The goal of the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust is to restore the Arrowhead Ridge property—located on Grass Valley Road in Lake Arrowhead—to its natural state and create a wildland nature park.

To that end, the group is hosting an autumn dinner party and auction on Sunday, Oct. 20, to help raise the necessary funds.

The event—which will include both silent and live auctions—will take place at the Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa.

Two renowned local artisans—stone carver and sculptor Marcel Mächler and stone mason Mike Rose—will be at the event displaying flagstone samples that will be used to create a memorial donor wall overlaid on the first two tiers of a large existing retaining wall at the site. They will be auctioning off an 18x24-inch donor stone at the event.

Arrowhead Ridge Donor Wall

The proposed donor wall, with engraved stones, as envisioned by landscape architect Scott Peterson.

Engraved donor and memorial flagstones are available for purchase in various sizes: 12x12-inch, $500; 12x18-inch, $1500; 12x24-inch, $2500; 18x24-inch, $3000; and 24x24-inch, $5000.

Arrowhead Ridge is the last remaining patch of native forest in the heart of Lake Arrowhead. These 78 acres contain one of the most diversified stands of trees in our mountain range. According to longtime forester James Asher, it is the best example of a Southern Sierran montane forest to be found south of the High Sierra.

Retention Basin

This retention basin is one of five at Arrowhead Ridge that needs to be filled in.

There are six primary projects on the Land Trust’s conceptual plan for restoring Arrowhead Ridge. These include:

1. Grading work to fill ditches, recontour slopes and level disturbed areas.

2. Reshape the entryway with retaining wall borders.

3. Construct a small parking lot area.

4. Reestablish natural drainage courses (bio-swales).

5. Plant trees and revegetate landscape areas.

6. Overlay the tall retaining wall with engraved flagstones.

It is estimated some projects will be in the $10,000 range, while others will cost upwards of $75,000 or more, depending on potential volunteer and in-kind help.

Doors for this special autumn event will open at 5 p.m. for the silent auction and cocktails, followed by dinner and the live auction starting at 6 p.m.

Dinner tickets are $55 each; a table for 10 may be reserved for $500. Bring friends, enjoy a fine meal and bid on great auction items to help improve our mountain community. You may purchase tickets online at www.sbmlt.net.