The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy works together with many government and nonprofit agencies to achieve the mutual goal of an interlinking network of parks, trails, and open space for public use and wildlife habitat surrounding the great metropolitan areas of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. These partnerships can take the form of strategic planning, grants to nonprofit organizations or local government, or formalized partnerships by the use of joint powers authorities.

The Conservancy works together with the National Park Service (NPS), and the California Department of Recreation and Parks (“State Parks”) to cooperatively acquire and manage the parks in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, to protect all resources within the parks, and to provide for the enjoyment of all public parkland within the National Recreation Area without regard to governmental ownership.

Nonprofit Organizations
The Conservancy has given hundreds of grants to nonprofit organizations qualified as exempt organizations by section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code for activities such as education and interpretation, improvements, and land acquisition directly related to Conservancy projects.

Local Government
The Conservancy frequently awards grants to cities, counties, resource conservation districts, and recreation and park districts for the acquisition or improvement of natural and scenic resources under the management of the local jurisdiction. Other government entities also partner with the Conservancy by contributing local funds towards the acquisition of Conservancy owned and operated parkland.

Joint Powers Authorities
A joint powers entity is a public agency created pursuant to the Joint Exercise of Powers Act that allows two or more government agencies to combine forces by jointly exercising their powers with respect to a specific purpose or set of objectives. The Conservancy has joined with various government entities to forge these partnerships with the intent of working cooperatively to preserve public parkland.

The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy is a member of nine active joint powers authorities. These joint powers authorities function as legally separate government entities with their own governing boards. Central to their success is the ability to complement the work of other organizations protecting land in the Southern California mountains to acquire and improve open space and parklands, affording educational opportunities, and providing stewardship for a wide variety of public park and open space resources.

• Baldwin Hills Regional Conservation Authority
• Desert and Mountain Conservation Authority
• Eastern Ventura County Conservation Authority
• Moorpark Watershed, Parks, Recreation and Conservation Authority
• Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority
• Newhall Ranch High Country Recreation and Conservation Authority
• Santa Clarita Watershed Recreation & Conservation Authority
• Whittier-Puente Hills Conservation Authority
• Wildlife Corridor Conservation Authority

State Parks
California State Parks, Angeles District
The Superintendent of the California State Parks, Angeles District, is a voting member of the Conservancy. California Department of Parks and Recreation manages more than 270 park units, which contain the finest and most diverse collection of natural, cultural, and recreational resources to be found within California. Malibu State Park, Topanga State Park, Kenneth Hahn State Park and Will Rogers State Beach are just a few of the many State Parks in or near the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Zone. The Conservancy works together with State Parks to maximize State Resources to acquire, preserve, and manage State Resources within the Zone.

National Park Service
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
The Superintendent of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is a voting member of the Conservancy. In 1978, Congress established the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) as part of the National Park System. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is a cooperative effort that joins federal, state and local park agencies with private preserves and landowners to protect the natural and cultural resources of this transverse mountain range and seashore. In the Santa Monica Mountains, the SMMNRA extends from Point Mugu east to the Cahuenga Pass, including the Mulholland Scenic Parkway. The territory also includes the principal wildlife corridor between the Simi Hills and Santa Monica Mountains. Comprised of more than 153,075 acres, the SMMNRA is the world’s largest national park. NPS Parks include Solstice Canyon Park in Malibu, Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa, Paramount Ranch, Peter Strauss Ranch, Franklin Canyon Park, Circle X Ranch, and Zuma/Trancas Canyons.

The Rivers and Trails Conservation Assistance Program
The Rivers and Trails Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) was established by the National Park Service to support community-based conservation action. The Conservancy partners with the RTCA on joint projects in the Santa Monica Mountains and along the Los Angeles River.

USDA Forest Service
Angeles National Forest
The Supervisor of the The Angeles National Forest is an ex officio member of the Conservancy. The Angeles National Forest was established by Executive Order in December 1892. It covers over 650,000 acres and is the northern backyard to the huge metropolitan area of Los Angeles. The Angeles National Forest manages the watersheds within its boundaries to provide valuable water to Southern California and to protect surrounding communities from catastrophic floods. The land within the Forest is as diverse in appearance and terrain as it is in the opportunities it provides for enjoyment. Elevations range from 1,200 to 10,064 feet. Much of the Forest is covered with dense chaparral that changes to pine and fir-covered slopes as you reach the majestic peaks of the higher elevations.