Yaroslavsky Press Release

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February 9, 2001

YAROSLAVSKY ANNOUNCES PURCHASE OF "LITTLE SYCAMORE" PROPERTY FOR STATE OR NATIONAL PARKLAND

Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky has announced the acquisition of a prime 245-acre parcel of undeveloped woodlands and stream habitat known as "Little Sycamore." The parcel straddles Little Sycamore Canyon Road north of the Mulholland Highway, between the City of Malibu and the Ventura County line.

"With this purchase, a longstanding dream becomes a reality," Yaroslavsky said. "This is, without a doubt, one of the most significant acquisitions we've been able to make to preserve our precious mountain resources for future generations."

Yaroslavsky explained that the parcel, which developers had hoped to turn into a 19-lot graded subdivision, had long been coveted by environmentalists and open-space advocates as a crucial link in the Backbone Trail Corridor, which extends from Will Rogers State Park to Point Mugu State Park in Ventura County. Part of the Arroyo Sequit Watershed, the area comprises one of the most mature riparian and oak woodlands and stream habitats in the Malibu Coastal Zone, including pools, waterfalls, riparian trees and one of the few streams in Southern California supporting steelhead trout.

The property, which was purchased with voter-approved County Prop. A funds by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority - a joint-powers agency which includes the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy - will eventually be incorporated into either the state or national park system. National Park Service officials noted that the purchase counts as a local match which will, in turn, draw down additional federal money and allow NPS to purchase other Backbone Trail adjacent parcels.

Conservancy officials added that without the Little Sycamore purchase, six existing lots nearby would be more at risk for development as ranchettes. Open-space advocates also feared that Little Sycamore's proposed developments would have disrupted the Mulholland Scenic Corridor viewshed, as well as cluttering scenic vistas visible from nearby parklands elsewhere in the Arroyo Sequit, the Nicholas Flat Natural Preserve in Leo Carrillo State Park, and part of the Backbone Trail.