FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ryan McCauley
650-772-3644, rmccauley@openspace.org
Midpen Earns Government Transparency Certificate of Excellence
Public-facing tools like the Open Data Midpen portal and Trail Explorer turn complex data into community resources
Los Altos, CA — The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen) has been awarded the District Transparency Certificate of Excellence by the Special District Leadership Foundation (SDLF). This recognition honors Midpen’s outstanding efforts to promote open government, ethical operations and accessible public engagement.
To receive this award, Midpen successfully completed a rigorous program through the SDLF, an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting best practices among California’s special districts. Midpen demonstrated its commitment to essential open governance and ethical financial reporting.
“This award is a reflection of Midpen’s deep-rooted commitment to open government,” said Ana María Ruiz, Midpen General Manager. “In an era where public trust in government is increasingly fragile, transparency is more than a legal requirement, it is foundational to who we are. Public agencies exist to serve the people; therefore, the community must be able to see exactly how their tax dollars are spent and how decisions are made.”
Midpen continues to exceed standard requirements through proactive public outreach. This includes maintaining a comprehensive Transparency Portal, distributing detailed project notices to interested parties, and facilitating public working groups to ensure community voices are heard in the preservation of the Santa Cruz Mountains region.
Midpen’s commitment to transparency extends into its innovative Open Data Midpen portal, a central hub of GIS data and interactive mapping applications. Designed for everyone from casual visitors to tech-savvy enthusiasts, the portal serves as a window into the 70,000+ acres cared for by Midpen.
A highlight of this digital transparency is the Trail Explorer tool, a user-friendly web application that provides users information about every Midpen trail. Inspired by direct visitor feedback, the tool allows users to filter by steepness (slope), surface material (substrate), shade cover, width, and accessibility to find the experience that best meets their needs.
“We don’t know of any other agency that offers this level of detail and accuracy to their visitors,” said Jamie Hawk, Midpen’s GIS Program Administrator. “By sharing this data, we are not only being transparent about our trail system but also helping our community recreate responsibly and safely.”
“It is now more important than ever for local governments to be open and accessible,” the SDLF Board of Directors stated in a congratulatory message. “By completing this program, Midpen has proven its dedication to being fully transparent as well as open and accessible to the public and other stakeholders.”
The public is invited to view Midpen’s Budget and Action Plans, Financial Reports (ACFR/PAFR), and other governance documents at openspace.org/reports. Beyond administrative transparency, the public can also access the Open Data Midpen portal and the Trail Explorer tool to find technical GIS data and interactive maps at opendata-mrosd.hub.arcgis.com. For more information on Midpen’s commitment to transparency, visit Midpen’s portal at openspace.org/transparency.