MCKEON SEEKS FUNDS TO REALIGN DANGEROUS STRETCH OF TRAIL.

Byline: Jim Skeen Daily News Staff Writer

Looking to separate cars and trucks from hikers, Rep. Howard ``Buck'' McKeon, R-Santa Clarita, is seeking $5 million for the Pacific Crest Trail, including funding for realigning the Agua Dulce segment of the 2,650-mile path.

McKeon is preparing a letter to the Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Interior seeking funding and is also seeking the establishment of a line-item appropriation from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for land acquisition for the Pacific Crest Trail.

In a draft of the letter, McKeon notes nearly 300 miles of the trail between the Mexican border and Canada are located on simple right-of-way easements or beside highways.

The Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) considers the three-mile Agua Dulce segment among the most dangerous of those ``road-walks.''

``The community of Agua Dulce, the County of Los Angeles, the Forest Service and the Trust for Public Lands are all working with the PCTA to secure this land, but lack the funds to do the job,'' McKeon wrote. ``Without assurance that Congress will provide the funds to finish the job it started with passage of the National Trails System Act of 1968, their task will be almost impossible.''

McKeon sought $2.5 million for the Agua Dulce segment last year but was unsuccessful. That request, however, came during the summer, after much of the fund had already been committed to other projects.

The funds are being sought at the request of the Pacific Crest Trail Association, a 2,600-member organization that provides volunteer efforts to improve the trail and provides trail information for hikers.

In the draft letter, McKeon notes that Congress provided more than $200 million to the National Park Service over the past 20 years for land acquisition for the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.