Mountains Restoration Trust (MRT) celebrated its 25 th year of stewardship in the Santa Monica Mountains this year. Originally formed by a partnership between the California Coastal Commission and the California State Coastal Conservancy to assist the Coastal Commission with required mitigation in the Santa Monica Mountains, MRT has grown into a nonprofit land trust with staffed experts in many fields of preservation. "Our expertise began to broaden our scope in what we could do in land conservation. We had the people who could write funding grants and negotiate deals," explains Executive Director Steve Harris who has been a board member since 1982.

To date, MRT has added over 6,000 acres to protected lands, making acquisitions that are rich riparian resources for mountain habitat a top priority. MRT has been able to obtain land on behalf of other established park agencies, such as the National Park Service, California State Parks, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation and the City of Calabasas. "The Mountains Restoration Trust has been a key partner in our efforts to preserve and share the natural beauty of the Santa Monica Mountains. MRT acquired land that allowed us to protect watersheds, link vital wildlife corridors, and offer scenic and recreational enjoyment. We couldn't have done it without their valued and frankly irreplaceable participation," states L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky.

MRT manages one of the most prized areas within the mountain range: Cold Creek Preserve. In 1984, The Nature Conservancy entrusted MRT with its 525-acre preserve, then known as the Murphy Preserve. That same year, Cold Creeks Preserve's Stunt High Trail was completed in collaboration with the Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council, opening the area for public enjoyment. MRT continues to add acreage to this lush and pristine setting that offers a safe haven for wildlife and native habitat as well as guided hikes and an outdoor laboratory for education and environmental research.

In addition to active acquisition, the role of MRT includes restoration, protection and education. "Acquiring the land is only the first step," explains Harris. "You also have to protect the natural resources and inform residents and visitors on their stewardship role in protecting rural areas."

Since 2005, MRT has been headquartered at Headwaters Corner at Calabasas, which is strategically located at the urban/wildland interface environment. Working with the City of Calabasas, MRT is creating a progressive interpretive center on a 12-acre site that includes a year round stream, Dry Canyon Creek, which has been recently restored to a more natural condition. MRT is organizing programs and events pertaining to mountain stewardship and passive recreation at the location.

"What is evolving at Headwaters Corner is very exciting," says Woody Smeck, Superintendent of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation, a unit of the National Park Service. "The educational programs and environmental studies are key areas we need to invest in for building a strong foundation to develop a sustainable wildlife and recreational network in the Santa Monica Mountains."

"Much of MRT's success can be directly linked to its partnerships in mountain preservation and its connection to communities," says Harris. "Everyone supports our efforts with enthusiasm. We are all responsible for stewardship of these mountains, and we have learned that protecting them takes a constituency. Government can not do it alone."

For MRT's booklet Living on the Edge, funded by the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project or to learn about programs, volunteering, becoming a member, or donating to local land protection, call (818) 591-1701 or visit www.mountainstrust.org. MRT is located at 3815 Old Topanga Canyon Road, Calabasas, CA 91302.