LOS ANGELES --- Assembly Majority Leader Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) introduces legislation to continue funding the Baldwin Hills Conservancy, which is buying the land to extend Kenneth Hahn Park. The Conservancy’s mission is to acquire open space and manage public lands within the Baldwin Hills area and to provide recreation, restoration and protection of wildlife habitat within the territory for the public's enjoyment and educational experience.

“The Baldwin Hills Conservancy plays and important role in our community,” states Majority Leader Bass. “It is pivotal in maintaining the historical, natural gem of Los Angeles nestled in the middle of the city. It should be enjoyed for years to come.”

The Baldwin Hills are the last, large undeveloped area of open space in urban Los Angeles County, covering over two miles of dramatic ridgelines and steep canyons. It homes hundreds of species of native plants and animals and provides important natural habitats of the vast system of swamps, grasslands and riparian areas that once made up this area. The Baldwin Hills encompass 450 acres of protected parkland, including the Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area, the Ladera Ball Fields, the Vista Pacifica Scenic Site, Culver City Park and Norman O. Houston Park.

Karen Bass has been a State Assembly Member representing Los Angeles’ 47th District since 2005. Speaker Fabian Núñez selected Bass as the Majority Leader for the California State Assembly during the 2007-2008 legislative session, making her the first African American and the first woman to hold this leadership position. As the Assemblymember for the 47th District, Karen Bass serves the cities and communities of Culver City, West Los Angeles, Westwood, Cheviot Hills, Leimert Park, Baldwin Hills, Windsor Hills, Ladera Heights, the Crenshaw District, Little Ethiopia and portions of Korea Town and South Los Angeles.