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programs for public access .
Brown was part of an Orange County environmental movement that created the South Coast Wilderness , 22,000 acres of contiguous open space within the cities of Aliso Viejo , Irvine , Laguna Beach , Laguna Woods , Newport Beach , and unincorporated Orange County . Her passion for protecting Southern California ecology and her ability to help craft complex conservation agreements led to remarkable achievements . When she was reminded of her accomplishments , she was quick to point out , “ I didn ’ t do it alone .”
“ Elisabeth embodied the environmental movement that we all wanted to be a part of where science was earned and understood , the political will align , the team making it happen knew what to do , and the funding was found ,” said Melanie Schlotterbeck , the Southland head for Power in Nature . “ Her wit , savvy , intuitive approach , and positive attitude were skills we all wanted to have so we could be as effective as she was . She was a beloved mentor .”
Brown was a key player in the historic fight to protect Laguna Canyon , representing the Laguna Greenbelt , Inc . in months of negotiations with The Irvine
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Company . Public opposition , including the “ Walk to Save Laguna Canyon ” in 1989 , led the Irvine Company to abandon plans for its Laguna Laurel development and sell the land to the city of Laguna Beach . A historic agreement was made to preserve the land which became the heart of the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park . Brown remained involved throughout the years-long process of land purchase , fundraising , management planning and park creation .
During this exciting time , Brown worked with many others to craft agreements and establish organizations to protect and manage the coastal open space in the long term .
“ The idea of bringing all the Laguna Greenbelt lands under common management has been my most important goal short of the preservation of the land itself ,” Brown wrote .
A cooperative oversight body , Coastal Greenbelt Authority , was created to ensure that the acquired land would remain ‘ wild .’ The Authority continues this oversight today , with members representing the park ’ s landowners , local environmental organizations , Laguna
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Canyon homeowners , and cities adjacent to the parkland .
“ Following Liz ’ s lead , I was inspired ; she was my mentor , my friend and my source of knowledge about our unique coastal canyons ,” said Mary Fegraus , founding executive director of the Laguna Canyon Foundation , and chair of the Coastal Greenbelt Authority . “ Her commitment , wisdom and that special smile will always be remembered .”
Brown also worked to incorporate the coastal open space into an innovative regional conservation effort that was one of California ’ s first examples of a Natural Community Conservation Plan ( NCCP ) and Habitat Conservation Plan ( HCP ). Brown served on the board of the organization that formed around this Orange County agreement , now called the Natural Communities Coalition .
In the last two decades , Brown turned her focus to making the Irvine-Laguna Wildlife Corridor a reality . She became increasingly concerned about connecting the coastal open space to a larger wilderness area . Without a wildlife corridor , some species in the protected coastal ‘ island ’ are showing signs of inbreeding . The
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Irvine-Laguna Wildlife Corridor will provide a pathway for animals to move between the 22,000 acres of south Orange County open space and the Cleveland National Forest . A key portion of the Corridor is under construction in Irvine , with an expected opening in 2025 . With a sense of urgency that Brown helped to inspire , Laguna Greenbelt , Inc . is working to complete the corridor by addressing remaining challenges , including safe passage through the I-5 / I-405 freeway complex .
“ Liz was an excellent leader , a mixture of steadfast determination in achieving her goals mixed with a pragmatic understanding of what can be achieved ,” Laguna Greenbelt , Inc . President Norm Grossman said .
Brown was born in 1943 in New York City to a French immigrant mother , Marthe-Hermance Malartre , who was educated in journalism at the Sorbonne and loved the outdoors . Brown ’ s father , Karl Paley Cohen came from a family of Brooklyn Jews and earned a doctorate in chemistry . Cohen made important contributions to the Manhattan Project and became a nuclear energy pioneer . Brown earned a master ’ s degree in zoology
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