A Gift In Perpetuity : Elsmere Canyon Preserved

, Henry Schultz, Diane Trautman and Maria Gutzeit served on the City of Santa Clarita's Open Space District Committee, and the community passed an initiative to tax itself to purchase open space. Although there have been many concerns that the money would be used wisely, we felt safe with our own Sierra Club member Henry Shultz on the Audit and Oversight Committee. The city has leveraged its money by partnering with other entities, purchasing the neighboring properties of Whitney Canyon and East Walker Ranch (Placerita Canyon), as well as other areas. One goal has been a trail connecting the Pacific Crest Trail to the sea (Ventura).

We are proud to have been a partner in the preservation of Elsmere Canyon. Local outings chair Ray Lorme stated 'we have led dozens of hikes in the area over the years, exposing thousands of people to the beauty of Elsmere, including Barbara Boxer.' The issue was summed up by Sierra Club member and City of Santa Clarita Mayor-pro-tem Marsha McLean, 'In 1989 I was told that the world's largest dump was a done deal. I'm proud to have fought for 21 years, and finally we have Elsmere in pubic ownership.