It's a ballot title long enough to take a voter's breath away: The Safer Neighborhood Parks, Tree-Planting, Gang Prevention, Senior Recreation, Beaches and Wildlife Bond Act.

But not mentioned in the protracted description of Proposition B on Tuesday's election ballot is one of its biggest backers and prime beneficiaries--the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.

An arm of the Malibu-based conservancy conceived the measure and the state agency, which purchases and preserves mountain open space, stands to reap $76.5 million if Proposition B is approved by two-thirds of the county's voters. The conservancy would also be eligible for another $55 million in competitive grants to create trails, plant trees and to preserve natural woodlands.

Conservancy Director Joseph Edmiston said the measure is critical to the agency, which has not been able to secure enough funding from the state Legislature or statewide bond measures. Proposition B would pay about three-fourths of the cost of acquiring up to 20,000 acres that would be preserved as open space within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Edmiston said.

"If we are going to do it," Edmiston said, "Los Angelenos are going to have to do it for themselves. Perhaps Prop. B is the first step toward that type of (open) lands ethic in Southern California."

But Proposition B would do much more.

Critics say it is a cash vehicle for the conservancy, with other projects thrown in as a sop to the voters. The detractors, led by County Supervisor Pete Schabarum, say the measure is too expensive and unnecessarily raises property taxes. They derisively call it "park barrel" politics.

The measure would raise $817 million countywide by selling bonds that would be repaid over 20 years with higher property taxes.

It would raise money to refurbish the Hollywood Bowl, the Griffith Observatory, the County Museum of Art and the County Museum of Natural History. It would also set aside money for restoring trout habitats, building trails, improving beach facilities, removing graffiti and building mountain camps for troubled youths.

The measure would distribute another $140 million to the county's 86 cities and unincorporated areas, based on their population, for park and recreation projects. Santa Monica, for example, would receive nearly $1.6 million, Culver City $662,000, West Hollywood $621,000 and Beverly Hills $555,000.