A Park in Progress

The act of Congress that created Channel Islands National Park in 1980 did not include the phrase “some assembly required” but it should have.

Over the next 20 years, park managers have faced one challenge after another as they worked to free the five islands off the Ventura County coast from private control, incompatible uses and invasive nonnative species.

Now, with herds of cattle, sheep and horses largely removed, native vegetation is beginning to recover from the damage done by decades of grazing. It is a slow process, as is the gradual expansion of the park into areas formerly closed to public access.

Last week, the park enjoyed a growth spurt thanks to a gift of 8,500 acres on the largest island, Santa Cruz, from the Nature Conservancy of California. The land, worth more than $25 million, is the single most valuable land grant to the National Park Service in 30 years.

Before the land transfer, which was announced in March but just recently completed, the Nature Conservancy owned 90% of the island and the Park Service only 10%. Now the public has access to 24% of the island--14,733 acres of rugged mountain hiking trails, pristine Pacific beaches and endless ocean views. Santa Cruz is 95 square miles with two mountain ranges rising as high as 2,400 feet.

There is still much to be done to return the islands to the condition in which the first Chumash found them more than 500 years ago. Herds of wild pigs still roam Santa Cruz and neighboring Santa Rosa, and native vegetation must compete with infestations of fennel on Santa Cruz and iceplant on Anacapa. But the Land Conservancy’s gift adds another piece to the puzzle, expanding the appeal of this magical place.

To everyone involved in the negotiations, congratulations and thank you.