""There's a lot of development pressure along the 101 corridor from Santa Clara County to San Benito County," said Marian Vernon, wildlife linkages program manager with the Peninsula Open Space Trust. "Our concern is that increased development there could make it more difficult for animals to move from the Santa Cruz Mountains to the Diablo Range. We want to retain the connection. Preserving undeveloped open space for both agriculture and wildlife habitat is super valuable.""
"Since 1977, the trust, which has been funded over the years by large Silicon Valley donors like the Packard, Hewlett and Moore foundations and other wealthy Bay Area benefactors, has preserved 93,000 acres of open space - an area three times the size of the city of San Francisco - mostly in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties."
Peninsula Open Space Trust purchased 668 acres of farmland for $7.8 million along the Pajaro River on the Santa Clara–San Benito county border. The acquisition includes three contiguous properties on the east side of Highway 101 about three miles south of Gilroy. Planned work includes restoring riparian areas for birds, fish and other wildlife while leasing much of the acreage for continued farming. Since 1977 the trust has preserved 93,000 acres of open space, largely in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, with support from major Silicon Valley foundations. The effort aims to maintain working agricultural land and wildlife connectivity amid development pressure along Highway 101.
Read at The Mercury News
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