photo by Michael Findling.
The Long History of Preserving Long Ridge
Sempervirens Fund worked with landowners in the area and raised funds to create Long Ridge Open Space Preserve in 1978. In 1985, Sempervirens Fund supporters helped Midpeninsula Regional Open Space preserve more than 200 acres located on Highway 35, considered the last real working cattle ranch in the area, as part of the preserve for people and wildlife to enjoy. Along its namesake ridge, the Stegner Memorial Bench was dedicated in 1996 in memory of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and local preservationist Wallace Stegner. Today, Long Ridge Open Space Preserve has grown to 2,035 acres of lush natural lands helping to connect habitat and recreational opportunities across the Santa Cruz Mountains.