Irvine Co. donates coastal land

Mike Swanson

Greenbelt activists and lovers of open space across the county can

look forward to enjoying a parcel of Newport Coast land linking the

Cleveland National Forest to the Pacific coast after an Irvine Co.

donation today.

A 42-acre parcel called Moro Ridge Link will first serve as a

thoroughfare between Crystal Cove State Park and Laguna Coast

Wilderness Park. County environmentalists see the donation as a big

step toward providing an open corridor for wildlife, allowing animals

to be less confined to either the Cleveland National Forest or

coastal parks.

“It’s a small but mighty ridge,” said Mary Fegraus, executive

director of the Laguna Canyon Foundation. “If that ridge were to fill

up with houses, it would create quite a roadblock to what we’re

trying to accomplish out here.”

Orange County residents dedicated to preserving the county’s open

space have been fighting since the 1980s to secure Moro Ridge Link,

Fegraus said.

“It’s right there at the top of ridge and will provide a lot of

opportunities to create trails into a variety of beautiful areas,”

Fegraus said.

Moro Ridge Link serves as a trail hub for hikers, mountain bikers

and equestrians, said John Christensen, spokesman for the Irvine Co.

The land has been owned by the Irvine Co. for more than 100 years.

“We’re looking forward to hearing about people’s trips on foot,

bike or horse from the national forest to the ocean,” Christensen

said. “Outdoor enthusiasts throughout Orange County are going to have

something special here. It’s a wonderful area to traverse and

explore.”

Fegraus expects the donated land to affect visitors at Laguna

Coast Wilderness Park most when it becomes open to the public daily.

The relatively young park, which has also benefited from Irvine Co.

donations, is open only on weekends.

“Relative to the amount of open space we’ve already secured, this

really isn’t much, but its function will be tremendous -- more for

the entire area than any individual park,” Fegraus said.

Moro Ridge Link can be accessed at the top of Ridge Park Lane, off

Newport Coast Drive, where the dedication ceremony will take place

today at 10 a.m.

Orange County Supervisor Tom Wilson will be among the speakers at

the event, which is free and open to the public.

* MIKE SWANSON is a reporter for Times Community News. He can be

reached at (949) 494-4321 or mike.swanson@latimes.com.