Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park is in danger of being closed – this park is on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s list of parks intended for closure due to proposed budget cuts for the state of California.

If this concerns you, please visit:
http://www .calparks.org/

Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park
California State Park and Recreation Commission Meeting

Date:              Friday, February 29, 2008
Tme:   9:00 a.m.
Place:   Education Building at the Church at Rocky Peak, 22601 Santa Susana Pass Road
  Chatsworth, CA 91311

Consideration and action on the Department’s recommendation to approve the preliminary General Plan and Environmental Impact Report for Santa Susana Pass Historic State Park.

There will be a briefing on the general plan in the park on Thursday, February 28 at 1:00 p.m. in Chatsworth Park South, 22360 Devonshire Street (Chatsworth Recreation Center). 

Contact (916) 653-0524 for more information.  Or visit http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=843 for more information.

Complete background on the park may be found at http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=24154.

EIR FOR PROPOSED SANTA SUSANA PASS STATE HISTORIC PARK GENERAL PLAN WILL BE ADOPTED

As of July 2, 2007, notice has been given for the adoption of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the General Plan for the Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park.

The Plan will delineate a number of resource management zones, as well as develop goals and guidelines for each zone, and guide park management.

The Plan will provide specific direction regarding trail location and park improvements such as new parking areas, campgrounds, a visitor’s center, interpretive kiosks, restrooms, and other visitor amenities. 

PUBLIC REVIEW PERIOD:

The Preliminary General Plan DEIR is being circulated for public review and comment for a period of 45 days, beginning July 5, 2007.  Questions regarding the project should be directed to:

Tina Robinson, Environmental Coordinator
California Department of Parks and Recreation
Southern Service Center
8885 Rio San Diego Drive, Suite 270
San Diego, CA 92108
enviro@parks.ca.gov
(619) 220-5300
(619) 220-5400 (fax)

Comments must be in writing, and may be submitted by fax, mail, e-mail or in person.  All comments should be submitted no later than August 20, 2007 to the address listed above with a contact name and mailing address for public record.

Copies of the EIR may be reviewed online at
:http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page id=24154
or
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page id=983

and at the following locations during normal business hours:

California Department of Parks and Recreation
Angeles District Headquarters
1925 Las Virgines Road
Calabasas, CA 91302

Chatsworth Branch Library
21052 Devonshire Street
Chatsworth, CA 91311

Simi Valley Library
2969 Tapo Canyon Road
Simi Valley, CA 93063


SANTA SUSANA PASS HISTORIC STATE PARK
General Plan Update

It was 1979 when California State Parks began acquiring park lands in the Santa Susana Pass area and by 1998, the California State Parks Commission classified and named the collection of land (about 670 acres):  Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park.

Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park is located in Los Angeles County, south of the Ronald Reagan Freeway (State Route 118).  The Park is bordered on the west by Ventura County line, on the east by Chatsworth Park South, as well as the community of Chatsworth along the east and south.  As stated in the Commission's classification documents, the Park land was acquired primarily to protect cultural resources, including the Old Santa Susana Stage Road, a feature listed on the National Register.  Recognizing the importance of preserving these significant resources, California State Parks is committed to developing a long-range plan for protection, management, and enjoyment by current as well as future generations.
Wildfire engulfed the Park In the fall of 2005, burning much of the existing vegetation, and exposing some of the cultural resources.  Therefore, the development of this general plan comes at a timely juncture of the Park’s development. 

General Plan Process
A General Plan is mandated for all state park units by the California Public Resources Code.  As a primary management document for a unit of the State Park System, the General Plan establishes the purpose and management direction for the future.  The plan does not provide specific design solutions or location of facilities.  However, it does provide vision, goals, and guidelines for future management decisions as well as Park development.

First Public Meeting -- January 10, 2006
California State Parks (CSP) held this first Public Meeting to inform the public about the status of the research and planning effort.  The General Plan team listen/gathered the public concerns and interest in the future of the Park.

Second Public Meeting -- June 20, 2006
Held at Chatsworth Recreation Center (Chatsworth Park South), this meeting was for presentation of updated progress/alternatives on the General planning effort, based upon ongoing research and planning, as well as the valuable input received from the first public meeting. 

Third Public Meeting -- October 25, 2006
Also held at Chatsworth Recreation Center, the goal of this meeting was to present the preferred alternative, based on public input along with research information gathered by staff.  Documents discussed at this meeting are available on the California State Parks website at http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=24154.

The team encourages the public to communicate their ideas about the General Plan and their vision for the Park.

For more information and to access the full content of the Notice of Preparation for the General Plan, please visit the California State Park website at http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=24154. http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/980/files/Santa Susanna NOP.pdf  will allow you to download the entire Notice of Preparation.  You may direct questions and comments to: California State Parks, Southern Service Center, 8885 Rio San Diego Drive, Suite 270, San Diego, CA 92108, Attn: Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park General Plan Team

COUNCIL PROTECTS NATIVE TREES NEW SPECIES, STRICTER PROTECTIONS ADDED TO NATIVE TREE ORDINANCE

Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti won the unanimous support of his colleagues for a revised and revitalized Native Tree Ordinance that protects Los Angeles' vital forest canopy and regulates the removal of oak, walnut, bay and sycamore tree species.

"Who would have thought of Los Angeles as one of our nation's great forests?" said City Council President Eric Garcetti. "We don't look like Yellowstone to the naked eye, but trees are a vital part of our city's infrastructure. They improve our air quality, help control floods and conserve water and energy. They also raise property values and contribute to a higher quality of life in the city."

Though often caricatured as a "paved paradise", Los Angeles' 700,000 street trees, 800,000 trees in parks, and estimated 20 million trees on private property constitute the nation's largest urban forest. Tree protections help reduce "heat island" effects, preserve ecological balance, and both clean the air and provide oxygen.

"Today we are protecting our heritage, our vital native habitat," said Clare Marter Kenyon, the chair of the mayor-appointed Community Forest Advisory Committee. "When trees go, animals go too. In the twenty-six years since the original Native Tree Ordinance was passed, we've seen encroachments on rare and threatened plant communities. The badly needed steps we're taking today will leave a green legacy in our city for future generations."

After a year of outreach and meetings, the recommended changes to the original Oak Tree Protection ordinance approved in 1980 include:
• Extending protection to the Southern California Black Walnut, the Western Sycamore, and the California Bay species;
• requiring a permit for protected tree removal/relocation on all property in Los Angeles;
• reducing the threshold of trunk diameter from 8 inches to 4 inches;
• calculating the required replacement mitigation utilizing a value formula;
• allowing small trees to be used as replacements if they will have a greater chance of survival than the larger sizes; and
• including civil penalties, such as withholding permits for development of property if the protected trees are removed without a permit.

Chief Forester George Gonzalez in the Bureau of Street Services may be reached for further detail on our city's urban forest at (213) 485-5675.

Michael D. Antonovich Regional Park:
VISIT MICHAEL D. ANTONOVICH REGIONAL PARK!!

This 2,326-acre park at Joughin Ranch is located on the southern slopes of the Santa Susana Mountains between Chatsworth and Simi Valley. The park offers stunning vistas, rolling hills, oak and walnut woodland, water sources, and abundance of wildlife.

Directions: From the 118 Freeway in Chatsworth, exit De Soto Avenue. Head north to Browns Canyon Road. Turn right. The park is about four miles up at 16100 Browns Canyon Road.

For more information and trail maps, go to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy’s new website, at http://www.LAMountains.com!

Recent Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy acquisitions
Trail map for Michael D. Antonovich Regional Park

MICHAEL D. ANTONOVICH REGIONAL PARK PHOTOS