In 1978, the California Department of
Parks and Recreation began a feasibility study to determine the need for
Chino Hill State Park (CHSP). Volunteers from around the hills began
an inventory of the Park's natural resources and even helped designed the
Park's boundaries to protect the watersheds and viewsheds by protecting
the ridgelines. Several years later, Park Bond Acts supplied the
first funds to acquire land for inclusion into the State Park. And
thus it began, a 25 year effort of land preservation with numerous battles
to protect the Park from surrounding developments and threats.
Hills For Everyone (HFE), a local non-profit, was formed to protect this
natural landscape and has led the charge to ensure its success. In
the early years of the CHSP's formation, HFE volunteers operated the Park
when the State couldn't afford to and spent countless hours cleaning up
the land from its cattle ranching history. Though land continued to
be purchased as a part of the Park, CHSP was not official until 1986 when
the California Parks and Recreation Commission declared its existence.
Through the 1980s lands continued to be acquired with other Park Bond
funds. But the early 1990s brought new scientific information about
the concepts of park size and species survival. Essentially, in
order to allow the plants and animals to continue to exist (with adequate
food, water, shelter and mates) there needed to be enough protected land
or lands linked together through corridors to allow the species to live.
For years groups like Friends of Whittier Hills based on the western side
of the hills, had worked to preserve land in there in the Puente Hills as
a chain of protected lands. When it became clear that CHSP and its
array of natural resources were threatened due to the lack of connections
to other open spaces, citizen groups from around the hills began a
cohesive effort to connect the protected open spaces. This concept became
widely known as the Puente-Chino Hills Wildlife Corridor, a 31-mile long
corridor of open spaces, not all of which are protected.
The first cohesive battle was the preservation of a permanent connection
between the Santa Ana Mountains to the State Park. This was the only
remaining viable connection to the Park was through the Coal Canyon.
This canyon had two properties that together linked the Mountains to the
CHSP. The southern parcel, owned then by the St. Clair Company had
already began the process of development and had received its entitlements
for 1,550 homes. HFE, state and local elected officials worked to
secure funding for the acquisition of the St. Clair parcel and it became a
reality when money from 12 different funding sources, totaling $40 million
was used in 2000 to buy the 649 acre canyon. The northern parcel,
known as the Mancha property had also already begun the process of
development, which include not only homes, but industrial and commercial
buildings too. Again, State Parks and others worked to secure $13.5
million to buy this 32 acre parcel.
The preservation of Coal Canyon was significant for many reasons. It
marked the first time in state history, land was purchased for
preservation of a wildlife corridor. It also marked the first time
in state history, CalTrans removed the on and off ramps for a wildlife
corridor. Since Coal Canyon was now saved from development, other
connections were essential to protect the integrity of the Wildlife
Corridor. CHSP, at over 13,000 acres is the largest anchor of the
hillside system, but 4,000 acres had also been preserved in the Puente
Hills. Lands between the Chino Hills and the Puente Hills needed to
be acquired, this land is called the Missing Middle.
The Missing Middle is comprised of two large parcels. The first is
owned by Shell-ExxonMobil, who plans to build 3,600 houses on its 3,000
acres. The property is situated between Harbor Blvd. in La Habra
Heights and easterly across the hills past the 57 freeway near Brea and
Diamond Bar. Aera Energy, the local representatives of
Shell-ExxonMobil have slowly been pushing their development plans through
the Counties of Los Angeles and Orange. The development of the
Shell-Aera parcel would sever the Wildlife Corridor and the lands west of
the Missing Middle would slowly become devoid of the plants and animals.
The second property is owned by the City of Industry, who plans to build
three large reservoirs with over a dozen saddle dams on its 6,000 acres.
In addition, Industry plans to build a new freeway across the hills
connecting the Inland Empire to the 57 Freeway in Brea. The road or
the dams would both sever the Corridor and place the existing investments
at risk. Again, groups across the hills are working to complete the
Wildlife Corridor by acquiring the Shell-Aera property and stopping the
dam/freeway plans by the City of Industry.
Unfortunately, major threats to the CHSP still exist today a lot of which
are focused at the Coal Canyon connection, including, but not limited to:
the expansion of the 91 freeway, the addition of riprap along the Santa
Ana River, the creation of additional railroad lines and a highway through
the State Park and the Mancha parcel connecting the 15 freeway to the 241
toll road. It is only due to the perseverance of the State Park
staff, non-profit groups like Hills For Everyone, and multi-county joint
powers authorities like the Wildlife Corridor Conservation Authority that
the Park is what it is.
The preservation of Coal Canyon was significant for many reasons. It
marked the first time in state history, land was purchased for
preservation of a wildlife corridor. It also marked the first time
in state history, CalTrans removed the on and off ramps for a wildlife
corridor. Since Coal Canyon was now saved from development, other
connections were essential to protect the integrity of the Wildlife
Corridor. CHSP, at over 13,000 acres is the largest anchor of the
hillside system, but 4,000 acres had also been preserved in the Puente
Hills. Lands between the Chino Hills and the Puente Hills needed to
be acquired, this land is called the Missing Middle.