Puente Hills Preserve News, February 2026

Working to Preserve and Protect the Puente Hills, Habitat Authority Receives First Installment of Measure PH Funds

New Acquisition: Preserving and Protecting the Hills with 5.5 Acres of Newly Secured Open Space

$168,000 CAL FIRE Grant Helps Protect Puente Hills Communities from Growing Wildfire Risk

Preserving and Protecting the Hills with Winter Clearance Efforts

Spotlight: Habitat Authority's Board Chair + Vice Chair

Ivan Sulic: Chair


Ivan Sulic represents the Los Angeles County Supervisor of the Fourth District, Janice Hahn, in the cities of Norwalk, Downey, Whittier, La Mirada, Santa Fe Springs and Los Nietos. He is also the Supervisor’s Deputy for Homeless Initiatives and Outreach and Deputy for Unincorporated Services. Ivan was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2017, and has been the Chair for the past four years. Chair Sulic championed the Habitat Authority’s Measure PH to an over 68% voter approval rating. A recent interview of him in VoyageLA can be found here.

Mary Ann Pacheco: Vice Chair


Mary Ann Pacheco is a member of the Whittier City Council, and was appointed as a Board Member in May 2024. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in English and Ethnic Studies from the University of Southern California and her Master’s Degree in English from the University of California, Los Angeles. A dedicated member of Rio Hondo College’s faculty for 38 years, she held several leadership positions, including President of the Academic Senate and the Rio Hondo College Faculty Association. Following her retirement, Mary Ann was honored as a Fellow of the College and elected to the College’s Board of Trustees. Additionally, she earned prestigious awards including the Cesar E. Chavez Awards from the California Teachers Association and the National Education Association.

Ecologist's Corner: Coyote Breeding Season

Love is in the air! ❤️Click here to learn about coyote breeding season, and steps to take to avoid wildlife-human conflicts.

Social Scene

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Did you know Southern California (including the Puente Hills Preserve) sits inside one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots?

Enjoy the Puente Hills Preserve responsibly by observing our trail tips.

10,000 Steps Hikes - Every Thursday & Sunday -

Get in shape with our vigorous 10,000 Steps Hikes (approximately 5 miles) led by our docents, Bruce and Ric. The 10,000 Steps Hikes are held every Thursday and Sunday at the same time and place.

Click here to visit our Meetup page to learn more.

Thank you Matthew, Roy and Shelley!

In January, the Habitat Authority Board of Directors shared their appreciation for three dedicated and committed residents of three communities that recently ended their terms of serving on the Habitat Authority’s Advisory Committee.


Matthew Liang, representing Hacienda Heights, served approximately three and half years and jumped in with both feet right away with his enthusiasm and professionalism. Former Mayor of La Habra Heights, Roy Francis, served approximately eight years supporting the hills and representing his city well on a variety of issues. Lastly, Shelley Andros generously served a remarkable 16 years (over a 23 year period) representing La Habra Heights, and later the City of Whittier; she was integral in helping the agency with its Trails Plan, Resources Management Plan, quality checks of trailhead horse stepovers, representing the agency at events, and more. We are grateful to these three superstars for providing invaluable community feedback on all matters that came before them and graciously volunteering their time helping the Habitat Authority manage the hills. 


If you are interested in volunteering, please visit our website for more information.

📣Community Check-In📣

Mark your calendars and join us for our Flowers Hike on Saturday, February 21, 2026! 🌼🌻🌷

Learn about the many plant varieties in Sycamore Canyon from docent Bruce Everett. Bruce has been photographing the foliage in the hills for many years and produced calendars containing the flowers. If you ever wanted to know the names of the various trees, plants and flowers that are native to the Puente Hills…This is the hike for you!

Bush sunflower

Fuchsia flowered gooseberry

Lupine

California poppy

Have you seen these flowers? What's your favorite?

In our last newsletter (November), we asked you about which of our six trailheads you prefer the most in the Fall. 


You answered:

  • Power Canyon and Sycamore Canyon tied (21%)
  • Turnbull Canyon (16%)
  • Hellman, Hacienda Hills and Arroyo Pescadero three-way tie (14%)

About Habitat Authority

Trailheads

Puente Hills Preserve Hikers (Meetup Group)

The Habitat Authority is a local government agency, and is qualified to accept tax-deductible charitable donations including monetary and real property. Donations such as these contribute to the purpose of the agency and provide tax benefits for the giver.

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