User:LandSaver

Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) is a non-profit land trust founded in 1977 to conserve the open spaces of the San Francisco Peninsula, the San Mateo Coast and the Santa Cruz Mountain range of Northern California through a targeted land acquisition program. Open space, as it applies to POST's mission, includes watersheds, plant and animal habitats, and areas used for agriculture and low-intensity recreation.

Founded by ten local philanthropists in Menlo Park, California, POST was conceived to work in partnership with Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD), a public agency formed by a 1972 voter initiative designed to protect open space in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. POST's mission at the time was to work with private landowners reluctant to deal with government agencies and to raise money to supplement public funds available for land conservation. POST receives funds from individuals and grants from private and public agencies while MROSD is supported by tax dollars from residents within the District boundaries.

Today, POST works closely with MROSD, private landowners, and also with national, state and county park systems and other agencies to protect local lands. Since its founding, POST has protected approximately 63,000 acres of open space.

Mission
POST's mission is:
 * To give permanent protection to the beauty, character and diversity of the San Francisco Peninsula and Santa Cruz Mountain range. POST encourages the use of these lands for natural resource protection, wildlife habitat, low-intensity public recreation and agriculture for people here now and for future generations.

Organization
A volunteer Board of Directors governs the actions of POST. A President runs the organization's daily operations, supported by a staff that is divided into three departments, Advancement, Land, and General and Administrative. An Advisory Council, made up of founders, previous Board members, and other POST associates, provides a third tier of support for the organization.

Several groups of volunteers assist POST. Teams of land volunteers regularly monitor POST's conservation easements and currently owned properties. Individual volunteers assist with the organization's fundraising work, including serving on fundraising committees, and general day-to-day operations. Professional volunteers aid with legal work and capturing photographs of POST properties.

How It Works
A land trust is a local, private organization that protects lands within a specified geographic area. POST's protection of local open space is multi-faceted, ranging from the initial land acquisition to stewardship of the land and the eventual transfer of the land to a public agency.

Land Acquisition
An area of open space is identified by POST as a candidate for protection based on a variety of factors. These factors include the potential for resource protection, the recreational capacity of the area, the scenic facets of the land, and the potential for the future or current use of the property for agriculture. Among these factors, the opportunity to create or sustain trail and wildlife corridors is paramount.

A property is identified for acquisition based on a combination of the attributes listed above. POST then enters into a negotiation with the landowner to determine the purchase price for the property. After the purchase agreement is signed by both parties, typically a 30 or 60 day due diligence period is observed, after which POST completes all paperwork to finalize the close of the property. After the close, POST takes title and the property is officially transferred into POST's ownership.

POST acquires properties using two different methods: conservation easements and properties in fee. Conservation easements allow POST to place restrictions for purposes of conservation on a property without taking title to the land. A conservation easement is designed to place restrictions on development and other uses of the land as agreed upon by the landowner and POST. These restrictions will continue on the property in perpetuity regardless of the owner. The institution of a conservation easement on a piece of land also benefits the landowner by reducing their tax burden.

The second method POST utilizes is to acquire properties in fee by taking title to the land. POST then has sole ownership over the land until its transfer. POST also acquires properties in fee through bargain sales. A bargain sale occurs when a landowner agrees to sell land at less than the land's assessed value. This allows the landowner to claim the difference between the assessed value and the sale price as a charitable contribution for tax purposes.

Land Stewardship
In the period between acquisition and transfer, POST is responsible for conducting stewardship activities that maintain, and sometimes enhance, the quality of the land. These activities can range from basic maintenance, such as repairing roads, fences and water systems, to restoration, both of habitats and historic structures. POST has also become increasingly more involved in the removal of invasive exotic plants. Much of the effort has targeted pampas grass, ice plant and  Canary Islands St. John's wort, which are predominant on many of POST's coastal properties.

POST's stewardship efforts also include erosion control, particularly on Cloverdale Coastal Ranches which has served as a testing site for different erosion control methods. Another form of stewardship, prescribed fire, has also been used on Cloverdale in order to manage the coastal habitat by managing fuel loads and helping to restore native habitat.

A stewardship method utilized on many properties held by POST is the practice of conservation grazing. When done responsibly, using cattle to graze the land creates grassland biodiversity and a healthier habitat. Conservation grazing also contributes to other stewardship activities by helping to minimize invasive species and control erosion.

Land Transfer
For lands held in fee, POST purchases the property with the intention of transferring it to a public agency with the capacity to manage it long-term and make the property available for public use. Time between acquisition and transfer can range from as little as a few months to several years depending on the circumstances surrounding the property and the availability of a transfer partner. Transfers of properties can be funded by several different sources, including the public agency transferee, public grant-making agencies and private foundations.

Public Partners Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District San Mateo County Parks Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Santa Clara County Open Space Authority California Coastal Conservancy California Department of Fish and Game Golden Gate National Recreation Area California Wildlife Conservation Board United States Fish and Wildlife Service The Nature Conservancy

Public Access
After transfer, many of the lands previously held by POST become open for public access. The schedule for this access is determined largely by the agency. Some of the former POST-held lands now available for public recreation include:

Arastradero Preserve Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve (by permit only) Butano State Park Coal Creek Open Space Preserve Cowell Ranch Beach Phleger Estate Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park Pillar Point Bluff Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve Rancho Canada del Oro Windy Hill Open Space Preserve

Additionally, some lands that currently remain under POST's management are also open to the public:

Johnston Ranch Rancho Corral de Tierra Wavecrest Wilbur's Watch

Campaigns and Support
In order to acquire properties identified as important parcels of open space, POST leverages funds from private donors and public organizations. An available capital fund allows POST to quickly acquire properties under the threat of development. This fund is then replenished with private donations and capital from public funders.

POST has organized campaigns which highlight a specific property or area to acquire funds for a large project, such as the "GoMindego" campaign. Other campaigns include "Saving the Endangered Coast," which raised $200 million and "Completing the Vision: The Campaign to Save Essential Open Space," which raised $33.4 million.

History
POST emerged on the Bay Area scene at a time of conflicting ideas about the destiny of the region. The establishment of the South Bay as a mecca of high-tech companies was coupled with an increasing desire from environmentalists to preserve the area as a greenbelt to protect the still pristine lands from the threat of development. By 1980, it was evident that a population explosion had accompanied the high-tech boom with over one million people residing in Santa Clara County alone, one-third of which were employed by the technology industry. Additionally, government funding for open space protection was on the decline.

Private organizations such as POST became involved in protecting the region's open spaces. In the organization's original articles of incorporation, the founders outlined the purpose of POST to be "the preservation, protection, and/or enhancement of land in its natural, scenic, historical, agricultural, forested and/or open space condition in the Counties of San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz, California."

Windy Hill
Four years after its formation, POST finalized its protection of its first property in 1981. This property, Windy Hill, was a donation from Corte Madera Associates who had originally purchased the property for development. The original 538-acre gift of land near Portola Valley, California was added onto to total 1,139 acres, all of which was transferred in a bargain sale to MROSD to become the Windy Hill Open Space Preserve. The property features open grasslands, as well as Redwood, Douglas-fir, and Oak. A campaign spearheaded by POST in 1983 raised over $50,000 to construct the 8.2-mile Windy Hill Trail through the Preserve. Today, the Preserve is managed by MROSD and has many trails that are open to the public for recreation.

Cowell Ranch
In 1987, POST completed the acquisition of its largest and most complex project to date, 1,270-acre Cowell Ranch. Situated along the San Mateo Coast, the preservation of Cowell Ranch protected productive coastal farmland as well as providing permanent beach access to the public. The beach has since become part of the California State Parks system. A trail through the property, the Cowell-Purisima Trail, will add to the length of the California Coastal Trail, a large-project undertaken by the California Coastal Conservancy that is designed to one day stretch from Mexico to Oregon and give greater access to the coastal region. The Cowell Ranch campaign also marked POST's first success in obtaining state bond and government funds, allowing POST to "recycle" donor funds for other projects.

Phleger Estate
The acquisition of the Phleger Estate in Woodside, California joined together numerous public and private partners. Gifts from 3,500 individuals were coupled with grants from Save-the-Redwoods League, an appropriation from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, and support by MROSD. Second-growth redwoods on the property are the descendants of redwoods cleared in the mid-1800s from the property. The property also features Coast Live Oak and several forms of wildlife, including bobcat, deer, hawks, eagles and newts. The estate was added to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) in 1995, transferred from a private estate to a public park.

Cloverdale Coastal Ranches
The acquisition of this 7,357-acre property near the town of Pescadero, California, marked the first time POST acquired a property with the intent to retain ownership in order to develop conservation management plans for the protection of natural habitats and agricultural lands. POST has undertaken projects on Cloverdale to repair erosion gullies; reduce and control Cortaderia selloana, an invasive species ; and restore native plants and grasses through the use of controlled burns and grazing. These management strategies are then shared with other landowners and public agencies. This large property has a diverse terrain, including 2,500 acres of meadow and grasslands, 700 acres of mixed redwoods and firs, 500 acres of agricultural land and 14 miles of creeks and riparian habitat. The endangered San Francisco garter snake and the threatened California Red-legged Frog and Coho Salmon have been documented on the property.

Bair Island
Located along Highway 101 in Redwood City, California, Bair Island is one of the largest remaining restorable wetlands in the San Francisco Bay. Over the years, Bair Island has been a cattle ranch, a salt farm and the potential site of numerous development plans. Occupying the property are clapper rails, salt marsh harvest mice and the California Least Tern--all endangered species--along with 28 varieties of flowering plants, 13 species of grasses, and numerous migrating waterfowl and shorebirds. Since its acquisition by POST, Bair Island has been transferred to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and is now part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. After a restoration plan for Bair Island was developed by Redwood City in 2004, the city began restoration of 1,400 acres of the wetland property, which includes raising the level of the island and breaching existing levees.

Rancho Cañada del Oro
The acquisition of this 2,428 acre ranch on the edge of San Jose, California provided for the expansion of protected open space in the area by joining the Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve. Perennial Llagas Creek, which feeds into Chesbro Reservoir and Monterey Bay, runs through the property. The property also also provides habitat for the threatened Bay checkerspot butterfly and California Red-legged Frog. In 2003, the property was transferred partly to the County of Santa Clara and partly to the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority.

Bear Creek Redwoods
This property lies at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains with a view of Santa Clara Valley and nearby Lexington Reservoir. It is the location of the only redwood forest in close proximity to urbanized Santa Clara County. The site, which was formerly home to Alma College, was eyed for many types of development, from luxury homes to golf courses. However, the land is also a natural habitat for redwoods and oak trees, as well as deers, bobcats and Red-tailed Hawks. The property was purchased in 1999, 805 acres by POST, and the remainder by MROSD. The entirety of the property was transferred to MROSD in 2001, who are in the process of developing a plan for a public redwood park on the property.

Whaler's Cove
When POST took title to this 3-acre property, the building of a nine-unit motel was underway. POST "undeveloped" the site by removing the units and their foundations and recycling them in the nearby community of Davenport, California. This property now serves as the location of the Council Circle, a low ring of stone benches constructed by POST in 2006 to recognize significant contributors to POST's "Saving the Endangered Coast" campaign. Whaler's Cove was the first property acquired as part of this campaign, which raised more than $200 million to protect an end goal of 20,000 acres of land on the San Mateo Coast. POST restored native vegetation to the area which included the removal of the highly invasive ice plant, a process which is still underway. Whaler's Cove is now part of California State Parks.

Driscoll Ranch
This ranch, purchased in 2002, is the largest working ranch in San Mateo County. This property is an example of the use of conservation grazing to maintain the health of open space. On Driscoll Ranch, conservation grazing with cattle is used to reduce invasive species, fire risks and erosion while promoting the growth of native grasses. In 2006, POST transferred Driscoll Ranch to MROSD to manage the property's public use.

Pillar Point Bluff
In August 2004, POST acquired 119-acre Pillar Point Bluff near Moss Beach, California. The coastal property was the potential site of commercial development, but was also heavily used for recreation by joggers and dog-walkers when POST completed the purchase. Jean Lauer, a former conservation project manager at POST is honored here by her parents with the Jean Lauer Trail, a segment of the 1,200 California Coastal Trail. The trail overlooks a seasonal wetland as well as coastal waters protected by San Mateo County's Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. Current land stewardship work on Pillar Point Bluff includes the removal of non-native pampas grass and the revegetation of the area with native plants.

Rancho Corral de Tierra
POST acquired 4,262-acre Rancho Corral de Tierra in three phases, completing the purchase in 2003. The funds required from the acquisition came from private donors, the California Coastal Conservancy and the Wildlife Conservation Board. The property includes Montara Mountain and is home to threatened, endangered and rare species, including Hickman's cinquefoil and Montara manzanita. In 2005, the GGNRA boundary was expanded to include Rancho Corral de Tierra. POST has received two installments of federal funding for Rancho Corral de Tierra and will ultimately transfer ownership of the property to the National Park Service.

Mel's Lane
In November 2005, POST opened Mel's Lane to the public to add a quarter-mile segment to the California Coastal Trail in honor of one of POST founders, Mel Lane. The trail runs past Pigeon Point Light Station at Whaler's Cove. From the trail's lookout point, visitors can see the Pacific Ocean, Whaler's Cove, Prisoner Rock and Año Nuevo State Reserve.

Bluebrush Canyon-Lobitos Corridor
POST purchased Bluebrush Canyon through the "Saving the Endangered Coast campaign in 2006. This 206-acre property, along with Lobitos Ridge, purchased in 2004, and Lower Purisima Creek, purchased in 2005, creates a nearly complete trail corridor that provides hiking access from Skyline Ridge to the Pacific Ocean. Bluebrush Canyon, which continues to be used for cattle grazing, is prime habitat for the endangered San Francisco garter snake and the threatened California Red-legged Frog. POST transferred Lower Purisima Creek to the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District in 2006, Bluebrush Canyon in 2009, and has plans to transfer Lobitos Ridge in the future.

Little Basin
In a partnership between POST and Sempervirens Fund, Little Basin, a 535-acre property in the Santa Cruz Mountains, was purchased from Hewlett-Packard (HP). Purchased in 1963 by HP for employee recreation and company picnics, Little Basin was maintained by volunteers from HP, including the 150-acre developed campground. The property also features an old-growth redwood forest, a reservoir and hiking trails that connect to Big Basin Redwoods State Park. After the purchase of the property, POST and Sempervirens took over the joint management of the property, to eventually be transferred for inclusion into Big Basin.

Mindego Hill
This 1,047-acre property near La Honda, California, purchased by POST in 2007, is named for its 2,143 foot peak, Mindego Hill. This property was the center of the "GoMindego" campaign, designed to solicit both public funding and private donations for the preservation of the property. Mountain lions, coyotes, Red-tailed Hawks, and the endangered California Red-legged Frog inhabit the area, characterized by creeks, lakes, forests and grasslands. Mindego Hill is also a working cattle ranch. The property's adjacency to Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve provides for trail connections to expand the recreational opportunities in the area. In July 2008, the property was transferred to MROSD to facilitate the creation of such opportunities.

Wavecrest
In 2008, POST purchased Wavecrest, a 206-acre property between Highway 1 and the Pacific Ocean near Half Moon Bay, California. Due to its location, the property had a history of being slated for numerous development plans, both residential and commercial. However, the property serves as the most important wintering habitat for raptors in San Mateo County. The features of the property, such as ball fields, a dog park and informal trails, have also lent it to frequent recreational uses. In the future, the California Coastal Trail may be expanded to travel through the property.

Clark Canyon Ranch
Also in 2008, POST purchased 408-acre Clark Canyon Ranch in Gilroy, California. The land had been owned by Burt and Veda Clark since 1948. The Clarks did not use the land commercially and only maintained a walnut orchard and a few cattle. A tributary of Bodfish Creek, a spawning ground for endangered steelhead trout, also runs through the property. With this purchase, there is potential for a trail corridor to connect the property with neighboring Mount Madonna County Park.

Rancho San Vicente
In 2009, POST purchased 966-acre Rancho San Vicente in south San Jose, California. Many development proposals were submitted for this land, which continues to be a historic ranch. The final proposal before POST purchased the land was for sixteen 40-acre lots, each to accommodate a large residence. Situated between Almaden Quicksilver County Park and Calero County Park, Rancho San Vicente potentially links 31,867 acres of open space. POST intends to transfer the property to a public agency to facilitate public access.

Wallace Stegner Lecture Series
POST's annual Lecture Series is a tribute to Wallace Stegner, author, environmentalist and founding member of the Committee for Green Foothills, who died in 1993. He was also a longtime supporter of POST. Stegner served as a Professor of English at Stanford University, where he founded the creative writing program and resided in Los Altos Hills, California. Much of his writing celebrates the beauty of the American West. His most well-known novels include All the Little Live Things and Angle of Repose.

The Wallace Stegner Lecture Series has been held once a year since its inception in 1993 and is open to the public. Past speakers have included Nobel laureate Al Gore, Wendell Berry, Jane Goodall, Robert Haas, Paul Hawken, Robert Redford, Terry Tempest Williams, Rachel Carson, Michael Pollan, E.O. Wilson, Frans Lanting, Bill McKibben, and Ed Begley, Jr..