Assemblyman Leonard's $2 Million Finds a Home

The 120-acre parcel in Twin Peaks, known as the Gregory Property received final acquisition approval at the May 18 Meeting of the State Wildlife Conservation Board. Director Peter Jorris attended the meeting on behalf of the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust.

The pending acquisition (scheduled to close escrow early in August) marks a prominent milestone in local forest protection, because the highly valued site has long been identified as a favorite hiking place as well as wildlife corridor and unique habitat. The San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust helped to persuade Assemblyman Bill Leonard to obtain the $2 million purchase funds back in 1999.

The funding was originally intended for the Roy Family Property on Indian Hill above Blue Jay, where Mr. Roy chose to propose an unpopular subdivision rather than sell the land for conservation purposes. Lacking a willing seller, the $2 million was re-directed to the Gregory Property, where prior negotiations by the Forest Service had set the stage for a conservation-based transaction.

It's important to recognize that the excellent public benefits from acquiring this land would not be possible, if it were not for the stalwart efforts of Assemblyman Leonard. A short note of thanks to his office to express your personal appreciation would be a highly appropriate gesture at this time . Like the rest of us, our representatives like to know when the outcome of their work has resulted in significant positive gains for the community. The scenic, wildlife, and recreational value of this idyllic forest parcel represent a tremendous benefit to the public and an enduring asset for the future.

The Gregory property is a key link in maintaining a large corridor of forest open space and wildlife habitat between the two communities of Twin Peaks and Crestline. Mr. Bill Gregory, the seller, has a long history of caring for the forest and allowing his neighbors in Twin Peaks to use the land for hiking. His willingness to sell the property for open space protection and the public benefit is widely appreciated within the local community and by all supporters of forest conservation.

The procurement of the $2 million was a team effort by the Land Trust, the local trail association, Lake Arrowhead area citizens, and Assemblyman Leonard. Everyone can be proud of the valuable land protection that has been achieved as a result.