Sempervirens Fund expands area for conservation
Land trust adds property of Sterrenzee Ridgetop
The Sempervirens Fund on Tuesday announced that the land trust recently purchased a 16.5-acre patch of forest adjacent to Big Basin Redwoods State Park known as the Sterrenzee Ridgetop.
The ridgetop overlooks Big Basin to the west and Boulder Creek to the east, and is populated with second-growth redwoods and hardwoods, mostly untouched by the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fires. The Sterrenzee Ridgetop is located on the northern edge of the 153-acre property known as the Gateway to Big Basin, which the land trust acquired last year, and follows on the heels of its purchase in January of the 15-acre Saddle Mountain Vista property, which lies just south of the gateway.
Sterrenzee Ridgetop was purchased for $500,000 from Kurt and Mary Mortensen, and Saddle Mountain Vista was purchased for $376,500 from Andrea Potter. The purchases were made with financial support from Resources Legacy Fund and the Sempervirens Fund donors.
“This series of land acquisitions will expand protection of the oldgrowth forests at the heart of Big Basin and support efforts to reestablish the park as a vibrant destination where people can experience ancient redwoods,” said Executive Director of Sempervirens Fund Sara Barth. “As we face down the threats of climate change, acquiring and conserving these lands is more critical than ever.”
These properties will work into the next phase of California State Park's Reimagining Big Basin visioning process, which was created after the devastating 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fire destroyed nearly every structure in the park, and is planned to begin this summer. Because of its location, the Saddle Mountain property is being envisioned as a potential headquarters for new visitor services and staff buildings.
The Sterrenzee Ridgetop and Saddle Mountain Vista properties are adjacent to a series of properties that Sempervirens Fund has already acquired and made a part of Big Basin Redwoods State Park previously, and are also intended to expand the park's footprint even further, according to Cali
fornia State Parks Superintendent Chris Spohrer.
“We believe permanently preserving forests adjacent to Big Basin is essential to the park's future,” said Spohrer. “Sempervirens Fund's newly protected properties at Saddle Mountain extend the park's protection of redwood forests and the Boulder Creek watershed. As we work on Reimagining Big Basin, these properties align with our and the public's expectations for the park's future.”
Before they are made a part of Big Basin Redwoods State Park officially, Sempervirens Fund will manage the properties as conservation lands, with a focus on supporting wildfire recovery. Stewardship of the properties includes hazard tree removal, selective thinning and removal of non-native species, among other activities intended to bolster the forest's healing process.
“Not only are forests in the Santa Cruz mountains still recovering from wildfire, but they've had to deal with drought, heat and flooding,” said Laura McLendon, Sempervirens Fund's director of land conservation. “Active forest management is critical to restore these forests and help diminish the severity of any future wildfire, especially in the years following a major event like the CZU fire. It is vital for community safety as well as forest health.”
Sempervirens Fund was California's first land trust, and protects and permanently preserves redwood forests, wildlife habitat, watersheds, and other important natural and scenic features of the Santa Cruz Mountains.