California budget includes dedicated urban conservation funding for Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy.
Assemblymember John Harabedian Announces $3.5 Million Win for Local Wildlife.
LOS ANGELES, CA — On Friday September 18th, Assemblymember John Harabedian (D-Pasadena) announced a major win for the environment at Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy’s second annual Urban Conservation Awards. Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy (AFC) is slated to receive $3.5 million in state funding to preserve land for wildlife across the San Gabriel and Crescenta Valleys. This funding marks an important investment in the specialized work of conserving natural habitat in one of the country’s most urbanized regions.
The funding is included in Assembly Bill 113, part of California’s latest budget legislation. The bill includes funding for environmental protections and wildlife conservation projects across the state, including $3,575,000 for AFC via the state’s Wildlife Conservation Board.
The funding will advance AFC’s work to permanently protect undeveloped land in Los Angeles and reconnect isolated pockets of wildlife habitat. It will provide critical funding towards the acquisition of four properties AFC is currently pursuing in Altadena, Glendale, and Shadow Hills, bringing the organization closer to permanently protecting these strategically important pieces of habitat.
AFC’s inclusion in the bill was championed by Assemblymembers John Harabedian (D-Pasadena), Mike Fong (D-Alhambra), and Nick Schultz (D-Burbank) showing their effort to bring local conservation work to the state level.
“I hope this is just the beginning of long-term, robust support for urban conservation in our community. I’m proud to champion state funding for wildlife and open space because protecting our environment matters now more than ever,” said Assemblymember John Harabedian (D-Pasadena).
Conservation in Los Angeles presents unique challenges, where large areas of open space are fragmented by roads, freeways, channelized waterways, and residential development. Protecting small parcels has outsized benefits for wildlife, allowing mammals to move between larger areas of habitat in search of food, mates, water, and shelter. AFC’s wildlife corridor conservation strategy focuses on reconnecting natural areas like the San Rafael Hills, Verdugo Mountains, and Griffith Park with each other and back to the San Gabriel Mountains. They use urban ecology research to pinpoint properties that mountain lions, deer, bobcats, foxes, and other wildlife use while moving through the region.
“The properties we identify as absolutely critical to wildlife are small — often less than an acre,” said John Howell, CEO of AFC. “Despite strong community support for statewide conservation funding, securing those dollars for small urban parcels remains a consistent challenge. We’re grateful that the Assemblymembers advocated for urban conservation’s place in California’s conservation investments, recognizing that even a sliver of land makes a monumental difference to urban wildlife.”
Beyond the immediate impact of AFC’s acquisitions, the funding signals a growing understanding of the critical role urban conservation plays in protecting California’s biodiversity. As development continues to fragment Southern California’s remaining lands, the region faces increasing wildfires and extreme weather. Keeping islands of habitat connected is one of the most effective ways to help ecosystems adapt to a changing climate and slow biodiversity loss. Protecting strategic parcels now can preserve the connectivity that wildlife need and build a more resilient region for generations to come.
The funding was announced at AFC’s Urban Conservation Awards at the Autry Museum of the American West. This event celebrates efforts of environmentalists who embody the organization’s mission to conserve and connect open spaces, restore native habitat, and educate people of all ages about the nature that surrounds them. This year’s honorees included Beth Pratt, Tina Orduno Calderon, Travis Longcore, Nina Raj, and Mickey Long.
