 Santa Cruz Mountain Lands
Miles of ranch roads and hiking trails will be opened to the public on a spectacular 1,047-acre property on the western flank of Skyline Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains near La Honda. The property, known as Mindego Hill, ranges from 800 to 2,100 feet in elevation and is surrounded by 33,000 acres of protected open space. Hilly grasslands, evergreen forests, two lakes, and four miles of creek support abundant plants and wildlife. From the ridges, hikers will be able to enjoy ocean views.
In October 2007, the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) bought Mindego Hill from the True family, which had owned it for 54 years. POST’s intention was to transfer the land to public ownership. In April, the Conservancy approved $7.5 million to the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District to buy the property from POST. The District must remove or clean up a landfill left on the property before it can be opened to the public. The land has been used for cattle grazing since 1859, and will continue to be managed for grazing as well as recreation. It adjoins the Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve.
Large Napa County Ranch Purchase for the Public
The 1,000-acre Duff Ranch, 1.5 miles northeast of Calistoga, in Napa County, lies between Robert Louis Stevenson State Park and Wildlake Ranch. The Land Trust of Napa County owns Wildlake Ranch and has sought to purchase Duff Ranch as well, to protect the headwaters of two tributaries of the Napa River, the rich mosaic of habitats on the land, and to provide public access. To make the $3.7-million purchase possible, the Conservancy approved $1 million to the Land Trust. Also contributing are the Resources Legacy Fund, Marin Community Fund, Wayne Grey Wilson Foundations, and the Land Trust.
State Parks is interested in adding the Duff and Wildlake ranches to Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, but does not now have the funds to do so. The Conservancy approved an additional $250,000 to the Land Trust to develop an interim management plan for Duff Ranch, Wildlake Ranch, Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, and other public and private lands in the vicinity.
Ridge Trail Will Grow
The Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District will build 4.25 new miles of Bay Area Ridge Trail along the north slope of Sonoma Mountain with the help of $575,000 approved by the Conservancy, plus $300,000 of its own funds, and $238,853 from State Parks. This funding will also allow the District to build a half-mile spur trail to the Bennett Valley overlook, undertake access-road improvements, develop a parking area and trailhead, and construct three new bridges and 12 creek crossings. |
