90% of California's wetlands have been lost in the past 150 years.

You can help forever protect the heart of the Watsonville Sloughs – Santa Cruz County's largest freshwater wetland.

Photo slideshow of West Watsonville Slough Project.

The Land Trust is working to acquire 485 acres of land just west of Highway 1 from Watsonville. We are seeking $14.5 million from state, federal, and foundation funders for this project and $500,000 in community support to ensure completion of the acquisition – and to ensure that we can pursue other land protection priorities in the months ahead.

Click here for local press coverage of this project including the above video from the San Jose Mercury News story.

Find out "what they say" about this project...

One of the things that makes this such an exciting project is the array of benefits protection will bring.

The acquisition of this land will:

• Protect the heart of the Watsonville Slough system – the largest freshwater wetlands in Santa Cruz County. This project will protect wildlife habitat and water quality by permanently protecting 76 acres of freshwater wetlands and link 350 acres of already protected wetland habitat (light green in map).
  More on the wetlands and wildlife protection...
• Permanently protect over 400 acres of organic farmland – and manage those lands to help protect water quality and wildlife habitat in the adjacent wetlands (dark green in map).
  More on the farmland...
• Permanently protect this land from urban growth the smart way – before development is imminent and protection prohibitively expensive.
  More on the Land Trust's approach to land protection in the Pajaro Valley...
• Provide funding, through leasing the farmland, for stewardship, restoration, and education on these lands.
  More on stewardship and education in the Watsonville Sloughs...
• Bring into Santa Cruz County millions of dollars of grant funds that come from propositions approved by California voters – thus matching individual donations $28 to $1.
  More on funding for this project...

Your donation will also help the Land Trust protect other farmland, wetlands, and forests in Santa Cruz County. More on the Land Trust's work...

This is a rare opportunity to permanently protect farmland and wetlands a stone's throw away from Watsonville – and to use millions of dollars of voter approved bond funds to protect our county.

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