Save Public Access to the Big Wild in Westridge-Canyon Back Wilderness Park

Private developers and wealthy homeowners seek to block access to the Westridge Canyon Back Wilderness Park in the Santa Monica Mountains, one of the most precious natural resources in Southern California. The “Big Wild” is a 21,000 acre urban wilderness with a continuous network of green space and trails stretching from the San Fernando Valley to the Pacific Ocean. The roads and trails must remain open for all.

Part of the Canyonback Trail is a public street, Canyonback Road, just west of the Sepulveda Pass along the 405 Freeway. Last year, a wealthy homeowners’ association tried to gate off Canyonback Road to restrict public access to public parkland. Thanks to tremendous public opposition, we stopped construction of the Canyonback Gate – temporarily.

A new development is being planned along Canyonback Ridge, to the south of Canyonback Road. The developer wants to privatize the area, including Canyonback Trail. If the City approves, the public will be forced to beg access from residents of the planned private gated enclave. While the developer promises that it will provide pedestrian access, future residents could restrict or prohibit public access.

This plan should have been fully analyzed in the Environmental Impact Report (“EIR”), but the EIR ignores the issue. The developer must circulate an EIR that analyzes these impacts and how to maintain public access.

Another scheme calls for the creation of a substandard “bypass trail” to route trail users off Canyonback Road, which would be privatized and gated. This two-mile bypass trail would be carved into the steep, unstable, landslide-ridden slopes that would be impossible to maintain, thereby degrading public access. But by then Canyonback Road would be “private,” and the public would have lost forever access to this public parkland. The bypass trail would destabilize the hillsides, placing lives and property at risk in the canyon below.

What You Can Do:

1. Send an opposition letter to the Canyon Back Alliance, fax 310-201-2110 or e-mail info@canyonback.org
2. Attend the May 18, 2005, public hearing to oppose the project (the city will disclose the time and place 10 days before the hearing date and we will post the information on our web site)
3. Distribute this message widely.
4. Check for updates at www.canyonback.org and the Center’s blog at www.cityprojectca.org.