Permanent Protection for Alpine Ranch

Conservation Easement Offers Permanent Protection for Alpine Ranch

Agreement concludes POST redwoods fundraising campaign

February 3, 2015

(Palo Alto, Calif.)—Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) announced an agreement with the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) to place a conservation easement on POST’s 353-acre Alpine Ranch property in La Honda. The MROSD Board of Directors met last week and approved the purchase of a $2.5 million easement to permanently protect the property’s natural resources.

POST acquired Alpine Ranch in December 2012 for $5 million through its Heart of the Redwoods Campaign. The property is adjacent to Pescadero Creek and Sam McDonald county parks and features incredible views of the Pescadero Creek watershed. It also has a pond, tributaries to Pescadero Creek, habitat for several threatened and endangered animal and plant species, and forested hillsides with abundant redwood trees. “This is exactly what the public intended when they approved Measure AA in June 2014,” said Midpen general manager, Steve Abbors. “This critical piece of the greenbelt further protects our redwood forests, strengthens the ecosystem upon which we all depend and as an additional benefit, provides healthy recreation for visitors to the area.”The MROSD funding for the Alpine Ranch easement is the capstone in POST’s $50 million Heart of the Redwoods Campaign. The campaign began in 2011 and was originally projected to run for five years. The campaign’s fundraising goals were met with money from the MROSD, along with other public agencies, partner organizations, foundation grants and individual donations. These contributions enabled POST to complete the fundraising for the campaign ahead of schedule. POST has protected 9,901 acres of redwood forests through the campaign and will use the funding to protect an additional 10,999 acres.“Alpine Ranch is a special property, and we’re happy that our long-time partnership with the District has resulted in the permanent protection of a place with such beauty and promise for generations to come,” said POST President Walter T. Moore. “We’re also grateful to everyone who has supported our Heart of the Redwoods Campaign. That generosity will enable us to protect other redwood forest properties at risk of disappearing from our local landscapes.”Plans are underway to convert a cabin on Alpine Ranch to a hikers hut, named in honor of the mother of a significant donor to POST’s Heart of the Redwoods Campaign. The hut will also feature information on local redwoods and recognition of the campaign’s other major donors.

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POST is a leading private, nonprofit land trust that protects and cares for open space, farms and parkland in and around Silicon Valley. Since its founding in 1977, POST has been responsible for saving more than 70,000 acres as permanently protected land in San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. On the Web at www.openspacetrust.org.