How we do it

We protect land through a variety of means.  Sometimes we buy the land or the development rights.  Sometimes landowners donate their land or development rights.    You can read about the preservation agreements (called conservation easements) we reach with landowners in the “For Landowners” section of this website. 

Here are some examples of how we protect land:

Acquisition of Fee Title Byrne-Milliron Forest -We acquired the 322 acre Byrne Forest outside of Corralitos through a gift/purchase transaction in 1984 and acquired the adjacent Milliron Forest in 2008, creating the Byrne-Milliron Forest, a 402 acre preserve. You can read about our conservation forestry practices on this land in our spring 2007 newsletter.

Conservation Easement Circle P Ranch - Diane and Don Cooley donated a conservation easement on 684 acres of grazing land on the Circle P Ranch outside of Watsonville in 2000.

Watsonville Farmland - In 2006 the Borina Foundation agreed to place conservation easements on 560 acres of prime farmland in the Pajaro Valley.  The easements were purchased using $4.5 million in state and federal farm protection funds.  You can read about this transaction in our fall 2006 newsletter.

Partnerships Living Landscape Initiative - The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County has joined four other conservation organizations to launch a major collaboration to protect 80,000 acres of land over the next 20 years. Find out more about this exciting development.

 

You can view the Land Trust's IRS Form 990 at www.guidestar.com.

You can get a copy of our latest audited financials by us.

 

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