(updated 10/28/2009)
April 13	Public Release and Review of Revised Draft Master Plan
April 22	Informational only report on Draft Master Plan at a regular Board meeting. No Board action taken.
May 13	Deadline for Written Comments on the Draft Master Plan (for submittal to Board for their review prior to the May 19 meeting)
May 19	First public hearing for Board to receive community input on the Draft Master Plan. (Details in the Spring Newsletter)
June 16	Second public hearing for Board to receive community input on the Draft Master Plan.
November 12	Third public hearing for Board to vote on tentative adoption of the Draft Master Plan.
TBA	Environmental document on Draft Master Plan released for public review.
TBA	Final public hearing for Board to vote on final adoption of Draft Master Plan and certification of the environmental document.

Public Hearing for the La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve Master Plan

A third public hearing, at which the Board of Directors will vote to tentatively approve the draft Master Plan, is scheduled for November 12. See the Agendas, Minutes + Reports page for available meeting files.

When: Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: District Administrative Office [Map]
330 Distel Circle
Los Altos, CA 94022

The Draft Master Plan was released on April 13, 2009. At the public hearing (agenda) on June 16, 2009, the District’s Board of Directors received community input and discussed the Draft Master Plan. Following the third public hearing ( November 12 , 2009), a final hearing for Master Plan adoption will be held later this year.

The 5,759-acre La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve consists of working ranch land, grasslands, and forests near the town of La Honda. The District is creating a 30-year use and management Master Plan for this preserve that aims to balance the preservation of viable agriculture, cultural history, and the natural environment with public education and low-intensity recreation.

Email questions or comments to Ana Ruiz, Project Manager, or call (650) 691-1200.

The 5,759-acre La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve, considered by many as a gateway to the San Mateo coast, features forests of redwood and Douglas fir, contrasting open grassland hilltops, and spectacular panoramic views leading to the coast. This Preserve's potential has only just begun to be scratched as historically only a portion of the preserve has been open to hikers and equestrians on a permit basis.

In July 2004, the District and a team of consultants kicked off the master planning process for this Preserve with an on-site meeting to review the scope of work, schedule, and budget for this project. The District master planning process aims to provide the public with greater opportunities for recreation access, interpretation, and education, while expanding livestock grazing and protecting the rural heritage, natural, cultural, and historic resources of the landscape for the long-term.

In December 2007, the District held an open house to discuss the La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve Draft Master Plan. A concise list of the draft plan recommendations, true to the District's mission and incorporating many of the comments and ideas the District received from neighbors, agencies, Preserve users, and local organizations, was released. (See Draft Implementation Table and Draft Plan Maps).