Winter 2009
South Santa Clara County: The Next Frontier
A hike at Rancho San Vicente
- With the protection of several properties this year,
including Rancho San Vicente in June, POST made a
major stride forward in saving threatened open
space in south Santa Clara County. The Santa Cruz
Mountains dominate the landscape here, rising up
around the edge of south San Jose. Surprisingly,
despite the growing threat of development in this
stretch of hillsides, no land trust has made the hills
adjacent to San Jose a priority for conservation until
POST stepped forward. Today, our momentum in
South County is stronger than ever as we partner with
public agencies to ensure permanent protection of the
region’s historic ranch lands, green pastures, rugged
hillsides and panoramic valley views.
- Rancho San Vicente’s 966 acres of scenic grazing
land sits between Almaden Quicksilver and Calero
county parks. Just minutes from densely populated
Almaden Valley, this rolling terrain helps connect
nearly 32,000 acres of surrounding parks and open space that provide a visual and recreational escape for
millions of residents and visitors. Rancho San Vicente
is excellent habitat for many native plants and animals,
with a vibrant display of wildflowers each spring.
The property was transferred to Santa Clara County
Department of Parks this fall.
- Though smaller in size, two additional properties
protected by POST had strategic impact nearby. Earlier
this year, we acquired and transferred 192 acres
along the Santa Cruz Mountain ridgeline to Santa Clara
County Open Space Authority. These properties, situated
between Almaden Quicksilver County Park and
Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve, help
connect more than 8,000 acres of adjacent open space
and parks, enhancing the existing network of conservation
lands in South County. As word of our work in
the area spreads, we look forward to reaching out to
local residents and landowners to increase their awareness
of POST and the benefits our land-saving work.
Work Continues . . .
