Park superintendent wants better trails

Improved trails, community involvement
are top priorities of new
superintendent



Woody Smeck

Woody Smeck


Improved trails, community involvement

are top priorities of new

superintendent

By John Loesing

Acorn Staff Writer

Almost 470,000 people visit the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area each year. Woody Smeck, the SMMNRA superintendent, can’t greet them all, but he’d like to.


The affable 40-year-old served as the park interim superintendent for 18 months following the departure of former boss Arthur Eck.


Improving the recreation area’s 580 miles of public trails and keeping the community involved in park activities are two of Smeck’s top priorities.


"The immediate goal is to implement the general management plan for the Santa Monica Mountains, which was approved just this past March," Smeck said.


"One of the principal goals (of the plan) is to continue to improve our trails system. The challenges there are to continue to fill the gaps or missing links within the trails system and improve the trailheads and parking facilities, and thirdly, to continue to improve connections to the communities themselves," he said.


The crown jewel of the mountains trail system is the Backbone Trail, a 65-mile network of wide and narrow and pathways that connect Will Rogers State Park in Los Angeles County to Point Mugu State Park in Ventura County.


Hikers on the trail pass through a palette of ecosystems framed by commanding views of the Pacific Ocean. The beauty, especially this time of the year, is stunning.


Trail construction has been underway for decades and only 1.5 miles of trail at the Los Angeles County-Ventura County line is all that remains to be completed. Smeck is working with private landowners to acquire five parcels for the final link.


"We are acquiring land from willing sellers and there’s always more willing sellers than we have money to buy land. It’s a nice position to be in," Smeck said.


The SMMNRA operates on a $5 million annual budget. Smeck said his department received additional funds to expand its ranger program so more environmental education could be brought to the schools.


"We are poised to increase the number of programs we offer—in particular third and fourth grade—as well as high school," he said.


Besides hiking and camping, there’s a plethora of other activities to enjoy along the coast and in the mountains including swimming, surfing, bicycling, bird watching, nature walks and horseback riding.


Now a resident of Moorpark, Smeck grew up enjoying outdoor life in the Sierra Nevadas. He’s been an outdoor enthusiast for years.


For the past 12 years he’s worked in the Santa Monica Mountains, and prior to his job as superintendent, he was the SMMNRA deputy superintendent and chief of maintenance and facilities management.


"I step in this job feeling very comfortable with the resources," Smeck said. "I do want to continue to build effective relationships with the communities around the park and that is something I will focus on over the next couple of years."


Calabasas, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks are some of the recreation area’s companion cities.


Ruth Gerson, president of the Agoura Hills-based Recreation and Equestrian Coalition, said Smeck has shown an ability to balance public and environmental needs. "It’s important to all NRA users to have a leader who is both in touch with the land and personally passionate about the role of the Park Service in managing our outdoor resources," Gerson said.


Hiking guides and other publications showing the entire park are available at the National Park Service Visitor Center at 401 West Hillcrest Drive in Thousand Oaks.


Smeck said he hopes to add another visitor center closer to the coast.


"Right now the Thousand Oaks Visitor Center does well to serve the Valley residents, but we still need something along the Malibu coastline," he said.


Other SMMNRA sites include the Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center, Malibu Creek State Park Visitor Center, Malibu Lagoon Museum, Will Rogers State Historic Park, Topanga State Park Nature Center, Sooky Goldman Nature Center and the Charmlee Nature Center.


The historic Mulholland Scenic Corridor is another attraction. As most area residents know, Mulholland Highway offers a 55-mile scenic drive through the Santa Monica Mountains from Griffith Park to Leo Carrillo State Park.


The mountain recreation area comprises 154,000 acres in all.


For more information about the SMMNRA, visit www. nps.gov/samo.




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