POST Transfers Historic Stevens Canyon Ranch
to MROSD
January 4, 2007
The Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) has transferred 238-acre Stevens Canyon Ranch to the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) for $6.6 million. Funding support from key public agency partners–including $5 million from MROSD and $1.6 million from the Santa Clara Valley Water District for the purchase of a conservation easement on 69 acres of riparian habitat on the ranch-made the sale possible. The transfer was completed on December 29, 2006.
Tucked into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains near Cupertino, Stevens Canyon Ranch was once a thriving fruit farm that helped the Santa Clara Valley earn its nickname of "The Valley of Heart's Delight." POST purchased the ranch from private owners in 2005 for $6.6 million as part of POST's Saving the Endangered Coast campaign. MROSD now plans to add the land to its existing Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserve for recreational trail development and eventual public access.
"Stevens Canyon Ranch is a precious remnant of Silicon Valley's agricultural past," said POST President Audrey Rust. "By transferring this scenic heritage property to the Open Space District, POST ensures that the land will remain open and undeveloped, and that future generations will be able to experience its rustic charms and exceptional natural beauty."
The ranch dates back to the 1880s and includes an apple and pear orchard that still bears fruit at harvest time. Rising approximately 1,000 feet between Stevens Creek and Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserve, the property lies at the heart of 6,640 acres of public land. Its central location creates a link to the Bay Area Ridge Trail, the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail, Castle Rock State Park, Sanborn County Park, Long Ridge Open Space Preserve and numerous other preserves along Skyline Boulevard.
In early 2005, POST entered into a license and management agreement for MROSD to manage all of the ranch except for the orchard, which POST will continue managing once the land transfers to MROSD.
"With its rich history, strategic location and diverse habitats, Stevens Canyon Ranch is a significant addition to the District's open space lands," said MROSD General Manager Craig Britton. "Our partnership with POST, the Santa Clara Valley Water District and other public agencies to protect this property will result in a stunning addition to Saratoga Gap Open Space Preserve and expand recreational trail corridors in the area."
The ranch's secluded, rugged terrain includes redwood forest, grassland, oak woodland and mixed evergreen forest. Abundant water from springs and creeks attracts wildlife from surrounding public lands.
The ranch has a colorful history. Early settlers in the area used the land for hunting, fishing and fur-trapping, and bedrock mortars where Ohlone Indians ground acorns are still visible on the property. In 1881, homesteader Bastido Bordi cleared 100 acres on the land, planting the fruit orchard and a vineyard and establishing a small family winery. His original main house, built atop a stone wine cellar, still stands as the central building on the property.