CEREMONY OPENS MOUNTAINTOP TRAIL.

Byline: Krystn Shrieve Staff Writer

A 1.6-mile stretch of the Backbone Trail was dedicated Friday in the Santa Monica Mountains, bringing officials closer to completing the 60 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails from Santa Monica to Point Mugu.

The Backbone Trail - named because it travels the ridge along the Santa Monica Mountains - will open to the public Sept. 1.

``It's got to make you jealous of Teddy Roosevelt who, when he went to buy Yellowstone, did it in just one or two transactions,'' said Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Woodland Hills, who helped secure the federal money to purchase the parcels that made up this latest segment.

``There are nearly a dozen parcels that make up this 1.6 miles, and three or four of them were only purchased in the past year and a half or so. It's been a long, slow process.''

The Backbone Trail has been more than 20 years in the making. Much of the work was done by Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and Sherman's predecessor, Anthony Beilenson.

When completed, it will stretch from Will Rogers State Historic Park near Brentwood to Point Mugu.

The Backbone Trail is within the 150,000 acres that make up the Santa Monica National Recreation Area, which was established by Congress in 1978.

National Park Service spokeswoman Jean Bray said about 33 million people annually visit the recreation area, which spans the length of the trail from the Ventura Freeway to the ocean and which includes a number of beaches.

``This is some of the finest flora and fauna our Mediterranean ecosystem has to offer,'' Bray said. ``Some of the animals that live in the mountains include mountain lions, bobcats, mule deer, raccoons, foxes and coyotes.''

Bray said there are eight parcels in the remaining six miles of trails. She estimates the route will be completed in two or three years.

``Work on five parcels is in the process now,'' Bray said. ``The others still need to be purchased and we're working on that.''

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color -- ran in Conejo and Simi editions only) Retired Congressman Anthony Beilenson speaks Friday at a dedication ceremony for a stretch of the Backbone Trail.

(2 -- color -- ran in Conejo and Simi editions only) U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman, left, and park official Arthur Eck tip over a ``Trail closed'' sign to open the mountain ridge route.

Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News