The acquisition of Joughin Ranch will protect three canyon streams that provide drinking water for the region. Joughin Ranch (pronounced Jockin) is located on the southern slopes of the Santa Susanas between Chatsworth and Simi Valley. It abuts Rocky Peak Park, a 4,815-acre wilderness park to the west.

"The purchase of Joughin Ranch nearly completes the wildlife corridor across the Santa Susana Mountains and renders further development in the center of the range nearly impossible," said E.J. Remson, manager of The Nature Conservancy’s Los Angeles-Ventura project. "The acquisition fills an important conservation gap by protecting the large areas of habitat that mountain lions, deer, black bears, coyotes, bobcats, ringtail cats and other large mammals need to survive. Collaborative partnerships such as these are vital to the preservation of Southern California’s remaining natural landscapes."

Funds for the purchase came from the state Wildlife Conservation Board ($5 million), the Los Angeles County Safe Neighborhood Parks Act of 1996 ($3 million) and The Nature Conservancy ($500,000). In addition, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy purchased 405 acres in Browns Canyon next to Joughin Ranch for $2.4 million.

"Joughin Ranch is hands down one of the most spectacular open space properties in the Southern California region," said Joseph T. Edmiston, executive director of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. "We now have permanently preserved acres of forests, wetlands, and unparalleled, panoramic views of the San Fernando Valley, Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills — all within minutes of a densely populated urban area."

Joughin Ranch will be owned and managed by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, a joint powers authority of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District and the Conejo Recreation and Park District.

The Santa Susana Mountains run east to west between Ventura and Los Angeles counties. The range forms a natural link between the San Gabriel Mountains to the east, part of the Angeles National Forest, and the Sespe Condor Sanctuary to the northwest, part of Los Padres National Forest. A small ridge in the Santa Susana Mountains, which includes Joughin Ranch, extends south to Simi Hills and into the coastal Santa Monica Mountain range.

Joughin Ranch supports coastal sage scrub, grasslands, chaparral and woodlands of oak, ash, walnut, sycamore and some big-cone Douglas fir. Several threatened plant species, such as the slender mariposa lily and the Santa Susana tarplant, are found in and around the property. The surrounding area provides optimal foraging and nesting habitat for many raptors, including golden eagles, great horned owls, northern harriers and red-tailed, prairie and Copper’s hawks.

Existing roads on the ranch provide an intact trail system that connects to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy’s Rim of the Valley Trail and trails in lower Browns Canyon.

E.J. Remson said the need to protect the property was evident.

"The property is a key watershed area for Los Angeles and encompasses the stream sources of Devil, Ybarra, and Browns Canyons," said Remson. "These canyons are biologically critical components of the eastern Santa Susana Mountains ecosystem. All other drainages on the southern face of the Santa Susana Mountains within Los Angeles County are mostly developed."

The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC) is working with the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation and LA County 5^th District Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich to establish a regional open space park that would include Joughin Ranch.

The SMMC and County Parks Department have scheduled a September 22 dedication to celebrate the acquisition. Media tours of the property will be available at that time. Photos and a map of the project are available upon request.

The Nature Conservancy is an international non-profit membership organization, whose mission is to preserve plants, animals, and natural communities by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. Founded in 1951, The Nature Conservancy and its more than one million members have safeguarded more than 12 million acres in all 50 states and Canada. The Conservancy has also worked with like-minded partner organizations to preserve more than 80 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, the Pacific, and Asia. In California, The Nature Conservancy has protected more than one million acres. Visit us on the Web at www.nature.org/california.