What a Year!

"All of it made possible by community support."

This article originally appeared in our newsletter, Landmarks, Fall 2006

The picture below, of the Pajaro Valley’s rich farmland, is not a picture you would have seen in a Land Trust newsletter during our first 28 years. It is here because we have changed. The proof of that change is on page 2 – the story of our protection of hundreds of acres of prime farmland this fall. It is a fitting ending for a milestone year in the Land Trust’s history.

A year ago the Land Trust took the first steps toward becoming the type of effective land trust Santa Cruz County deserves and needs. We’ve taken many more steps since then and are well on our way to meeting the lofty goals we established for the Land Trust.

We all know the development pressures facing our county. We know that the land we love now was protected through the efforts of those who came before us. And I think we all know, deep down, that it is our responsibility to protect the land for those who will come after us.

This respect for the land and sense of responsibility to future generations is what has driven the Land Trust Board to embrace a bold new vision for our future – and the future of Santa Cruz County. In our first 28 years, the Land Trust has protected over 1,500 acres of land and worked with others to protect another 9,000 acres, including the 7,000 acre Coast Dairies property. We have protected redwood forests, coastal bluffs, creeks and working ranches. With the continued support of the community we will protect much more land in the years ahead. Simply put, our goal is to protect the diverse landscapes that make Santa Cruz County the very special place that it is.

Here are the steps we have taken in the past year to fulfill that vision:

• Adopted a new Strategic Plan calling for the protection of thousands of acres of diverse lands, including forests, creeks, scenic vistas, and working farms and ranches – and for the careful stewardship of these lands.
• Received funding approval to protect over 500 acres of key farmland along the Pajaro River – a vital first step in protecting some of the nation’s richest farmland.
• Helped protect over 600 acres of forest in the Santa Cruz Mountains – land that is critical to our county’s water supply.
• Took the first steps toward the creation of a local land conservation district – a key element in the protection of tens of thousands of acres of land in a number of other Northern California counties.

All of this has been made possible through an outpouring of community support. Donations to the Land Trust rose 300% this year as people invested in the vision embraced by our Board. We have also received key funding from a number of foundations, including the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County and The David and Lucille Packard Foundation – the nation’s most visionary conservation funder. With this support we have assembled a talented and dedicated staff that has the skills to carry out the ambitious plans adopted by the Board. You can read more about the staff on page 5.

In the year ahead you will hear about the work we are doing to protect our county. We are working now on several exciting projects – projects that must remain confidential at this point. But I can tell you that they include the protection of thousands of acres of land, including ranchland and creeks in the Santa Cruz Mountains. I am confident that, with your support, I will be able to say next year – wow, what a year!

You can learn more about what we’re doing in this newsletter and in those to come. Beginning this year we are committed to bringing our valued supporters four newsletters a year. And we will also be initiating this year a series of Member Walks on some of the lands we have protected. We are taking these steps because we want you to know and to see what we are protecting – with your generous support.

Thank you!

Larry I. Perlin
President
Land Trust Board of Trustees

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