Landscapes Fall 2017

L ANDSCAPES Peninsula Open Space Trust Fall 2017

BLAZING NEW TRAILS Over 20 years ago I worked on my first land deal at POST, it was 1995 and there were only five of us staffers to make it all happen. We have certainly evolved to take on so much more.

stage for a new era of land conservation. Making the smart decisions that will keep this a special place to work and live as our local communities and economy continue to grow.

The stakes are now greater, the impacts larger, prices higher and the transactions more complex.

The acquisition of Fisher Flats in Coyote Valley, just south of San Jose, last June was all of those things. Ripple effects from this 30-acre project will be felt across the 7,400+ acre valley and the region.

It is an exciting time and I deeply appreciate your support of the work ahead.

The other projects highlighted in this issue of Landscapes also highlight our continued evolution – first of their kind land acquisitions, infrastructure investments that invigorate local farming communities and using high tech tracking devices to map wildlife movement across the landscape.

All projects with far reaching, regional impacts.

Walter T. Moore

Together, with supporters like you and our partners, we are blazing new trails and setting the

With warm regards,

POST President

P.S. Our Annual Report is evolving too. We are moving to an online and print hybrid in order to recognize our donors, but also use far less paper.

Watch for your Annual Report in early December.

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S 4

Coyote Valley: Looking Back to See the Future

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Coyote Valley: Meet the Locals

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A Sanctuary in the Trees

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2017 Accomplishments: Farmland Futures Initiative

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Regional Trails: Greater Than The Sum of Its Parts

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©Teddy Miller 2017 / ©Teddy Miller 2017

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Tribute Gifts

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Ways to Give

COYOTE VALLEY

LOOKING BACK TO SEE THE FUTURE Standing on the foothills above San Jose prior to the 1900’s, you would have seen a valley floor brimming with wildlife, covered in a rich mosaic of wetlands, oaks and willow. You would have also looked over Laguna Seca, one of the largest freshwater wetlands in the Bay Area.

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©Teddy Miller 2017 / right ©Noelle Thurlow 2017

Coyote Valley, a 7,400-acre area south of San Jose, is one of the last flat valley floors where Laguna Seca used to stretch freely across 1,000 acres. Relatively undeveloped in sections, the Coyote Valley has been dramatically altered since 1916 when the wetlands were drained and channelized for agriculture making way for the Valley of Heart’s Delight.

The vision for the Valley evolved to enable another economic boom – the Silicon Valley. This vision holds true today – with the northern portion still designated for high tech campuses and the middle for housing.

While the big campus era has passed, there are some who envision the development of distribution centers and warehouses in this flat seasonal wetland.

As a first step towards this audacious vision, POST has acquired a 30-acre property in Coyote Valley that we call Fisher Flats. Situated just west of the Monterey Highway and next to Fisher Creek, this crucial acquisition is the first step in protecting what could be the most habitat diverse passage for wildlife moving between the Diablo and Santa Cruz Mountain ranges.

This is a long term project, but we are excited to protect and restore this remarkable place, building a healthy and economically thriving region for future generations of people and wildlife.

Learn more about our vision at openspacetrust.org/blog/coyote-valley.

Palo Alto

POST and our partners have a different vision for the Valley, one that returns it to its former glory as a thoroughfare for wildlife and water, while also allowing for new public recreation opportunities near the urban heart of San Jose.

Looking out over Coyote Valley today, it is easy to see the natural bridge it creates between the Diablo and Santa Cruz mountain ranges. It is one of the only passages between the two mountain

A Foothold in Coyote Valley

ranges that is somewhat permeable for wildlife. And, the numbers are pretty compelling.

As open space it protects the $3.5 Billion already invested to conserve and connect over 1.13 million acres of core habitat. If not protected, the ecological vitality of our entire region is in jeopardy.

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San Jose

Morgan Hill

Davenport

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Protected Land

Coyote Valley

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COYOTE VALLEY

MEET THE LOCALS Wildlife in Coyote Valley face many challenges in their day-to-day lives.

Loss of habitat and busy roadways are some of the pressures that pose a threat to their survival ­— both now and in the future. As we work to protect and restore the landscape, we will need to use the best available data in order to drive conservation results. As one example of this approach, POST has tapped the residents of the Coyote Valley, specifically bobcats, to help us understand how the landscape is used by wildlife. Over the next one to two years, we will be monitoring the movements of these animals using radio-collars that specialize in tracking fine scale movement. Using this technology, we will be able to tell when an animal is on the move versus at rest, and draw insights into specific place-based behaviors.

Neal Sharma, Wildlife Linkages Program Manager, shares more on the science and goals of this study at openspacetrust.org/blog/coyote-valley-1.

B01M ALSO KNOWN AS:

SERPENTINE An adult male captured on Tulare Hill and radio-collared on June 1, 2017. He weighs 7.5kg and is small for an adult male. Scars and tattered ears show that he’s “been around the block.” So far, he has shown his territory to be the Tulare Hill and north Coyote Valley.

Meet five of the charismatic cats that will help us identify road-crossing hotspots, habitat preferences, travel routes and more.

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©Teddy Miller 2017 / bobcats ©Laurel Serieys 2017

B02F ALSO KNOWN AS:

B03F ALSO KNOWN AS:

B04M ALSO KNOWN AS:

B05F ALSO KNOWN AS:

ELDERBERRY

SAGE

WILLOW

SAVANNAH

An adult female also captured at Tulare Hill and radio-collared on June 19, 2017. She weighs 6.25kg and has a healthy and beautiful coat. She appears to have had kittens either this year or last year. So far, she has been traveling through the Coyote Creek County Park and under the northern Highway 101 Coyote Creek underpass.

An adult female captured in the north Coyote Valley and radiocollared on June 30, 2017. She weighs 7.1kg and has several scars, indicating that she has had to defend her territory, which so far consists of the north Coyote Valley and the foothills spanning down into mid-Coyote Valley. She had kittens this year, and we hope to record them traveling together via camera stations.

The youngest cat in the study thus far, at one to two years of age. This young male weighs 6.5 kg, was very healthy looking and was also collared in the north Coyote Valley not far from where Sage was found. She might even be his mother! So far, he has been traveling around the ponds in north Coyote Valley, adjacent to agricultural fields.

An adult female also captured in the north Coyote Valley, by Bailey Road. She was radiocollared on July 3, 2017 and weighs 6.65kg. She has a beautiful coat and looked very healthy. Is she the bobcat we have seen passing underneath Bailey Road bridge on our wildlife cameras? We are trying to find out.

In late July Elderberry was killed by a vehicle on Monterey Highway. This tragedy underscores the need for safe wildlife passages in the area.

This study is made possible with funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, POST donors and is being completed in partnership with Wilmers Lab at UC Santa Cruz, Pathways for Wildlife and Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority.

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A SANCTUARY IN THE TREES The forever nature of POST’s work often leads to conversations about legacy. What legacy do we want to leave? What can we do now as a community, as an organization and as individuals to help Bay Area residents thrive in the future? For Fran Conley the answer was clear. This past June, her 191-acre redwood property on Skyline was transferred to Midpen in a very unique transaction facilitated by POST. The property was a weekend retreat for her family for over four decades. It was a sanctuary for her parents, a place with no running water or electricity where they could escape the hustle of everyday life and gaze out over magnificent redwoods and breath in the cool air coming from the coast. This was an experience the Krauskopf-Conley family wanted to share with future generations when they donated a conservation easement on the property to POST in 2004.

But that wasn’t enough for Fran! In late 2016, she decided to donate the property itself for the public’s benefit. The transaction was structured to transfer the property to Midpen, while generating a cash donation to POST and the Sonoma Land Trust. As a resident of the Sonoma Coast, it was important to Fran that her local land trust benefit too. Midpen will manage the land as well as plan for future public access, subject to POST’s perpetual conservation easement over the property.

Through Fran’s generosity, this remarkable property will be a natural sanctuary for generations to come. Visit openspacetrust.org/blog/redwood-property to learn more about her belief that “land should remain the way it is, without big homes, fences and paved roads.”

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“ L AND SHOULD REMAIN THE WAY IT IS, WITHOUT BIG HOMES, FENCES AND PAVED ROADS” - FR A N CO N L E Y

“

We have always been drawn to open spaces and impressed by diversity in the flora, fauna and geology there. What better legacy can we leave behind than to give POST the means to protect more of these spaces in our area and restore their natural beauty and balance.

”

— Michael D. and N. Patricia McGuire, Open Space Legacy Society members

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©Teddy Miller 2017 / ©Teddy Miller 2017 / right ©Paola Vescia 2017

To learn more or join the Open Space Legacy Society, please contact Jeanine Crider, Director of Planned Giving:

jcrider@openspacetrust.org 9

(650) 854-7696 x312

Our Progress

2017 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Protected Acreage Goal: 2,250

FARMLAND FUTURES INITIATIVE

Protec G

TO GO

In our line of work, projects typically have long time frames, with years passing between start and finish. That has not been the case for our work building a vibrant farming community on the San Mateo coast through the Farmland Futures Initiative (FFI), which launched in spring of 2016. Thanks to the generous support of our partners and FFI donors, Protected Acreage we have seen incredible progress in the past year — completing two Goal: 2,250 farmland protection projects this summer alone.

FFI goes beyond protecting farmland, it starts by laying the foundation farmers need to run a successful business and provide us all with delicious local food. Farming on the San Mateo Coast has a unique set of challenges and we are working to help make each farm healthy and sustainable.

PROGRESS

928

17

41

%

PROGRESS

PROGRESS 1322

Protected Farms Goal: 33

TO GO

Fun Goa TO GO

928

$11.1M

17

41

51

%

%

PROGRESS

PROGRESS

1322

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Healthy Farms Need: Protected Acreage Healthy soil Goal: 2,250

Access to land

A workforce

Reliable water supply

Safe, functional structures for storage, operations, housing and processing

TO GO

928

41

Access to sales %outlets

PROGRESS

To learn more about these healthy farm essentials visit openspacetrust.org/blog/what-makesa-healthy-farm.

Fundraising Goal: $25M TO GO

TO GO

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$11.1M

51

44

%

%

PROGRESS

PROGRESS 1322

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Protected Farms Goal: 33

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$13.9M

13-ACRE FARM PROTECTED IN HALF MOON BAY The Andreotti Family Farm is one of the last remaining farms within the Half Moon Bay city limits. This project allows a legacy of farming to continue not only for the Andreotti family but for the community.

PUT 56 ACRES OF LAND BACK INTO PRODUCTION Signed long-term leases with Fifth Crow Farm on two farm parcels. They are growing squash, dry beans and shallots, among other coastal crops.

TWO AGRICULTURAL WELLS DRILLED & TWO REGULATING RESERVOIRS DESIGNED Diversifying sources to reduce pressure on the farms’ creeks and ensure stable supply of irrigation water.

3 FARM LABOR HOUSING PROJECTS INITIATED AND 2 BUILDINGS MADE FUNCTIONAL AGAIN On-farm infrastructure, clustered to protect prime soils, is critical for housing workers and storing, processing and selling farm products.

HISTORICAL BARN RENOVATION

13 MORE ACRES OF PIE RANCH PROTECTED

We have engaged Karl Bareis of Santa Cruz Timberframes to make yet another barn on Cloverdale Coastal Ranches functional again. Karl previously led the team that rebuilt the barn at Root Down Farm.

Expanded the area of Pie Ranch protected by an affirmative agricultural easement. This easement also protects riparian and wetland areas, and allows for a future public trail from Highway 1 to Big Basin Redwoods State Park.

We would like to acknowledge the donors that have made a gift of $10,000 or more to FFI between April 1, 2016 and July 15, 2017.

Anonymous Apple Matching Gifts Paul & Beth Bartlett Kay Baum & David Stuhr Bear Gulch Foundation Donald & Suzanne Bray Walter B. & Anne D. Clark Wilson & Sue Cooper Richard & Suzanne Cordes Cully & Bridget Davis Rod Ferguson & Kathleen Egan Alexander & Deborah Fitz The Flint Family Steven & Jeanne Gadol The Gilhuly Family Foundation Norman Godinho Diane Greene & Mendel Rosenblum Dana & Tom Hayse Leonard C. & Mildred F. Ferguson Foundation Hutton Family Foundation Karla Jurvetson Catherine Kruttschnitt Whitney Lane Jack and Ruth Lemein Hollis Lenderking Mellam Family Foundation George L. & Katharina Stromeyer Godfrey R. & Suzanne Sullivan Sandra & John Thompson Urbanek Family Foundation Robert R. & Gail Louise Walker Kimberly Young & John H. Moragne 11

REGIONAL TRAILS

GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS From our beginning, public access to protected lands has been a priority for POST. Our first project, Windy Hill, has served hikers, mountain bikers, dog walkers and even hang gliders since the late 1980s providing the entire region with more than 13-miles of trails that offer expansive views across Silicon Valley. Forty years later, we are doubling down on our work to preserve unique public access opportunities and regional trails. We are focused on five priority regional trail projects — facilitating collaboration across jurisdictions and working to close trail gaps through land acquisition.

You may ask yourself, “Why does POST care about regional trail opportunities?” or “Why does it matter if I can hike or ride my bike 30 miles from the bay to the sea?”

The answer is that there are myriad benefits of regional trails beyond longdistance hiking. The opposite page shows our motivations for planning and protecting regional trails.

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As we said, regional trail planning isn’t new.

The Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,600-mile trail from Mexico to Canada along the western US was first proposed in 1926. Our Bay Area Ridge Trail, a 550-mile trail was first proposed in 1987 to ring the ridgeline of the San Francisco Bay. These visionary and ambitious regional efforts offer unique and broad recreational experiences to thousands of residents at the same time that they deliver all the benefits of protecting open space, connecting communities, and fostering environmental conservation.

There will be much more to talk about in the years ahead, for this is a long and complicated process. We look forward to keeping you in the loop.

Get out on the trails today with our digital hiking and biking guides. Download them at openspacetrust.org/field-guides.

REGIONAL TRAILS OFFER A VARIETY OF BENEFITS CONSERVATION

EDUCATION

SOCIAL EQUITY

TRANSPORTATION

HEALTH

Regional trails connect parks and open space; securing linked corridors of undeveloped lands that are beneficial for humans, wildlife and habitat.

Regional trails celebrate our region’s varied and unique natural beauty and cultural history and bolster a conservation ethos across communities.

Improved trail access and connectivity between communities and open space positively impacts a broad audience and offers transformative outdoor experiences for all ages, abilities and backgrounds.

Trails used for transportation reduce car traffic and pollution, contributing to a “livable community” with a lower carbon footprint.

Easily accessible trails for recreation and transportation improve public health and wellness across communities.

top & middle

©Rachael Lopes 2017 / bottom ©Teddy Miller 2017/ ©Rachael Lopes 2017

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MARCH 1 - JUNE 30, 2017

TRIBUTE GIFTS IN MEMORY OF Christopher Loren Albers Betsy Allyn Anne K. Bernstein Debbie Bianco Flemming Blucher Walt & Louise Bolde Joan Brohmer Beverly Broughton Jeanne Carevic Bradley Clifford Daniel Connell David Owen Cox Bill Crandall, Sr. Jeff Donnelly Joe Drees John Dumanske Allan A. Dutton Jean & George Fairhead Elliot Finkle Lenora Fitting Sushama Gehant

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IN HONOR OF Robert Hill Robert R. Hillebrecht James & Marilyn Hoag Janet Reese Hofmann Larry Jones Will Kauffman Tyler Kendall Art Kezer Arthur Kornberg Jeanie Lauer Rose & George Mackay Joellen Maguire Ralph Manies Dr. Franklin M. Matsumoto Rosemary Kelley Maulbetsch William McDonnell, Sr. Thomas Mell Mary Anne Miller Ralph Monics James Morrell Cornelia Nivison

Diva Norwood Dennis O’Connor Michael Pickering Edwin A. Seipp, Jr. Jeff Sorrells Sun Starr Victor Steppan Peg Thompson Al Valentine Daniel Vicker Heidi Lee Vincent Greg Wilhelm Irene Yamasaki Gail Young

M. Testaduta Bartlett Linda Bortolus Janet Briggs Allan F. Brown John Carlson Mr. Morgan T. Chivers Chris Clare Martha Crowe Dennis DeBroeck John Dumanske Earth Earth Day 2017 Laurence & Katie Edwards Reba Fournier Dana Hayse Don & Esther Hendricks Emily & George Jaquette Bryan Kirk Jolene Layne Dorothy Lunn Ralph Manies Rosemary Maulbetsch

Travis Morgan Tom Moutoux Jean Marie Peters Michael V. Pickering Marilyn Proffitt John & Mary Reinhardt Audrey Rust Shelley Silbert Tanya Diamond & Ahiga Snyder Richard Van Gelder Ted & Nancy Vian Gary Vornoli Marilyn J. Walter Zulu

©Teddy Miller 2017

S AV E O P E N S PA C E

WAYS TO GIVE D O N AT E S T O C K

PROTECT L A ND WITH YOUR IRA

Share your shares now by providing your

Make a simple tax-free gift now by request-

broker with the following information:

ing a qualified charitable distribution (IRA

FIDELITY INVESTMENTS DTC #0226 FOR CREDIT TO PENINSULA OPEN SPACE TRUST ACCOUNT NUMBER 613-94569

charitable rollover) or later by designating

Please notify Darren Ponce:

Legacy Society, please contact Jeanine

dponce@openspacetrust.org

Crider, Director, Planned Giving:

(650) 854-7696 x334

jcrider@openspacetrust.org (650) 854 -7696 x312

POST as a beneficiary. Limitations may apply. To learn more or join the Open Space

New Format for Post’s Annual Report coming soon We are moving to an online and print hybrid in order to continue modernizing communications, share more stories of our work and use far less paper. Watch for your new report format in early December!

POST’S TA X ID NUMBER IS 94-2392007

9%

2016 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

EXPANDED SUPPORT

INCREASE IN ANNUAL FUND DONATIONS

In the past year, the community of people who share our vision of conservation has grown larger than ever. This expanded support is gratifying and practical as it helps us further our ability to act quickly, effectively and ensure a future for open space here at home.

7,000+

650

NEW MEMBERS OF OUR ONLINE COMMUNITY

PEOPLE ATTENDED

Landscapes is printed on 30% post-consumer paper with soy inks. ©William Laven

©Teddy Miller 2016

Published by: Peninsula Open Space Trust

222 High Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301 (650) 854-7696 openspacetrust.org Design: The Point Collective, Inc. Editor: Blair Friedeman

1,035

$

6M

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COMMUNITY EVENTS

RAISED FOR FFI ©Evan Winslow Smith 2016

DOUBLE OUR GOAL!

We make every effort to accurately list the names of POST tribute gifts and apologize for any errors or omissions.

ATTENDEES OF TASTE OF NEW DONORS Please call our office at (650) 854-7696 to notify us of any errors.

THE COAST WITH POST 10

©William Laven

500+

38% WERE NEW TO POST

POST is a public benefit California corporation and is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions to POST are tax-deductible.

©William Laven

©Heather Finnecy 2016

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2018

PENINSULA OPEN SPACE TRUST 222 HIGH STREET PALO ALTO, CA 94301 (650) 854-7696 OPENSPACETRUST.ORG

The Wallace Stegner Lectures feature writers, thinkers and activists who explore important issues related to land, nature and conservation. Subscribe to our 2018 season — “Modern Voices of Conservation.” With unique life experiences and perspectives, our 2018 speakers are sure to deliver a thoughtprovoking and entertaining season. Subscriptions on sale October 1 at openspacetrust.org/lectures.

Bill Bryson

Gina McCarthy

Winona LaDuke

Best-selling Author, Humorist, Environmental Expert, Former Environmental Activist, Scientist EPA Administrator, Professor Economist, Writer

Jan. 30, 2018

Feb. 13, 2018

Mar. 20, 2018

All shows at Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts at 8 p.m.

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID BURLINGAME, CA PERMIT NO. 63