Griffith Park Celebrates Second Anniversary
Posted by Jocelyn Holt on Mar 29, 2011 - 1:03:39 AM
LOS FELIZ— Griffith Park celebrated its two-year anniversary as a historic cultural monument on March 27. Colonel Griffith J. Griffith was a Welsh immigrant who made a fortune in Mexican silver mines. Griffith shared his good fortune by donating around 3,015 acres to the City of Los Angeles on December 16, 1896. This land was intended as a free gathering place for working-class individuals to experience nature.
Griffith Park Observatory. Photo by Jocelyn Holt
Griffith Park is the largest urban wilderness and Municipal Park in the United States, with over 4,210 acres. It contains elevational gradients from 384 to 1,625 feet, which allow for a wide variety of ecological niches. Plant communities range from riparian areas to coastal sage scrub to oak and fworwalnut woodlands. The park is a refuge for California native plants and the animals that rely on them for food and shelter.
The pristine condition of the habitat has been threatened since Colonel Griffith donated it. Only 15 months after the land was donated to the City of Los Angeles, Griffith battled with the city over what he considered misuse of the land. Areas of the park had been leased for sand and gravel mining and firewood. Private individuals were financially gaining on a property he intended for recreational use. Griffith reminded the city that the park was a gathering place for individuals to get away from an urban setting.
Over the years, the park has continued to face land use problems. After his death in 1919, Colonel Griffith’s descendants have tried to preserve the integrity of the park, although alterations to the park have been made. These alterations include freeway access to the park and a landfill that is no longer in use, but managed by the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation.
In 2008, Van Griffith, the great-great-grandson of Colonel Griffith, formed the Griffith J. Griffith Charitable Trust. The Trust applied to have Griffith Park recognized as a historic cultural monument. Griffith Park was voted as a historic and cultural monument by the City Council in January 2009 and dedicated on March 27, 2009. This designation helps preserve the natural ecosystems within Griffith Park. As a monument, public notification of any building or demolition is required. This makes it easier for members of the community to voice their concerns with plans that may not abide by Colonel Griffith’s vision.
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