The Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District was awarded a $975,000 grant by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy at a recent Conservancy meeting.

The grant will be used to acquire 158.36 acres of open space land northeast of Simi Valley in Tapo Canyon.

The property is adjacent to 1,740 acres in Chivos Canyon and Las Llajas Canyon that is already owned and managed by the park district as public open space.

The park district open space also connects to Rocky Peak Park, a 4,500-acre nature reserve owned by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority.

“Acquisition of this property is critical to the conservation of a valuable wildlife corridor that allows animals to safely move between habitats to seek food and mates, and provides young animals the ability to roam in search of new territories,” said Gene Hostetler, Park District board chair.

Coast live oak, California walnut and coastal sage scrub dot the property’s hillsides, and grasses cover the rolling pasturelands. The scenic land contains an old ranch road that provides a trail connection from Tapo Canyon Road to the park district’s multipurpose recreation trails in Chivos Canyon.

“This trail is easily accessed on Tapo Canyon Road and offers a very gradual hike through the canyon into adjacent Chivos Canyon. The park district is pleased to be able to preserve public access to this beautiful area for generations to come,” said general manager Larry Peterson.

The land is currently owned by Marr Ranch I, LLC, which agreed to sell the property to the park district for $1,275,000. The park district’s board of directors approved the allocation of the remaining $300,000 needed to acquire the property at its December board meeting.