Habitat Authority buys 5.5-acre parcel in La Habra Heights

The Puente Hills Habitat Preservation Authority has closed escrow on 5.5 acres of open space in La Habra Heights, it announced Dec. 11.

The acquisition adds to the Habitat Authority’s 3,886 acres of land the agency manages in the Puente Hills Preserve, which includes areas in Whittier, La Habra Heights, Hacienda Heights, and Rowland Heights.

The Joint Powers Authority plans to develop a permanent firebreak in the form of a trailhead on this parcel.

The purchase was made possible by recent funding received from the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (RMC), a state agency, and is proof of what local and state partnerships can achieve, said Ivan Sulic, chair of the Habitat Authority’s board of directors.

“By protecting this land forever, we’re strengtheni