Funding Area: Environment
Coastside Land Trust is dedicated to the preservation, protection and enhancement of the open space environment, including the natural, scenic, recreational, cultural, historical and agricultural resources of Half Moon Bay and the San Mateo County coast for present and future generations. A non-profit organization since 1997, CLT safeguards scenic bluffs, open space, stream corridors and agricultural lands from the southern city limits of Half Moon Bay north through the community of Montara in San Mateo County. A registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Coastside Land Trust is the only organization dedicated entirely to the protection and preservation of land in the urban Midcoast. Taking a strategic approach to land conservation, CLT protects land by purchasing and accepting donations of land and conservation easements; secures private and public funding for land conservation; provides assistance and resources to landowners interested in protecting their land; and leads local conservation, restoration, stewardship, and educational activities.
Our involvement: The Marty Tomberg Charitable Fund has financially supported this organization.
Projects We Support
San Mateo Coast Land Acquisition Matching Grant Program
This grant will help the Coastside Land Trust to acquire and permanently protect as many at-risk open space parcels as possible along the coastal bluffs in San Mateo County. The coastal bluffs feature undeveloped tracts of land that have been subdivided and speculated on since the inception of the Ocean Shore Railroad through the area in the early 1900s. The coastal bluffs west of Highway 1 are uplifted marine terraces and harbor California’s rapidly disappearing coastal prairie ecosystem. The undisturbed open spaces are home to a number of rare, threatened, and endangered species (discussed further below), and are recognized as the most important wintering habitat for migrating raptors along the Pacific Flyway in San Mateo County. The undeveloped tracts of lands are also highly valued by nearby residents and visitors for their uninterrupted ocean views, majestic coastal trails, and revitalizing outdoor qualities. This value is evident on a daily basis as local, regional, and international visitors hike, bike, horse ride, and observe wildlife throughout the region.
Support Dates: March, 2015 – February, 2018
Junior Land Stewards Program (JLSP)
Coastside Land Trust feels that helping coastside youth develop a passion and the skills for protecting and stewarding open spaces in their communities is a priority, and seeks to make significant progress toward meeting this objective by establishing the Junior Land Stewards Program (JLSP) as a sustained, outdoor education and land stewardship program for students in the Cabrillo Unified School District. Over the course of the school year, the students will address driving questions that facilitate their exploration of the coastal bluff ecosystem while meeting grade-specific learning objectives of the Next Generation Science Standards. They will learn about the challenges and rewards of maintaining a healthy ecosystem within their communities and how they, personally, can contribute to positive outcomes.
Support Dates: March, 2018 – March, 2021
Organization and Project Photos
Coastside Land Trust Volunteers
Wavecrest by Karl Kroeber 2008
