During an hour-long hike on June 24, members of OCTA’s Teen Council joined OCTA staff for a tour of the Laguna Canyon Preserve, 151 acres of open space land in Laguna Beach recently acquired by OCTA as a permanent wilderness preserve.
This is the seventh property acquisition under the Measure M Freeway Environmental Mitigation Program, a comprehensive plan that preserves and restores natural habitats and allows for expedited delivery of freeway projects. The other six properties are located in Brea, Silverado Canyon, and Trabuco Canyon. The total acreage of all seven properties is more than 1,300 acres.
As they hiked through land once identified for possible development, the hikers learned about the Mitigation Program and OCTA’s preservation efforts. The Mitigation Program allocates funds to acquire land and fund habitat restoration projects. Acquired properties are permanently preserved as open space. Funded restoration projects restore preserved open space lands to their native habitat and include the removal of invasive plant species.
The Teen Council provides feedback on transportation-related issues and projects and shares insights on emerging trends with OCTA staff. The tour gave them an opportunity to see how OCTA is contributing to wildlife and habitat preservation in Orange County.
