OPEN SPACES
The latest news from the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy Vol. 9 No. 1
Working to Protect The Ojai Valley’s Future - Today
Spring 2002
Key San Antonio Creek Parcel Donated
T
hanks to the generosity of Betty Jane McCurley, nine acres of streamside and oak woodlands habitat will be protected as open space. The scenic property lies downstream from Camp Comfort on Creek Road and was part of the estate of Homer Canterberry. The property was recently transferred to Mrs. McCurley, who then made the generous gift of property to The Conservancy. The parcel is highlighted by over 500 feet of stream and over fifty oak trees that cling to steep hillsides overlooking the property. The year-round stream is lined by sycamore and willows and is home to a wide diversity of wildlife including Black Bear, Mule Deer and Bobcat, and the endangered Red Legged Frog and Steelhead Trout. However, most of the property is characterized by rugged terrain and spectacular views of Sulphur Mountain. As part of the final agreement with The Conservancy, McCurley had abandoned vehicles, buildings and other garbage removed from the property. The transformation of the property has been a quick one. Now green grass and wildflowers grow where the rubbish once stood. “We can’t thank Mrs. McCurley enough for her generosity and
CONSERVANCY LAUNCHES
San Antonio Watershed Project “It’s a small, but important piece of the Valley’s ecological puzzle”, said David Magney, environmental consultant and a Conservancy Land Committee Member. The nine-acre, San Antonio Creek parcel donated
willingness to work with us to clean up the site,” said Jim Jackson, Conservancy President. Another key player in the project’s success was Allan Jacobs of Waite, Jacobs and Atkinson, who originally suggested the donation to Mrs. McCurley and (top) Before- A familar scene prepared the necessary on Creek Road legal documents to complete the transfer of (left) Now - Nature Takes the property to The Over Conservancy. The Conservancy’s Board of Directors and Land Committee will spend the next year determining the future use for the site. The Conservancy has several options for the property including an outdoor classroom for local students, an erosion control demonstration project using environmentally sensitive techniques, or protecting the land by placing a conservation easement on the property and selling it to an adjacent landowner. Meanwhile, for public safety and protection of the site’s sensitive habitat, public use will be limited to tours guided by Conservancy personnel. Conservancy members and other Ojai Valley residents will have their first chance to explore the property at a site dedication which is scheduled for Sunday March 24 at 4pm. See events calendar on page 4 for more details.
by Betty Jane McCurley establishes a link between the Ojai Meadows Preserve and San Antonio Creek. Only two other large parcels lie between the newly donated property and the Preserve. This donation also sparked the Conservancy’s newest initiative, The San Antonio Watershed Project”. San Antonio Creek is the most important tributary of the Ventura River because the majority of it is a
year-round stream and its proximity to large areas of wildlife habitat adjacent to Sulphur Mountain and Lion Canyon. In launching the San Antonio Watershed Project, The Conservancy plans to contact every landowner along the drainage to educate them about the opportunities to protect their land and receive potential tax benefits. Donations aren’t the only way landowners can See SAN ANTONIO PROJECT page 2