POST and Sempervirens Fund Acquire Little Basin Property from HP for Permanent Protection
May 31, 2007
The Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) and Sempervirens Fund are pleased to announce that they have acquired the historic Little Basin property in the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains near Boulder Creek. In a joint arrangement, the two nonprofit land trusts purchased the redwood-studded, 535-acre property for $4 million from the Hewlett-Packard Company (HP), which had previously used the land for private employee recreation and company picnics.
Rising 2,000 feet above sea level, Little Basin is bordered to the north, east and west by Big Basin Redwoods State Park. The property features scenic woodlands, an old-growth redwood forest, diverse wildlife, hiking trails that connect to Big Basin, a reservoir and two creeks-Scott Creek and Blooms Creek-in the Santa Cruz County watershed. Thanks to HP, a portion of the property is also equipped with an impressive array of recreational facilities, including 14 rustic cabins, 36 tent sites, a picnic area, playgrounds, a recreation hall, restrooms and an amphitheater.
POST and Sempervirens Fund hope eventually to transfer Little Basin to California State Parks for inclusion in adjacent Big Basin Redwoods State Park. With its picturesque setting, established infrastructure and wealth of natural resources, Little Basin is destined to become a remarkable addition to the state parks system, at which time it could be explored and enjoyed by the public.
"Little Basin presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to save a gloriously scenic and historic property that would otherwise be built up with luxury mansions and closed off from the public for good," said POST President Audrey Rust. "The land features hundreds of acres of lush forested mountain terrain as well as exceptionally well-maintained recreational facilities that are sure to make Little Basin a popular destination for campers, hikers, families and outdoor enthusiasts visiting the Big Basin area just 30 miles south of San Jose."
Developed in 1885 as a logging operation, Little Basin served as a cattle ranch in the 1930s and as a World War II military surplus depot before HP purchased it in 1963 under the direction of company founders David Packard and William Hewlett. Over the years, HP utilized the site-less than an hour's drive from Silicon Valley-both for individual recreational use by HP employees as well as for corporate gatherings, where management staff served hamburgers and hot dogs to employees and their families at company picnics. Bill Hewlett himself designed the tables in the picnic area, and a corps of dedicated HP employees and retirees have previously volunteered time to maintain the land.
Honoring this rich legacy of outdoor recreation by its own employees, HP has now chosen to enable Little Basin to be opened to the public by selling it to Sempervirens Fund and POST for permanent protection.
"When deciding the future of the Little Basin property, our foremost goal was to ensure the continued preservation of this beautiful site," said Steve Brashear, Vice President, Real Estate and Workplace Services, at HP. "We're pleased to partner with these organizations to ensure the vibrant future of this property and look forward to the time when the site is open to the public for everyone's enjoyment."
The protection of Little Basin is being made possible by a partnership between POST and Sempervirens Fund. As the two groups coordinate and negotiate the acquisition and transfer of Little Basin, a consultant management team will oversee maintenance of the land temporarily until such time as it is ready to pass on to public agency ownership.
"Sempervirens and POST are working together to save Little Basin to ensure that this extraordinary property receives the permanent protection it deserves," said Brian Steen, Executive Director of Sempervirens Fund. "The land is located at the geographic nexus where both organizations are actively protecting open space lands. This fruitful partnership allows both groups to bring all our strengths and resources to bear on behalf of Little Basin, and sets an exciting precedent for strategic collaboration in local land conservation in the San Francisco Bay Area."