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About the Open Space Alliance

History

The Open Space Alliance (OSA) was established in April 1995 and worked under the umbrella of the Environmental Council for three years. During that time, OSA raised community funds for the acquisition for the Moore Creek Upland within the City of Santa Cruz Greenbelt and for the Gray Whale Ranch.

In September 1998, the Open Space Alliance became its own non-profit corporation and began work on the protection of the Cardoza Ranch in the Watsonville Sloughs in earnest.

Priorities

OSA protects land with significant natural and scenic qualities, including rare wildlife habitat, watershed protection features, sustainable agricultural use, wildlife corridors and/or strategic linkages between protected lands.

Watsonville Sloughs:

OSA is currently focusing its land protection efforts on the Watsonville Sloughs region. This watershed, comprising approximately 12,000 acres, is the most important resting area for migratory waterfowl between the Pescadero Marsh and Elkorn Slough and is a significant wintering area for raptors. The overlap of wetlands, marsh and grasslands creates a diverse ecosystem that provides a rich food supply for a variety of species. Approximately 120 bird species are known to use the Watsonville Slough complex.

Nisene 2 Sea:

Since 2002 OSA has worked alongside Nisene 2 Sea, a mid-county grass roots organization that has been working to preserve the Nisene 2 Sea Corridor since 1997. An essential link in this Corridor is the 142-acre Koch/Carmichael Property that has been heavily used by the public for decades to access both The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park and Cabrillo College lands. Together we are working toward permanent protection of this important property.

Methods

The Open Space Alliance is a non-profit land trust. OSA works with willing landowners interested in protecting their land. There are many reasons why a landowner may want to work with the Open Space Alliance to pursue conservation options. The land may have significant wildlife habitat, or the land may have development potential and the landowner wants it to remain as open space, or the landowner is a farmer who wants to insure that the property will always stay in agriculture, or the landowner wants to donate a conservation easement and receive significant tax benefits.

Conservation Easements:

This is a legal agreement between a landowner and the Open Space Alliance or governmental agency that permanently limits uses of the land in order to protect its natural resource values. The easement is usually donated and allows the landowner to continue to own and use the land, sell it or pass it on to heirs. Some donated easements can qualify as a tax-deductible charitable donation, reduce property taxes and lower estate taxes.

Goals

The Open Space Alliance promotes a collaborative and systematic approach to preservation of selected lands throughout Santa Cruz County-and the Monterey Bay bio-region. Toward this end, OSA:

  • Collaborates with private landowners, community and business organizations, public agencies, nonprofit foundations, and individuals to protect open space.
  • Seeks public and private funds for purchasing and protecting priority lands.
  • Assists private property owners in protecting wildlife habitat on their lands through voluntary land management practices and development of protective easements.
  • Investigates and advocates for appropriate public mechanisms, such as open-space districts, for acquiring and managing open-space lands.

Accomplishments

  • Permanently protected a 38.5-acre parcel along the Harkins Slough in the Watsonville Slough watershed. In 1999, OSA purchased the property, with major funding assistance from the California Coastal Conservancy and the County of Santa Cruz. OSA then crafted two conservation easements: 19.5 acres on the hilltop are in an agricultural easement with a restriction to organic farming - one of the first such organic easements in the country - and 19 acres along Harkins Slough are in a natural resource easement solely for habitat protection. The property was then resold to a conservation buyer, known as High Ground Organics, who has been farming the property ever since.
  • Raised community funds to assist with the purchase and preservation of Gray Whale Ranch.
  • Completed a priority habitat matrix to focus on rare and threatened natural communities in Santa Cruz County.
  • Organized three public events to increase community awareness of local wildlife habitats.
  • Raised community funds to assist with the purchase and preservation of Moore Creek Uplands, a greenbelt land of the City of Santa Cruz.

Open Space Alliance Governance Structure

The Open Space Alliance is governed by a Board of Directors from the community of Santa Cruz County.