$42 MILLION BLUFF AT MALIBU BECOMES SCENIC PUBLIC PARK.

Byline: Lisa Mascaro Staff Writer

What started as a controversial plan for a hotel and golf course atop the Santa Monica Mountains instead became a 1,256-acre public park, thanks in part to a San Fernando Valley entrepreneur whose land trade helped make the deal.

Biotech pioneer Alfred E. Mann swapped the bulk of the property, along with his plans for a resort and 95 homes that might have included one for his own family, for about half their value in tax credits.

Tuna Canyon Park at Malibu - on land that at one point was William Randolph Hearst's choice for his now-famous castle that he built up the coast - will welcome hikers, environmentalists and others looking for a breath of fresh air away from city life.

``Al, it would have made a nice golf course, but this is a much better plan,'' Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said at a ribbon- cutting ceremony Monday morning under cloudy skies.

``It will be left in its natural state for all time,'' said Yaroslavsky, calling the mountain park part of ``one area that will be an oasis in what will otherwise be a megalopolis.''

Yaroslavsky noted that taxpayers should also receive a nod of appreciation, since voter-approved Los Angeles County park bonds, along with state and federal revenue, funded the rest of the $42.5 million acquisition.

Taxpayers also had a choice, Yaroslavsky said. ``They could've voted no on Proposition A in 1996, but they didn't. For that, we thank the people of Los Angeles County for making this possible.''

The coastal bluff parallels more than two miles of the Pacific Coast and is one of the largest single holdings in the vast public-lands network in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Falcons, mule deer and coyotes are at home on the land lush with coastal live oak and sage scrub - one of the most remote coastal wilderness areas in Los Angeles County.

Next to the big Topanga State Park, the new holding extends a vast open- space network as parks become increasingly linked to one another in wild mountain terrain just a brief drive from city streets.

``This is a truly exceptional piece of land. ... Even on a misty and wet day like this you can get some sense of the value,'' said California's secretary for resources, Mary Nichols. ``You will be able to get a sense of solitude that's unachievable in many parts of Southern California.''

More than 150 supporters and various public officials turned out under gray skies to dedicate the park that officials said was secured in one of the more complicated transactions for open space.

Mann previously announced he would give his 1,016-acre portion, valued at $29 million, to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy in a swap for $16.5 million under the Natural Heritage Preservation Tax Credit Act of 2000, which provides tax credits to preserve habitat and open space of significance.

The conservancy then acquired the additional 240 acres with $3.5 million that Los Angeles County supervisors appropriated from park bond money; a $1 million grant from the state Coastal Conservancy; $500,000 in federal funds that Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Woodland Hills, had helped to secure; and the conservancy's portion of state Proposition 12 funds.

The opening of the new park comes as officials prepare to dedicate four more miles Thursday in the Backbone Trail - the nearly complete 60-mile trail linking Will Rogers State Park to Point Mugu.

It also comes after a 20 percent increase in area park attendance, just since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, has underscored the value of a wilderness getaway close to home.

Also, homeowners across the Los Angeles city sections of the mountain region are being asked by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to tax themselves $40 a year for 30 years to buy open space. Those mail-in ballot results are expected shortly.

Though the morning's heavy fog and mist from 1,600 feet up the mountain made it virtually impossible to see more than a few feet into the wilderness - with the panoramic views of the Palos Verdes coast to the south and Mount Wilson to the northeast only a rumor - organizers assured those gathered that on a clear day they would see what the fuss had been about.

``When the fog lifts, this spot has one of the most magnificent views in the Santa Monica Mountains,'' said Rorie Skei, chief deputy director for the conservancy.

Enthusiasm penetrated the fog for community residents and outdoors enthusiasts who have been working to preserve the land that will be open to low-impact uses such as hiking, horseback riding, bicycling and possibly a youth camp.

Resident Kay Austen said the day's ceremony ends a decade-old battle to save the land from urban development.

``For 30 years, conservationists have been trying to save the canyon, and developers have been trying to develop it,'' she said, adding that there is one area outside the parkland where plans for homes are still being considered.

Dozens of kids also attended the ceremony to support their playground.

``It's a really fun place to take a hike,'' said 10-year-old resident Koral Simpson, who came with her friends.

``There's so much nature, and it's quiet,'' added Camille Cadarette, 8.

``It's a nice place to get away from the city,'' offered 9-year-old Erin Barlow.

For his part, Mann - whose various companies are paving new routes in medical research, including cures for cancer - simply decided to put the property in the public's hands.

``To me, this particular property right here is a unique place,'' said Mann, adding that it had been Hearst's first choice for the castle before he decided the site was too close to Los Angeles.

Mann, who is in the process of giving away the bulk of his estate - he has donated $100 million to his alma mater, the University of California, Los Angeles, and another $100 million to the University of Southern California - said he has picnicked on the spot and plans to enjoy it again as parkland.

``This will create a tremendous opportunity for all of our citizens,'' he said. ``It's my delight to do this, to be able to do this for our community.''

CAPTION(S):

photo, map

Photo:

Dedicating Tuna Canyon Park on Monday are, from left, Rep. Brad Sherman, land donor Alfred E. Mann, county Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and state official Mary Nichols.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer

Map:

Tuna Canyon Park