FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Contact: Patrick Congdon, General
Manager
Lark Burkhart, Public
Information Specialist
Office: 408-224-7476
New Staging Area Makes
Access Easier at Rancho Cañada
San
Jose, CA November 21, 2005 – The opening
Saturday, December 3, of a staging area off Casa Loma Road will greatly expand
access for hikers and equestrians to Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve.
The property, owned and managed by Santa Clara County Open Space Authority
(OSA), offers spectacular views of the
A
ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. will open the day’s events, which include a
4-mile hike on OSA trails. The staging area features paved parking, a vault
toilet, and extra room for horse trailers. A map with directions to the staging
area is available on the OSA website at www.openspaceauthority.org or by calling
408-224-7476. In the event of rain the opening will be postponed until the new
year.
“We are
pleased to welcome the public to this new facility,” said OSA General Manager
Patrick Congdon. “The staging area is a real milestone in the ongoing process of
making improvements at Rancho Cañada del Oro that will allow people to see and
enjoy this beautiful preserve.”
Until the
opening of the staging area, the OSA’s trails could be accessed only by trekking
through
Preserving the
land that became Rancho Cañada del Oro involved the collaborative effort of both
private and public partners. The property was initially acquired in 1999 for
$6.2 million by Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST).
“I can’t wait
to walk the trails on this section of the Rancho Cañada del Oro property,” said
POST president Audrey Rust. “When POST acquired the property it was with the
goal of bringing permanent protection to this slice of historic
Funding for
the purchase was contributed by the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, Santa
Clara County Parks, the City of San Jose and the Open Space Authority, which
provided $1.25 million directly and an additional $800,000 dedicated to the City
of San Jose through its 20% Funding Program.
The northern
portion of the approximately 2,400-acre acquisition was ultimately deeded to
Today this
extraordinary environment offers visitors the chance to discover the quietness
of the foothills, enjoy panoramic vistas, and observe a diverse array of plant
and animal species.
###
The
to help preserve, protect and manage
urban and non-urban open space in the areas of
over
11,150 acres of land and manages over 375 acres of conservation easements.
www.OpenSpaceAuthority.org