Living Landscape Initiative: Areas of Focus
Coastal Lands
© William MathiasProtection Goal: 10,000 acres
Rolling hills, windswept bluffs and family farms are just a short drive from the bustle of Silicon Valley. Both residents and visitors enjoy beaches, hikes along the California Coastal Trail and the fresh, local foods that this region provides. Unique habitats that exist here, such as coastal terrace prairie, are some of the most diverse in the world. Endangered salmon rely on its coastal waterways. Yet encroaching development and rising sea levels make this area more fragile than ever.
Redwood Heartland
© 1995 Robert BueltemanProtection Goal: 30,000 acres
The coast redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains provide a place for solace and reflection for San Francisco Bay Area residents and for visitors from around the world. But these magnificent forests do more than inspire. They hold soil together to keep our water clean, provide habitat for multiple species—including some found only in these forests—and sequester greenhouse gases to clean our air.
Pajaro Corridor
© Stephen SladeProtection Goal: 30,000 acres
The area where the Santa Cruz, Gabilan and Diablo mountain ranges meet at the Pajaro River is rich in wildlife, water, agriculture and ranching. The waterways of this region flow into the Pajaro River, which in turn drains into the Monterey Bay, a National Marine Sanctuary. As our climate changes, keeping these lands intact will be critical for allowing plants and animals to adapt.
Essential Links
© Getty ImagesProtection Goal: 10,000 acres
Marked by 4,000-foot Mount Hamilton, the ridgeline of the Santa Cruz Mountains, rolling ranchlands and coastal wetlands, Silicon Valley is home to one of the most complex ecosystems in the world. For this system to remain healthy, we must connect these lands and protect their natural resources to prevent unchecked urban sprawl and make our landscapes more adaptable to the accelerating effects of climate change.
To learn more, visit www.livinglandscapeinitiative.com.
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