CONSERVANCY EYES 8,000 SCV ACRES.

Byline: Christopher Noxon Daily News Staff Writer

The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy has set its sights on more than 9,000 acres of mountainside real estate in what directors say may be their last chance to stitch together large patches of open space.

Included on a wish list approved Monday by the agency's board of directors are 8,000 acres of Santa Clarita woodland, six parcels in the Simi Hills and several small parcels that will complete the long-planned Backbone Trail.

The purchases are possible through the passage of Proposition A, the Los Angeles County ballot measure that passed in November. With homeowners paying an average of $6 a year, the measure made $17.7 million available for purchases in the Santa Monica Mountains and an additional $5 million for open space in the Santa Susana range.

``It's great to see them finally get some money,'' said Jan Garges, a naturalist for the Conejo Recreation and Park District and a Sierra Club guide. ``They play a huge part in protecting open space They're one of the only organizations that can compete with developers.''

The purchases will be made over the next three years, said conservancy ecologist Paul Edelman. The choices of which parcels to buy are especially important, Edelman said, because this will likely be the last time revenue is available through ballot initiatives.

Proposition 218, also passed in November, mandates that property tax assessments pass by a two-thirds majority - a goal that Edelman said is virtually impossible to achieve.

``We're spending this money from the perspective that we're entering a prolonged drought,'' Edelman said. ``If you have a quart of water and you know there's a chance you aren't going to get any more for a while, you sip it much more carefully.''

Based in Malibu, the conservancy manages some 15,000 acres of open space and parkland. Directors reviewed more than 300 parcels before settling on 42 properties in the Santa Susana and Santa Monica mountains.

Directors hope the additional purchases will help create ``wildlife corridors'' between isolated habitats. The protection of a 300-acre plot in Liberty Canyon near Agoura Hills, for instance, would guarantee that animals are able to replenish their populations.

``We want to secure land linkages so the mountains don't become isolated,'' Edelman said. ``The goal is to keep wildlife as diverse as possible. If there is a shortage of male badgers in the Santa Monica Mountains, there should be a way others can come from the Simi Hills.''

With future funding in doubt, Edelman said the conservancy will be particularly picky in its choices of what land to purchase.

``People who offer good deals below fair market value receive considerable attention,'' he said. ``If we buy three of the big ones on our list at fair market values, that wipes out our funding. We have to take the time to see who's going to give us the best deal.''

Linda Palmer, president of the Santa Monica Mountains Trail Council, said she hopes the directors spend the money wisely.

``There's just so much land that needs to be protected,'' she said. ``I hope it's spent very carefully. There's lots of wonderful open space that would benefit the public if there was any way of acquiring it. This is one of the few times we get that chance.''