You might not know it, but on Tuesday morning, history was made here in Santa Clarita.
You might also not know that this history is just three miles from the Antelope Valley Freeway and dates back nearly four decades of struggle.
38 years ago, the Santa Clarita Valley Canyon Preservation Committee, founded in part by Marsha McLean, had a goal.
“We were faced with the world’s largest landfill just the next canyon over in our national forest, and the committee was formed in order to fight that landfill, along with preserving the other canyons surrounding Santa Clarita,” said McLean.
La Puerta Canyon was the focus of this celebration, though it was held closer to the 14 freeway for easier guest accessibility.
“At the very beginning, everybody thought that the landfill was already a done deal, and nobody wanted to fight it,” said McLean.
Far from their only goal, the committee has protected multiple canyons over the years, including Elsmere, Towsley and Whitney Canyon, though La Puerta is their last, as Tuesday also marked the committee’s retirement.
Though they’ll go their separate ways, the committee’s legacy will not be forgotten.
“I know that I and the members of the committee will continue to do what we do, and that’s to make sure that we preserve our open spaces and make sure that culture and the history of Santa Clarita is alive and well for future generations,” said McLean.
