Earlier this year, I wrote about the National Park Service’s Rim of the Valley Corridor Study, an ambitious plan to link the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area with the San Gabriels in a public-private land partnership. The proposed area would include miles of new trails and campgrounds, increased funding for conservation efforts, and important wildlife corridors for our local fauna.

The proposal is currently in the “Public Comment” period, when locals get to ask questions of officials, get more information, and raise any concerns they might have. There is a session tonight at 6PM the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens, but don’t worry if you can’t make it – the Public Comment Period lasts through the end of October and will have several more meetings all over the L.A. Metro area.

If you can make it to one of these meetings, I strongly encourage you to do so. As I mentioned when I first wrote about the proposal, there is a sizable (and probably extremely vocal) opposition group in the Valley who’s convinced the entire plan is some communist-socialist-other hyphenate plot to steal their land and hand it over to the feds, so it’s important for us to have some sensible outdoorsy folks in the rooms when question time rolls around.

You can find out more about the proposal and sign up for info on future meetings here. The following meetings are currently scheduled through early October:

Wednesday, September 15, 2010
2-4 p.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Los Angeles River Center and Gardens
570 W. Avenue 26
Los Angeles, CA 90065
* also presented in Spanish

Tuesday, September 21, 2010, 7-9 p.m.
George A. Caravalho Santa Clarita Sports Complex-Activities Center Building
20880 Centre Pointe Parkway
Santa Clarita, CA 91350

Wednesday, September 22, 2010, 7-9 p.m.
Conejo Recreation and Parks District
Community Room
403 W. Hillcrest Dr.
Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

Monday, October 4, 2010, 7-9 p.m.
King Gillette Ranch
26800 West Mulholland Highway
Calabasas, CA 91302

Tuesday, October 5, 2010, 7-9 p.m.
Northeast Valley City Hall
7747 Foothill Blvd.
Tujunga, CA 91042
* also presented in Spanish

Wednesday, October 6, 2010, 7-9 p.m.
Charles S. Farnsworth Park
Davies Building
568 East Mount Curve Ave.
Altadena, CA 91001

Tags: Hiking, Los Angeles, National Park Service, public comment, rim of the valley