Tag: Ventura County

“Over the past 20 years, millions of dollars have been invested to protect and restore the river, work that some say has reached a tipping point.”

“Groups including the Santa Clara River Conservancy are looking at ways to ramp up restoration and start to open up areas to the public. People have had little access to the river winding through their communities.”

History

“In the early 2000s, the Hedrick Ranch near Santa Paula, now owned by Friends of the Santa Clara River, became one of the first project sites. In the years since, the Coastal Conservancy and other state agencies have given grants to a nonprofit partner, The Nature Conservancy, which has acquired roughly 19 miles. Now, the focus is shifting. After 18 years of buying up properties, The Nature Conservancy and Coastal Conservancy are talking about prioritizing public access projects.”

“About a decade ago, a plan was developed to create a parkway that ran the length of the Ventura County side of the river. But with a patchwork of private and publicly-owned lands, some said that may not be practical in short term. Instead, there may a mix of open spots and others that remain private. In the long term, groups said they could look at ways to connect those spots.” Full Article