The Peninsula Open Space Trust this week announced the purchase of over 1,300 acres of land on the southeast edge of Santa Cruz County, southwest of Gilroy.  

The trust — known as POST — bought the 1,340-acre Pescadero Ranch for $15.65 million, according to the trust.  

The property lies along Pescadero Creek and is home to multiple at-risk species such as golden eagles, northern harriers and red-legged frogs. Its streams, ponds and wetlands also host California tiger salamanders and steelhead trout, and could also provide habitat for yellow-legged frogs and southwester pond turtles, the trust said.  

“Pescadero Ranch is a biological and cultural treasure,” said Walter Moore, president of POST, in a statement sent out by the organization. “Its location at the southern terminus of the Santa Cruz Mountains provides core habitat and connections for wildlife moving between mountain ranges to the east and south, which is vital to the biodiversity and climate resilience of our region.”  

Moore said the property is part of the broader Juristac Tribal Cultural Landscape, a “uniquely meaningful” place that integrates spiritual, cultural and natural components essential to the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band.  

The ranch links the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Gabilan Range, providing watershed protection, carbon sequestration and of course scenic beauty.  

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.