspaper stating, “I believe that the lands embraced in the Malibu and Santa Monica districts should not be included in a forest reserve…I shall at once take the matter up with Gifford Pinchot, forester, Washington, D.C., and endeavor to ascertain his views on the subject, and further protest against the creation of this proposed reserve”.[4] Days later the U. S. Forest Service advised Aubury that it was highly improbable that a forest reserve would be created owning to local opposition and the small amount of public land still remaining in the Santa Monica Mountains.[2]

[edit] Whitestone National Park

Limestone deposits were discovered in the mountains behind Pacific Palisades in 1925 which led to a lengthy battle between wealthy home owners of the area and land developers.[5] The quarry site was in Traylor Canyon, three miles inland from the sea, between Santa Ynez and Temescal Canyons.[6] Alphonzo Bell, Sr. was the real estate developer behind the quarry scheme while local opposition was led by Sylvia Morrison, who championed the preservation of the area’s natural beauty.

After much criticism of his original plan, Bell offered a new proposal. Using a new process, he would have the rock pulverized, mixed with water, and pumped via a buried pipeline to the mouth of Santa Ynez Canyon. The pipeline would continue from there along the ocean floor to an offshore buoy where it would be load onboard a waiting ship.[7] Criticism of the plan grew and eventually garnered the ire of local resident Will Rogers who parodied the plan on the front page of the L.A. Times.[8] The debate raged citywide with such notable public figures as William Mulholland coming to Bell’s defense.

In an attempt to sway public opinion, Bell urged local residents to take company-sponsored fieldtrips, on foot and on horseback, to the quarry to see the site for themselves. Among the people who took these trips was Sylvia Morrison, who had been an early leader of environmental concerns. She was among the visitors who scrambled up the limestone cliffs on ladders and hiked and rode on horseback through the chaparral and came away thrilled with the natural beauty of the canyons. “Taking a cue from Yellowstone National Park, Morrison urged the establishment of Whitestone National Park in the Santa Monica Mountains, named after the by-now infamous cliffs.”[9]

[edit] Fredrick Law Olmsted

In 1930 Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., a lifelong advocate of national parks and considered by many as the designer of the California State Parks system, proposed a network of parks, beaches, playgrounds, and forests to promote the social, economic, and environmental vitality of Los Angeles.[10] Olmsted also advocated for public ownership of at least 10,000 acres of the most scenic beach and mountain landscapes between Topanga and Point Dume.[11] However, the Olmsted report was essentially killed – only 200 copies were printed – due mainly to civic leaders who put politics ahead of public space.[10]

[edit] Rindge bankruptcy

After lengthy court battles to preserve her estate, May Rindge (widow of Frederick H. Rindge) lost control of her lands and was forced into bankruptcy in 1938. A proposal to establish a large park was considered in exchange for the cancellation of $1.1 million in unpaid taxes.[12] However, Los Angeles County refused the offer, thus missing the opportunity to acquire 17,000 acres of park lands.[13]

[edit] Will Rogers SHP

Will Rogers State Historic Park was created in 1944 marking the establishment of the first state park in the Santa Monica Mountains and the first public land created in the mountains since Griffith Park in 1896.

[edit] Toyon National Park

In the 1960s and 70s, and possible as early of the 1950s, another campaign was undertaken to preserve the Santa Monica Mountains. Several proposals went before the U.S. Congress which called for the creation of Toyon National Park, referring to a dominant chaparral plant found in the area.

[edit] Establishment of the National Recreation Area

The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area was established November 10, 1978, after a long campaign for preservation of the Santa Monica Mountains by local and regional conservationists. The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, a California state agency, was created in 1980 for the acquisition of land for preservation as open space, for wildlife and California native plants habitat preserves, and for public recreation activities.[14][15] The SMMNRA is growing by 'mosaic pieces' linking critical habitats, saving unique areas, and expanding existing parks.

The SMMNRA is part of the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor; the Rim of the Valley Trail is a plan in progress for connecting the parkland and recreational areas of the Conejo, San Fernando, Simi, and La Crescenta Valleys via trailheads and trails in the mountains and valleys.[16][17][18]

Entertainer and land speculator Bob Hope created controversy in the early 1990s when he proposed to sell 5,900 acres (2,400 ha) of Corral Canyon area land to the federal government in exchange for 59 acres (24 ha) of federal parkland in the nearby Cheeseboro Canyon section of Santa Monica Mountains NRA, in order to build an access road to a new 'Jordan Ranch' golf course and housing development.[19] The land swap was never completed, the Jordan Ranch became the Palo Commado Park section, and most of the land for Corral Canyon was later donated by Bob Hope.

The highly visible natural ranch land adjacent to the intersection of U.S. Route 101 and Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas, formerly the Brent's Junction area and owned by Bob Hope, was acquired by the SMM Conservancy to add to the Las Virgenes View Park of the Santa Monica Mountains NRA lands in June 2010. It is a refreshing open space seen by many traveling by, on the Route 101-Ventura Freeway now, between the San Fernando and the Conejo Valleys since the Spanish El Camino Real era.[20]

[edit] Superintendents

  • Robert Chandler, 1979–1982
  • Daniel Kuehn, 1983–1988
  • David Gackenbach, 1989–1995
  • Arthur Eck, 1995–2002
  • Woody Smeck, 2002–present

[edit] Cultural resources

In terms of cultural heritage, the Santa Monica Mountains boast a rich history of continuous human occupation dating back more than 10,000 years[1] and contain many nationally significant prehistoric and historic sites.[21] In fact, more than 1,000 archaeological sites are located within the boundary of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area making it one of the highest densities of archaeological resources found in any mountain range in the world.[22] There are twenty-six known Chumash pictograph sites with the national recreation area, all sacred to traditional Native American Indians, and include some that are among the most spectacular found anywhere.[23] These pictographs – along with other sites – have been described by the National Park Service as “unique and a significant world heritage”.[24]

Nearly every major prehistoric and historic theme associated with human interaction and development of the western United States is represented within the park from the early hunters and gathers, to Native American Indian cultures, the Spanish mission and rancho periods, and the American homestead era.

At least 73 archeological sites, historic structures, cultural landscapes, and traditional cultural properties in the Santa Monica Mountains are potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.[25]

[edit] Recreation

The current visitor center and main headquarters for the park are located at 401 West Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks 91360.[26] Recreational opportunities abound, including biking, birding, camping, hiking, and horseback riding. The Backbone Trail System runs for nearly 70 miles (110 km) across the Santa Monica Mountains between Will Rogers State Park and Point Mugu State Park and is nearly complete from end to end. Channel Islands National Park lies in the Pacific Ocean directly to the west.

[edit] Entrances

Main entrances to the SMMNRA include Malibu, Newbury Park, Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Woodland Hills, and Topanga, California.

[edit] Vehicles

  • Only electric or non-motorized model aircraft are allowed.
  • Only electric or non-motorized model terrestrial vehicles are allowed.
  • No motorized model boats are allowed on park waters.
  • Electric and non-motorized models were a traditional use at the Paramount Ranch area of Malibu Creek State Park.

[edit] Parks

The following parks and areas are managed by the National Park Service in the Santa Monica Mountains NRA:

The following California State Parks are located within Santa Monica Mountains NRA:

State Beaches in or adjacent to Santa Monica Mountains NRA:

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b National Park Service, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area: Statement of National Significance, ca. 2000, page 4
  2. ^ a b “Forest reserves. Santa Monica scheme turned down,” Los Angeles Times, March 8, 1907, section II, page 5
  3. ^ “Private snap of reserve?” Los Angeles Times, February 10, 1907, section II, page 19
  4. ^ L.E. Aubury, “Against the Malibu reserve,” Los Angeles Times, February 10, 1917, section II, page 4
  5. ^ Betty Lou Young, Pacific Palisades: Where the Mountains meet the Sea, Pacific Palisades Historical Society Press, 1983, page 135
  6. ^ Young, Pacific Palisades, page 135.
  7. ^ Young, Pacific Palisades, page 139
  8. ^ Young, Pacific Palisades, page 141-142
  9. ^ Young, Pacific Palisades, page 144
  10. ^ a b Robert Garcia, et al, Free the Beach! Public Access, Equal Justice, and the California Coast, Center for Law in the Public Interest, April 2005, 6-7
  11. ^ Mike Davis, “Let Malibu Burn: A Political History of the Fire Coast,” L.A. Weekly, 1996
  12. ^ “Mrs. May Rindge loses control of great rancho,” L.A. Times, June 30, 1938, A1
  13. ^ Mike Davis, “Let Malibu Burn: A Political History of the Fire Coast,” L.A. Weekly, 1996, page 3
  14. ^ http://www.biodiversity.ca.gov/newsletter/v2n3/conservancy.html CA Govt. CERES Newsletter. accessed 2/28/2010
  15. ^ Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
  16. ^ http://smmc.ca.gov/ROV%20Master%20Plan.pdf rimofthevalleytrail-master plan 6/1/2010
  17. ^ http://www.lamountains.com/PressRelease/Press%20Release%20Rim%20of%20the%20Valley.pdf www.lamountains
  18. ^ Rim of the Valley Trail-update 6/6/2010
  19. ^ Agoura Hills Journal; Bob Hope Stirs Debate In Going for the Green - New York Times
  20. ^ http://zev.lacounty.gov/spotlight-story/magnificent-milestone-in-the-mountains - access date: 6/9/2010
  21. ^ National Park Service, General Management Plan: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, March 5, 2003, page 17
  22. ^ National Park Service, Statement of National Significance, page 1
  23. ^ National Park Service, General Management Plan, page 17
  24. ^ National Park Service, Santa Monica Mountains NRA, Comprehensive Design Plan 1996: Simi Hills, August 1996, page 55
  25. ^ National Park Service, Statement of National Significance, page 4
  26. ^ Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)
  27. ^ http://www.lamountains.com/parks.asp?parkid=81 -access date: 6/9/2010 Arroyo Sequit Park
  28. ^ http://www.lamountains.com/parks.asp?parkid=89 -access date: 6/9/2010 Peter Strauss Ranch Park
  29. ^ http://www.lamountains.com/parks.asp?parkid=91 -access date: 6/9/2010 Rocky Oaks Park
  30. ^ http://www.lamountains.com/parks.asp?parkid=157 Topanga Park
  31. ^ http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=629 Topanga State Park
  32. ^ http://www.lamountains.com/parks.asp?parkid=153 Malibu Creek Park
  33. ^ http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=614 Malibu Creek State Park

[edit] External links


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