Watch: Aerial footage of Bechtel family ranch south of San Jose that sold for $24 million

"The Peninsula Open Space Trust, an environmental group based in Palo Alto, announced it had purchased the 1,921-acre Mead Ranch from the heirs of the late billionaire Stephen D. Bechtel, Jr., whose family had owned it since 1954, for $24.3 million."

"POST officials say they expect to transfer much of Mead Ranch to the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Authority, a government agency that preserves open space for wildlife. They also are considering allowing construction of a 1.5-mile segment of the Bay Area Ridge Trail through the ranch, a scenic oak-studded property that forms a key corridor for mountain lions, deer, and other wildlife."

The Peninsula Open Space Trust acquired the 1,921-acre Mead Ranch from the Bechtel family heirs for $24.3 million. The property, owned by the Bechtel family since 1954, represents the latest large ranch acquisition by POST in the hills surrounding Coyote Valley south of San Jose. Coyote Valley was previously targeted for development by Apple and Cisco during the 1980s and 1990s but has since been prioritized by San Jose leaders for wildlife, open space, watershed, and farmland protection. POST plans to transfer much of the ranch to the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Authority, a government agency dedicated to preserving open space for wildlife. The organization is also considering allowing construction of a 1.5-mile segment of the Bay Area Ridge Trail through the property, which serves as a critical wildlife corridor for mountain lions, deer, and other species.

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