POST Volunteers Awarded for Stewardship
September 27, 2002
The Bay Area Open Space Council awarded five Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) volunteers the Conservation Stewardship Award today at the council's fifth annual regional conference in San Francisco. The award recognizes the work of Michelson Ranch Conservation Easement team members Don Savant, Tony Kramer, Al Huber, Tony Ferrari, and Don Heath for their work over the past decade monitoring the 640-acre conservation easement on the San Mateo County coast.
A conservation easement is granted to protect a piece of land or historic building from further development while still allowing private ownership of the land.
"The dedication and skill of POST volunteers such as the Michelson Conservation Easement Team make them the cornerstone of our conservation easement stewardship program," POST President Audrey Rust said.
The team was chosen because of its commitment to the program, with most members participating since its inception in 1993.
"The hard work and dedication of volunteer teams such as the Michelson Ranch Conservation Easement Team ensure the ongoing health of resources and the future of POST's conservation easement program," said POST Land Manager Jean Lauer.
POST relies on its conservation easement teams to monitor protected properties in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. As POST's conservation easement acreage has increased to 15 easements spanning 4,294 acres, the teams have come to serve an even more crucial role in providing a link between property owners and POST'staff, and acting as stewards of these diverse natural resources.
Volunteers work in teams of four to five to annually monitor the properties. During these visits, volunteers become familiar with their assigned property and its unique features, take pictures, make notes, and generally inspect the land. Regular monitoring by volunteers ensures restricted or prohibited activities are not occurring.
POST conservation easement teams have made an important contribution to stewardship of these lands, each of which contains a remarkable array of resources, including coastal open space, old growth redwood forests, endangered and threatened wildlife habitat, open fields, and agricultural land.