A stretch of land about seven miles south of San Francisco is slated to become the southern entrance to Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The huge 4,000 acre swath of land is known as Rancho Corral de Tierra and runs along the coast near Moss Beach.
The undeveloped land will be preserved and serve as a link between the California Coastal Trail and the Bay Area Ridge Trail. Currently, this land is one of the largest undeveloped areas in San Mateo County–no small feat in itself. The announcement that Congress approved the purchase was made last week. Included in the approval is the appropriation of $4 million dollars towards the $15 million total needed to purchase the land.
Officials are very excited about the prospects that this area holds. The area is home to many rare species, including the peregrine falcon, San Bruno elfin butterfly and the California red-legged frog. A few creeks run through the area and it is hoped that at least two can be restored, allowing for the return of steelhead trout to the area.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area officials have been working for over a decade to acquire this tract of land from it’s current owners, the Peninsula Open Space Trust. After lots of hard work and determination, their efforts have paid off and the transfer of land is expected to be complete by this summer. With the acquisition, Golden Gate National Recreation Area will be almost 80,000 acres.
Read more in the San Jose Mercury News.
