We are residents and homeowners of Laurel Canyon and WE DO NOT SUPPORT land acquisitions by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC)/Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) in our Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone designated community. 

In our opinion, MRCA is an irresponsible, non-transparent, unresponsive and dangerous property owning neighbor in our fire prone area. Laurel Canyon residents who have the misfortune of first-hand experience in difficult dealings with this organization have granted permission for their statements to be shared as attachments to this letter. These residents are available for interviews, as well. 

BACKGROUND:

The MRCA is a California State agency and land they own does not fall under the jurisdiction of the local Los Angeles authorities.

What exactly does this mean?  

• LAPD has no jurisdiction to address trespassing or unhoused encampments on MRCA property.

• LAFD has no jurisdiction to enforce brush clearance regulations.
MRCA rangers, who are both insufficient in numbers and ill-equipped to handle such matters, are the only agency to which adjoining homeowners can turn and these homeowners confirm their requests for help are not responded to in a timely or adequate manner if responded to at all.

We support the policies and goals of the SMMC/MRCA as they apply to true open space in the Santa Monica Mountains. However, Laurel Canyon IS NOT OPEN SPACE. Laurel Canyon is a residential neighborhood which happens to be located within a wildland-urban interface and is one of the most densely populated hillside canyon neighborhoods in the City of Los Angeles. Ingress and egress is extremely limited. 33,646 cars pass through the Canyon daily. LAFD, LAPD, LADWP, LADOT, and Emergency Management Department (EMD) all recognize this area as one of the most dangerous, fire-prone areas, within Los Angeles' City limits -- every agency with the exception of the MRCA. The MRCA does not do brush clearance in compliance with LAFD fire code. The accumulation of dead vegetation along with dry brush on MRCA properties in Laurel Canyon is a well-known fact. This makes MRCA ownership of land in this Canyon extremely concerning to residents, especially ownership of land that has caught fire more than once, is considered an attractive nuisance in its present state, and has attracted encampments and a meth lab over the last decade.

Laurel Canyon residents, for the most part, have an exemplary record of wildlife stewardship going back over a century. Wildlife is one of the major reasons the majority of us choose to live here.  Unfortunately, too many of us have had the opportunity to witness firsthand what happens to deer and other wildlife that venture too close to Laurel Canyon Boulevard.  Inevitably a startled deer will be hit by one of the 33,646 cars using the Canyon daily. The intersection of Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Lookout Mountain is the busiest in the Canyon. This is not a location to which one would want to attract animals. We prefer our wildlife stay alive and thrive. 

SUMMATION:

The residents who call Laurel Canyon home prefer property to be maintained in accordance with City and County ordinances, protected and preserved out of love and respect for the environment, wildlife, and humans, alike. Fire Safety is the community and the City's top concern. The MRCA is not a fire-safe land steward, and in our densely populated Canyon neighborhood, this is a matter of life and death. The goal of attracting wildlife to a busy urban intersection, one of the busiest in Los Angeles (see attached hourly Laurel Canyon Blvd traffic report), runs counter to the goal of protecting and discouraging wildlife from coming too close to heavy, fast-moving traffic. The Zappa/Tom Mix property, at the corner of Lookout Mountain Avenue and Laurel Canyon Boulevard, needs to be purchased by the Laurel Canyon community with the residents themselves charged with proper fire clearance and land management in compliance with LAFD regulations. Proper preservation of this particular piece of property by the Laurel Canyon community ensures that it remains protected for generations to come, allowing wildlife and humans to continue to live together in harmony. 

Laurel Canyon Residents:

Please Sign our Petition to Protect and Preserve our Beloved Canyon.