Residents voice concerns, give ideas on management of mountains

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Malibuites recently voiced their concerns about trail usage conflicts among hikers, equestrians and mountain bikes, and had an opportunity to share ideas about how their side of the Santa Monica Mountains will be managed in the future at a recent meeting with the National Parks Service (NPS).

The NPS is working on a new General Management Plan (GMP) for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA).

“There are different strategies to accommodate them all and the plan hopes to address and mitigate these issues,” said Arthur E. Eck, Superintendent of the SMMNRA, of residents’ concerns.

The three agencies responsible for the area, NPS, the California State Parks and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, have drafted a new plan that offers a combination of preferred alternatives. These alternatives combine five approaches to manage the SMMNRA recreation area throughout the next 15 to 20 years.

Several meetings took place recently in various areas near the Santa Monica Mountains to receive comments from the public on the plan, which NPS drafted based on information acquired over three years.

“It’s a broad road map to the future for how we will manage the SMMNRA,” said Ray Sauvagot, chief of planning for NPS.

“By and large, everyone at the Malibu meeting gave constructive input,” said Eck, of the Feb. 8 meeting at Point Dume Marine Science Elementary School.

Residents also said they would prefer that the beaches west of Zuma and as far as Point Mugu be identified and managed for lower intensity use rather than more. These beaches tend to be wild and parks should try to keep them undeveloped, said residents.

Some people also urged that there be more land acquisition. It is a suggestion that is already on the agenda, said Eck.

The priority for acquisition is based on wildlife needs, cultural resources, scenic matters and people resources, he said.

When discussing potential Malibu acquisitions, Eck said the department has a policy not to discuss specifics about certain properties they hope to acquire in the future.

“I hope we will be able to make some announcements in a few months,” he said.

However, Eck did confirm that funding exists and that there is land in the mountains above Malibu that need protection. Eck also explained that funding for acquisitions comes from federal oil lease revenues.

“A lot of oil comes from land owned by the American people and this is a way the department has found to give back to the general public,” he said.

Generally, general plan recommendations are primarily related to experiences people will have when they visit the mountains, said Sauvagot.

“We are trying to cover a wide area around the mountains to get input.”

Certain areas are better suited for lower use, which primarily involve hiking, biking and horseback riding, while other areas can have low impact usage that includes camping and a more intense use of resources. The higher intense uses can include parking lots, restrooms and visitor facilities, such as a visitor center or a small indigenous museum, like the one at Malibu Creek State Park.

Historically, the SMMNRA is one of the world’s largest urban recreation areas. It is home to significant archeological and cultural sites, and provides a haven for more than 450 animal species, including 50 that are endangered. In 1978, Congress created the SMMNRA and granted authority to the National Park Service to manage it.

The area’s first General Management Plan was completed in 1982. NPS is revising the plan because the population growth in nearby Los Angeles has changed dramatically and environmental impacts must be re-examined.

The draft plan states: “The purpose of the General Management Plan is to plot a course into the future; one that ensures the SMMNRA is preserved for all people for all times.”

And managing the Santa Monica Mountains can be a tricky task because so many organizations have an interest in them. From the Coastal Commission to the Mountain Restoration Trust, 65 to 70 organizations have a stake in the mountains.

While the department works on the plan’s details, those who are interested can have a look at what is already drafted, and give more input until May 1, on the NPS Web site at www.nationalparks.org.

“We do what we can to ensure that if we don’t use these views in this particular plan, we keep them for later on,” said Eck.