At Tuesday night’s meeting, the Santa Clarita City Council will consider submitting a grant application to the State of California Department of Parks and Recreation to acquire 1,141 acres of open space in Agua Dulce Canyon, owned by the Calmat Company.

The state of California is accepting applications for a total of $1,047,489 in funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to preserve the biological diversity of Southern California land and create opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation.

The maximum grant amount is $250,000.

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Projects will be evaluated based on the proposed recreation facilities to be developed on the property, with priority given to projects that will create future public trails for hiking, picnicking, and wildlife viewing in the natural open space.

City staff is interested in seeking out this grant opportunity to leverage funds from the Open Space Preservation District to purchase the acreage adjacent to over 1,100 acres of already protected, city-owned open space.

According to the city, this property, located east of Highway 14 along Agua Dulce Canyon Road, is significant for the connection of the two sections of the Angeles National Forest east of the City of Santa Clarita in an area identified in the Angeles Linkage Conceptual Area Protection Plan.

The propery is also adjacent to the controversial Cemex property which could be used for a mega-mining project. U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer has been trying to work a deal to swap the Cemex minging company land with equally profitable land in a less densley populated area.

City council meetings begin at 6 p.m. at City Hall.