Managing the country's largest urban national park is an exercise in partnerships. The National Park Service is proud to work with dozens of agencies, organizations, and community groups to improve and increase access to public lands as well as restore and maintain native habitats for wildlife and plants.
The Santa Monica Mountains Fund (SAMO Fund) is our official philanthropic partner. This organization is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that supports habitat restoration, hiking trail improvement, educational programs, wildlife conservation, and manages the native plant nursery in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The SAMO Fund raises money, obtains grants, administers grants from other organizations, and employs staff who work alongside NPS employees in the field.
The park also has three main operational partners: the California State Parks, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. We have a current cooperative agreement with these three agencies to manage lands within the legislated boundary of the Recreation Area. While each agency owns and manages its own lands, we work together on resource protection, restoration, and land acquisition projects that benefit the public's use of the mountains.
The park has two visitor centers with stores operated by Western National Parks Association, an official non-profit partner that is dedicated to supporting the educational mission of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The park stores have a wide range of books, educational games, posters, and other items available for retail sale.
