When any area gets built up, it’s easy to lose sight of what made it originally appealing.

Streams eventually turn into man-made channels; rolling hills get flattened and peppered with housing; open areas become roadways and businesses.

That’s why the recent dedication of land on the edge of Haskell Canyon to become 526 acres of open space is a welcome change of pace for our valley, which has seen extensive growth in recent decades.

The land was originally slated for roughly 500 homes to be built by a San Diego developer, but the city had the good sense to purchase it and leave it in its beautiful, natural, wide-open state.

Instead of another housing tract, we can forever enjoy trails for horseback riding, bicycling, dog-walking and hiking, and we can further appreciate the simple wonders of nature right in our own backyard.

We give kudos to the city for leaving our local nature-lovers some local nature to love. And the dedication also keeps the valley as a desirable place to live by protecting natural recreation sites, such as this one and Elsmere Canyon. It also keeps property values up and houses occupied.

This is a move that is for all of the SCV, and it benefits everyone who lives here.