Expanding the SM Mountain Recreation Area?

A bill going through the U.S. House of Representatives would make all of Santa Monica bay part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Photo: Getty Images.

Bill would make all of SM Bay part of recreation area

By Sam Catanzaro

The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is the largest urban national park in the United States and a new bill going through the United States House of Representatives looks to make it even bigger. 

Currently, over 153,000 acres of land in the park are managed in a collaboration between the National Park Service, the California State Park System, the Los Angeles County Parks & Recreation Department, as well as various other local agencies and non-profit organizations.

Congressman Ted Lieu has introduced H.R. 1487, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Boundary Adjustment Act, which would commission the National Park Service to conduct a three-year Special Resource Study to determine whether to add the entire Santa Monica Bay coastline to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

If the Special Resource Study determineds an expansion is appropriate, federal scientific and infrastructure resources would become available for conservation and recreational use in Santa Monica. Other communities that stand to benefit from such an expansion include Venice, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood,  Culver City, San Pedro, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance, Baldwin Hills, Ladera Heights, Windsor Hills, View Park and Faircrest Heights, Marina Del Rey, Palms, Playa Vista, Del Rey, Playa del Rey and Westchester. 

According to Lieu, such an expansion could help preserve beaches, waterways, historical sites while creating open spaces for parks and recreational use in Santa Monica and other beach communities. Specifically, Lieu hopes that expanding the National Recreation Area would help in “protecting wildlife populations in the designated area by preserving and restoring the Ballona Creek and Wetlands.”

Lieu also is instructing the NPS to look into the possibility of establishing connections along the trail  Establishing connections along the trail systems in the designated areas with the aim of creating or maintaining single contiguous trails along the Santa Monica Bay coastline and through

Ballona Creek into the Baldwin Hills and encompassing major feeder trails connecting adjoining communities and regional transit to the trail system. 

in News
Related Posts

(Video) Come Tour The Willows Community School!

August 27, 2025

August 27, 2025

Sign up for a tour at The Willows and come see what makes our school such a vibrant, inspiring place...

Overnight Roadwork on 405 Freeway Through Sepulveda Pass Continues This Week

August 27, 2025

August 27, 2025

Drivers can expect intermittent closures of up to two lanes in each direction Caltrans will close lanes overnight on Interstate...

Search Underway for Missing 14-Year-Old in Santa Monica Mountains

August 27, 2025

August 27, 2025

The sheriff’s department considers Wind a habitual runaway and is urging the public to contact Detective Aquino The Los Angeles...

Army Corps Nears Completion of Palisades Wildfire Cleanup

August 26, 2025

August 26, 2025

Debris removal began in late January with the Environmental Protection Agency handling hazardous materials, followed by Army Corps-led crews tackling...

Last Thursday Concert Series Concludes This Week with Cynotic Youth, No Reac!on, and Silver Fish

August 26, 2025

August 26, 2025

Attendees are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy the full lineup and support local businesses The Venice Summer Concert Series...

Abbot Kinney Festival Canceled for Second Straight Year

August 26, 2025

August 26, 2025

Organizers expressed hope that the additional time will allow them to restructure and deliver a more vibrant event in 2026...

Santa Monica Police Chief Resigns, Deputy Chief Fills Role

August 26, 2025

August 26, 2025

City Manager Chi praised Batista’s leadership, stating, “His dedication and vision have positively shaped our Police Department.” Santa Monica Police...

Repairs and Cleanups Underway for Marvin Braude Bike Trail, Posetano Road

August 25, 2025

August 25, 2025

The effort follows a historic atmospheric storm in early 2024 that eroded part of the popular 22-mile trail Repairs to...

Rally Against SB 79 Draws Crowds in Palisades

August 25, 2025

August 25, 2025

The bill, which advanced through Senate and Assembly committees, faces review by the Assembly Appropriations Committee this week, with a...

Beloved Santa Monica Art Gallery to Close Amid Financial Hardships

August 25, 2025

August 25, 2025

Originally opened in 1987, the gallery was the first tenant in Frank Gehry’s Edgemar building in Santa Monica After nearly...

Former Ed Ruscha Brentwood Compound Lists for $4.65M: Artist-Reimagined Estate Hits Market

August 25, 2025

August 25, 2025

Sprawling 1.73-Acre Corner Lot Joins Two 1950s Ranch Homes  The onetime Los Angeles home of artist Ed Ruscha has been...

New $21 Million Mediterranean Home Hits Market in Palisades

August 24, 2025

August 24, 2025

Features include a speakeasy-style bar, a 1,657-bottle refrigerated wine room, a theater, and a wellness wing A newly constructed 10,100-square-foot...

LADWP to Host Second Virtual Town Hall on Palisades Recovery

August 24, 2025

August 24, 2025

The event aims at builders, architects, and community members Los Angeles City Councilmember Traci Park will co-host a virtual town...

Santa Monica Bowls Club Marks 80th Anniversary

August 23, 2025

August 23, 2025

The club’s green, destroyed by heavy rains in 1982, was rebuilt in 1983 and continues to thrive as a hub...

County Releases Animated Film on School Policing Impact

August 23, 2025

August 23, 2025

The initiative stems from 2023 reports exposing racial disparities in school policing. A study by the LA County Office of...

Comments
Leave a Reply