On June 3rd, SAMO Fund, in partnership with the National Park Service, opened a new footbridge bridge on the Cheeseboro Canyon trail. The bridge is the second footbridge in our mountain’s public trails – the first being the bridge at Zuma Canyon. With projects like these and the launch of the new Trails Forever Program, SAMO Fund and NPS are proving their commitment to accessibility and public access for everyone in the community.

Projects like this one don’t come together easily. It was a long journey of persistent planning and collaboration with partners to achieve the finished product and we want to thank our NPS partners and the sponsors who made it all come together; the National Park Foundation, the Fund for People in Parks and the Hilton Family Foundation.

Read the full article on The Acorn website

Read the full article on The Acorn

“You have more fire, you have less natives, you have more weeds, and that leads to more fire and less natives and more weeds, and more fire and on and on.” – Joey Algiers, restoration ecologist with the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. 

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The National Park Service (NPS) is facing significant challenges due to recent federal workforce reductions, with approximately 1,000 NPS employees terminated as part of broader government downsizing efforts.

Seven NPS Rangers serving the Santa Monica Mountains were terminated in the areas of wildlife research including those supporting the endangered red-legged frog program and our mountain lion program, wildfire restoration, archaeology cultural resources protection of Native American artifacts and Special Park Use, which handles all permits for all activities happening in the Park. SAMO Fund hired all of these rangers to work as our employees the following week!

Your support is needed. SAMO Fund is the official non-profit partner to the National Park Service in the Santa Monica Mountains. NPS is leaning on SAMO Fund to keep their work going. Your funding supports these efforts.

Check out these news stories mentioning SAMO Fund:

• SAMO Fund worries wildfire resiliency projects in Santa Monica Mountains could be in jeopardy

• What Park Worker Firings Mean for LA’s Natural Wonders

• National Park Layoffs Assailed By Off-Duty Rangers and Community Members in SoCal Protests

• ‘It gets worse and worse’: L.A.’s post-fire struggle under Trumps cuts

Policy Developments Impacting the Santa Monica Mountains

As Santa Monica Mountains Fund continues its mission to support and enhance SMMNRA, it is crucial to stay informed about policy changes that could impact our work, our park, and the people we serve. We are actively tracking federal, state, and local legislative developments that may affect environmental conservation, public land management, funding for NPS programs, and our broader community initiatives. Below, we highlight key policy updates and their implications for our operations:

Federal Funding Freeze

The federal funding freeze temporarily paused financial support for key programs, affecting 32 SAMO Fund employees working on habitat restoration, fieldwork, and public outreach.

Our Response: We took immediate action to advocate for restored funding and explored alternative solutions to sustain these vital programs.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Policies

Recent executive orders impacted DEI initiatives in federal programs, potentially limiting resources for community-focused projects.

Our Response: SAMO Fund remained committed to ensuring everyone has the opportunity to experience and contribute to our work, regardless of their background.

Hiring Challenges

New policies created obstacles for NPS employees in public lands programs, eliminating critical roles that support environmental restoration, education, and park maintenance.

Our Response: We worked to support alternative pathways for hiring and sought solutions to ensure essential roles remained staffed to keep vital projects moving forward.

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Here are some action steps you can take organized by the Sierra Club: Outdoors for All: Reclaim, Protect, Persist Action Toolkit

Please consider a donation to SAMO Fund.

Federal funding that was promised for SAMO Fund’s Native Seed Farm has been impounded. Without access to this necessary funding, the seeds that have begun to grow may be lost and progress towards a sustainable source of reliable native seed for restoration work on your public lands will suffer. Take action now and help bridge the gap in funding so we can continue to nurture the Santa Monica Mountains.

You can make a difference!

Donate, volunteer, and spread the word to protect this amazing resource for restoration.

Spectrum News talks with Executive Director, Deanna Armbruster and Native Seed Farm Manager, Takuma Chipman about the state of the seed farm.

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Recently, SAMO Fund staff sat down with one of our exemplary employees to have a chat about what makes her hopeful about the work she does and how she came to Santa Monica Mountains Fund.

Q: What did you want to be when you were growing up?  

A: A Motivational Speaker. I had an inspirational teacher who would show us Ted talks. Now, I feel that I have brought this dream into my career because I motivate students to find ways to resonate and connect with nature. 

Q: How did you end up at SAMO Fund? 

A: I Applied to SAMO youth in 2019 for outdoor education/interpretation learning path. Also, for a Spanish Communications Assistant. I didn’t hear anything back for a while because of COVID. Then in June or July of 2020, Anna Chola reached out to me and asked if I’d like to be the Spanish Communications Assistant. 

Q: What did that entail? 

A: Taking photos around the park for socials/posts, translating press releases into Spanish, and creating more online content. We were focusing on it due to COVID. I started Reading with a Ranger. I helped contact publishers, gain approval, filming/editing/captioning/posting. “Online Interpretation”. We found a way to continue to reach out to the youth at a time where we couldn’t physically take them outdoors.

Q: And after that? 

A: I worked in the SPU unit for a year doing graffiti removal, inputting signs, assisting law enforcement, search and rescue, roving. I learned a lot about the park from my superiors (Ken Low).

I was working part-time at SAMO Fund while attending Ventura College and later UCSB studying environmental studies. I loved my time in CC, I was a first gen college student.

Q: When did you graduate? 

A: 2023 

Flores goes on to give her work history with NPS in education and interpretation from 2023 to 2024, including Channel islands, Bryce Canyon, and Sequoia and Kings canyon. She is currently the SAMO Fund Education Program Lead

“I was unsure about leaving NPS because I wanted to be in uniform, but education is my passion.” 

Q: Did you always want to go into education? 

A: Education is my passion. In high school, I knew I wanted to study environmental studies in college. I gained experience in environmental community engagement, environmental advocacy, and working in a lab. In comparison: I enjoyed the outreach and community based work much more than the lab work so I quit the lab job and started working for SAMO Fund (back in 2020). 

Anna is SAMO Fund’s Education Program Lead. She oversees the Open Outdoors For Everyone Program, which brings students from Title 1 schools in Ventura and LA Counties to the park for a day of adventure and learning with NPS and State Park Rangers. We aim to inspire the next generation of national park stewards and educate them about the national park on their doorstep, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Learn more about Open Outdoors For Everyone