Contact: Sasha Hnatkovich, 650-691-1200
Los Altos, CA — Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District announced today that it has expanded Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve by closing escrow on the purchase of 41.76 acres of open space land that is located on the slopes above Soda Spring Canyon. The Midpen board of directors authorized $168,000 in funds from Midpen’s fiscal year budget ending June 30, 2022, for the purchase at its January 12, 2022, regular meeting.
“Since 1972, Midpen has protected more than 65,000 acres of open space,” General Manager Ana María Ruiz said. “And Sierra Azul is in many ways a crown jewel – our largest preserve at more than 19,300 acres, our highest point at Mount Umunhum and, certainly, one of our most rugged and beautiful. Parcel by parcel, we’re permanently protecting the forested lands and wildlife habitat in these mountains in perpetuity.”
Located in the Mount Umunhum area of the preserve, the acquired property is surrounded by the Sierra Azul Preserve on three sides with private property to the south. The purchase expands the preserve to nearly 19,344 acres and furthers the public agency’s mission to preserve and protect a regional greenbelt of connected habitat and wildlife corridors. Dominated by California bay laurel forest, the area provides habitat for several large animal species, including deer, coyotes, foxes, bobcats and mountain lions, and a wide variety of birds, small mammals, including dusky-footed woodrats, and many other resident and migratory species. The property is not accessible by existing roads, has no improvements or utilities and is closed to public access at this time. It falls within the Guadalupe Creek and Upper Los Gatos Creek watersheds and includes an intermittent tributary of Soda Springs Creek, which flows directly into the Lexington Reservoir.
By securing additional property rights in the Mount Umunhum area of Sierra Azul Preserve, this purchase advances Midpen’s community-supported vision plan portfolio #23, Sierra Azul: Mt. Umunhum Public Access and Interpretation Projects. In 2014, voters approved Measure AA, which provides $300 million in general obligation bond funding to accelerate 25 priority portfolios that include a wide variety of land acquisition, environmental restoration and public access projects.
Located to the south of Los Gatos and San Jose, Sierra Azul Preserve encompasses much of the Sierra Azul range and its foothills in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The preserve offers 26 miles of multiuse trails for hiking, dog walking, biking and horseback riding, which are open daily a half-hour before sunrise until a half-hour after sunset (except the Mount Umunhum area, which opens at 7 a.m.). Due to its size, Sierra Azul Preserve is divided into four areas, two of which are currently open to the public: Kennedy-Limekiln, the northwestern area of the preserve, is accessible from Lexington Reservoir, and Mount Umunhum, the southeastern area, is accessible from Hicks and Mount Umunhum roads. The preserve is known for its varied and rugged landscape, spring wildflower blooms and sweeping vistas of the San Francisco Bay Area and Santa Cruz Mountains.
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The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District’s mission is to acquire and preserve a regional greenbelt of open space land of regional significance in perpetuity, protect and restore the natural environment and provide opportunities for ecologically sensitive public enjoyment and education. On the San Mateo County coast, our mission also includes preserving agricultural land of regional significance and rural character and encouraging viable agricultural use of land resources. Midpen has successfully protected more than 65,000 acres of public open space land in the Santa Cruz Mountains region since 1972.
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