FORRESTAL STEERING COMMITTEE

Background Information on Policies and Procedures 

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy operates under certain Land Management principles, as follows:

•     We need strong community involvement and support to be successful.
•     We will maintain or increase the habitat value of preserved lands.
•     We will help people appreciate and enjoy these lands by providing volunteer and educational opportunities.
•     Land preserved will be available for public use in perpetuity. 

The policy of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes with respect to trail use as spelled out in the City’s Conceptual Trails Plan is as follows:

City policy is that all trails should be available to the maximum number of residents. The Palos Verdes Peninsula has a history of shared (or multipurpose) trail use, by pedestrians, equestrians, and off-road bicyclists. However, a “multipurpose” designation will not be satisfactory in some areas due to physical constraints of the topography, potential user conflicts, and/or public opinion. In these cases, the trail is limited to either pedestrian, pedestrian/equestrian, or off-road bicycle use. 

Funding for the purchase of the Forrestal Nature Preserve was provided in 1996 from two sources: 

•     The California Department of Fish and Game Wildlife Conservation Board granted funds specifically “for the acquisition of 160.0 acres of land for the purposes of wildlife habitat preservation, restoration and management, wildlife-oriented education and research, and for compatible public uses, all as may be consistent with wildlife habitat preservation”. In receiving this Grant, the City of Rancho Palos Verdes acknowledged that “the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Game, and the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy support the City’s acquisition of said property as these agencies have determined that the property is noted for its exceptional natural resources including serving as a prime habitat for endangered species”. 

•            Additional funding was received from a LA County Regional Park & Open Space District Grant funded by Proposition A. Funds were specifically allocated for “Acquisition of 160 acres of critical natural lands and wildlife habitat”. The LA County Board of Supervisors recognized that, “the County has many unique natural lands and is rich in biological diversity, and it is necessary and important that these natural resources be protected permanently and restored for the purposes of conserving biological diversity, protecting the health of the County’s environment and for the enjoyment of this and future generations”. The County requires “reasonable public access to lands” funded by such grants “except when that access may interfere with resource protection.”