By Jason KUROSU

Local resident and Crescenta Valley Town Council member Desiree Rabinov was recently appointed to the California Advisory Board for the Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit organization that seeks to establish recreational parks and open space across the nation.

Rabinov was appointed in October for a three-year term, joining 17 others on the board who provide input on the state program’s overall goals and priorities, according to the Trust for Public Land.

“I have a strong passion for open space and this affords me an opportunity to share the vision and values of the Trust for Public Land in communities that can benefit from parks, green schools, and open space where they can enjoy all the natural wonders of the outdoors with their family and friends,” said Rabinov in a press release.

According to Gina Fromer, the Trust for Public Land’s California State director, the organization has protected more than 3 million acres and established 5,200 park and conservation projects nationwide since its inception in 1972.

“As soon as we met, it was magic,” Fromer said of Rabinov, whom she called “one of the most passionate people I’ve met in a long time.”

Fromer noted a common interest in providing access to open space, particularly for people living in many Los Angeles county areas that lack such resources.

“Eighty percent of people live in cities and without access to park space,” said Fromer, who described the organization’s overall goal as “connecting people to nature” and “ensuring that everyone has access to parks and open space.”

Among the Trust for Public Land’s current projects in the L.A. County area are the preservation and protection of wildlife and open space in the San Gabriel Mountains and the Green Alleys project, which installs environmentally-friendly infrastructure such as drought-tolerant plants and permeable pavement for the reduction of flooding and absorption of stormwater in L.A. County alleyways.

For more information on the Trust for Public Land, visit www.tpl.org.

  Jason Kurosu