Published 3/6/2025
A Message From the General Manager: Midpen’s Visionary First General Manager Remembered
Herb Grench was a pioneer in the preservation of Bay Area open space. As Midpen’s first general manager he built a public agency to stand the test of time, establishing our first headquarters and developing a basic policy that continues to act as our constitution to this day.
A visionary leader, Herb also saw the need for a nonprofit that could be more agile than a government entity in land acquisitions. In 1977, he helped found Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) to protect open space in partnership with Midpen. This paved the way for POST’s crucial role in the passage of Measure AA, a $300 million, 30-year bond to deliver community-supported projects in Midpen’s Vision Plan.
Through Measure AA we opened Mt. Umunhum, a towering peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains, to the public. We connected a critical trail gap in Ravenswood Preserve to link 80 miles of continuous Bay Trail; and Cloverdale Ranch, an ecological and agricultural gem on the San Mateo County coast became Midpen’s 27th preserve. This progress is a testament to Herb’s vision.
Herb passed away on December 19, 2024. Over fifty years after Midpen began, his legacy lives on in the vital work that continues with Measure AA, in the connected greenbelt of 70,000 acres of public open space, the birds that sing and the wildflowers that bloom, and in you and me when we enjoy and feel grateful for this land.
I invite you to walk the Herb Grench Trail in the Windy Hill Preserve and rest at the bench named in his honor. Take in the 360-degree views of the Santa Clara Valley and Pacific Ocean, and in doing so know that whether you’re on a trail, volunteering or just finding room to breathe, we are all connected to this special region that hosts such an incredible diversity of life that sustains us.
- Ana María Ruiz, General Manager