Green = parcels in Claremont’s Wilderness Park
Blue = parcels in LA County’s Marshall Canyon Park
Red = Clara Oaks
In 1995 almost all of the 3000 acres of Claremont’s foothills were in private hands. Today only 500 acres are and the 103 acres owned by Clara Oaks Estates, LLC are available to purchase and add to the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park if the Claremont Wildlands Conservancy can raise the appraised value of $7.2 million. The developer is willing to sell, but just in case we cannot raise sufficient funds, the owner has filed with the City of Claremont an application for a Specific Plan and accompanying Environmental Impact Report to develop 40 or more luxury homes on the parcel. We may have less than a year to secure Clara Oaks’ future as part of the wilderness park.
Clara Oaks bridges the slopes between Claraboya and Webb Canyon Road just north of Webb Schools. It is a beautiful natural landscape, the site of the eastern waters of the San Gabriel River watershed and home to numerous species of native plants, birds and animals. Its location helps to form a link between Claremont’s Wilderness Park and the Los Angeles County Marshall Canyon Regional Park which extends toward the green corridor along the San Gabriel foothills. Wonderful maps and a more extensive description of the birds, plants, animals and benefits of retaining this property as open space can be found in our “Clara Oaks Campaign Packet”.
We are fortunate to have the assistance of the national nonprofit Trust for Public Land to apply for grants from voter approved measures, governmental agencies and from local foundations. We are also working to raise local funds to fill funding gaps and demonstrate to major grantors that the community is committed. The Board of CWC has launched the local drive by pledging $75,000, the bulk of its budget, to the purchase. We are accepting donations to the Claremont Wildlands Conservancy through a PayPal portal on our web site or through checks sent to our mailing address. We are also able to accept pledges of funds using this form to be donated at the time of property ownership transfer.
Click on “Donate to CWC” on menu at the top to pledge or make a contribution.
If we succeed, we will save this splendid natural preserve for foxes and mule deer, for laurel sumac and western sycamores, and for hikers and nature lovers now and in the future.