Dan's Outside

Mt. Hamilton Land Protected

According to SFGate, a “ranch the size of San Francisco [is] to be protected from development near Mt. Hamilton.

A huge stretch of land near Mt. Hamilton that is roughly the size of San Francisco has been donated as a conservation easement by the Hewlett and Packard families to protect the property from development, the Nature Conservancy said today.

The protection of the 28,359-acre San Felipe Ranch from development will complete a 70-mile long corridor of protected natural lands that extends from Pacheco Pass to Livermore Valley, according to the Conservancy.

The land, which has oaks, year-round streams, seasonal ponds and wildflower meadows, was volunteered as a conservation easement by the families about 10 years after the Conservancy identified the ranch’s “combination of the large amount of intact flourishing habitat and the location” as one of its top priorities for protection in the Mount Hamilton and Diablo range just outside San Jose, according to a statement by the Conservancy.

Not a lot of information was yet available when the article was released, but this sounds like a great development for everyone who loves the outdoor environment of Central California.

January 20, 2008 - Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary, Environment