Editor’s note:  The 302 acres sit just beyond Santa Clarita’s southern border and had been included in a developer’s hoped-for housing project (Las Lomas), which did not come to fruition. The Santa Clarita City Council voted earlier this year to buy the 302 acres and set it aside as permanent open space.

The City of Santa Clarita received a $350,000 grant from the California Natural Resources Agency this month as part of the Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Grant Program (EEMP) for the Southern Boundary Wildlife Corridor Conservation project.

The EEMP funding will be used to help with the acquisition of the 302-acre Gateway Ranch property in the Southern Boundary Wildlife Conservation Corridor.  Purchase of this property will help safeguard the habitat and assist with recovery of species impacted by construction and improvements in the area.  The Gateway Ranch acquisition is expected to be completed in 2014.

“The City of Santa Clarita is honored to be one of 37 cities to receive funding from the State.  Santa Clarita’s grant funds will be used to reduce unwanted greenhouse gases and help protect the region’s natural resources,” commented Mayor Bob Kellar.

The Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Program encourages projects that produce multiple benefits, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and risks associated with climate change, and demonstrate collaboration with local, state and community entities to protect and conserve natural resources.

“These grants will help balance the impacts of new and improved transportation projects with our natural world,” said California Natural Resources Secretary John Laird. “The funding will go to projects that will offset vehicle emissions, provide roadside recreational opportunities, and allow for the acquisition, restoration, and enhancement of watersheds, wildlife habitat, wetlands and forests.”

This competitive grant evaluated 77 total applicants and allocated a total of $10 million dollars in funding for 37 projects statewide, including the City of Santa Clarita.

Click map to enlarge