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Calabasas honors Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, will begin outreach on 55 appraised properties totaling nearly 900 acres
Summary
Calabasas named the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy its 2025 Organization of the Year and said the city and conservancy have identified and appraised 55 properties covering nearly 900 acres for potential long-term preservation; two conservancy grants will fund local wildfire-preparedness projects.
Calabasas onstage recognized the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy as the city’s 2025 Organization of the Year and announced that the city and the conservancy have identified and appraised 55 properties totaling nearly 900 acres as candidates for long-term preservation.
Mayor Peter Kraut described the conservancy as a decades-long steward of regional open space and said the partnership had secured state funding with Senator Ben Allen to advance an open-space acquisition plan. "Together, we've identified and appraised 55 properties totaling nearly 900 acres with strong potential for long-term preservation," Kraut said, adding that the next phase will be outreach to property owners.
Kraut said the conservancy recently directed state funding toward wildfire prevention work with LA County Fire and that the city is managing two conservancy grants: one supporting development of Calabasas’s first community wildfire protection plan and another funding targeted fuels-reduction projects and a home-hardening incentive program for residents.
The mayor noted the conservancy has granted more than $2 million to the city over the past decade for wildfire resiliency and restoration projects. Conservancy leadership accepted the award onstage; attendees included Steve Verez, Fran Pabley, Joe Edmonston, Rory Scay, Julie Nuome and Kate Anderson.
The city said outreach to property owners will be the next step in the preservation process; Kraut did not provide a schedule for acquisitions or a definitive funding commitment for purchases.
