Sacramento – Assemblymember Anthony Portantino (D - La Cañada Flintridge), in attending his last meeting as an advisory board member and former Vice-Chair of  the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, helped secure a $2.5 million grant in Proposition 84 money to preserve portions of Annandale Canyon Estates open space from development.  The grant was under consideration by the Conservancy last night.

“Obviously I’m extremely pleased with the action taken last night by the conservancy,” said Portantino.  “This grant will go a long way towards leveraging other public and private funds to ensure Annadale Canyon is preserved for future generations.”

Annandale Canyon Estates is located on the northeast border of Pasadena, near Scholl Canyon, within the Rim of the Valley Trail Corridor.  The grant will be used as matching funds to acquire an approximately 20 acre, 37 parcel undeveloped hillside and canyons within the boundaries of Pasadena (see attached map).

Last November, the voters passed Proposition 84 which authorized the sale of general obligation bonds to fund, among other projects, protection efforts of natural resources and open space.

“Without this seed money to seek matching funds, this beautiful landscape risks being developed and open space is lost forever,” continued Portantino.  “Now the City of Pasadena has the ability to finalize this effort with one-third of the money in hand.  This is an example of a devoted grass roots pushing this issue over the last couple of years and a conservancy willing to listen.  Pasadena residents came out in mass last night and it made a difference.

The City of Pasadena will now consider the grant as part of a wider fundraising effort to finalize the deal on acquiring the property.

Assemblymember Anthony Portantino was elected to serve the 44th Assembly District in November of 2006. The district encompasses Altadena, Duarte, La Canada Flintridge, Pasadena, South Pasadena and Temple City.  It also includes portions of Arcadia, Monrovia, Mayflower Village and the Northeast Los Angeles neighborhoods of Glassell Park, Hermon, Highland Park, Mount Washington and Eagle Rock.