Meet the Randall Preserve, Southern California’s new and significant piece of coastal open space. It is a remarkable partnership between public agencies and local coastal open-space advocates.
| An amazing thing happened a few years ago: a mostly undeveloped coastal bluff area between Huntington Beach and Newport Beach, thanks to neighbors and activists working together, was saved from development. Local residents Frank and Joan Randall pledged a private gift of $50 million to jumpstart the acquisition funding. Additional funding was later secured from public sources, completing the $97 million transaction and placing this rare property in the public trust. Given how tantalizing the development of coastal open space is to those who wish to exploit it, this is a wonderful outcome, and there will be nature trails and affordable coastal access for those who live throughout Southern California, rather than strip malls and houses. However, the fight to preserve coastal open space never really stops. Our friends at the Randall Preserve and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) are asking the Newport Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) to permit them to purchase a piece of property that juts into the preserve in order to preserve the open space in its entirety. The MRCA wants NMUSD to negotiate with them for open space and to abandon attempts to develop the property due to the many sensitive, threatened, and endangered species and habitats on-site. They are asking those who care about coastal open space to write to the school district, urging it to sell the land rather than develop it. Please email NMUSD and support the negotiations to keep the 11.36 acres under discussion as open space. I sent in my letter, and I hope you send in yours, too. Some talking points you can use are: I urge you to pursue the sale or a long-term lease of the 11.36-acre parcel adjacent to the Randall Preserve for permanent open-space protection. This land represents a rare and irreplaceable coastal habitat. Preserving it would complete the integrity of the preserve, protect sensitive species, and ensure public access to natural coastal space for generations to come. Development would fragment this ecosystem and diminish a unique community asset. I encourage the Board to work with the MRCA and other conservation partners to explore solutions that allow for long-term environmental stewardship. This is a unique opportunity to protect a rare open space area, for ourselves and for future generations. You can see how intrusive development would be if it were adjacent to the Randall preserve Write a letter today! |
