Midpen, POST and City of Half Moon Bay Partner to Protect Open Space and Farmland
Many of the open spaces and working farmlands surrounding the City of Half Moon Bay on the rural San Mateo County Coast remain intact, in large part, because of the intentional efforts of farmers, ranchers, local voters and public-private partnerships like the one between Midpen and Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST). The 868-acre Johnston Ranch property, bordering the City of Half Moon Bay to the south, is an excellent example of these efforts in action.
In November, the Midpen board of directors approved the purchase of a 644-acre portion of Johnston Ranch from POST for $4.8 million. The purchase aligns with Midpen’s community-supported Vision Plan and is funded by the 2014 voter-approved Measure AA and $700,000 in grants from the Coastal Conservancy and California State Parks’ Habitat Conservation Fund.
“By joining our resources and unique expertise, Midpen, POST and the City of Half Moon Bay are partnering to keep Johnston Ranch protected as natural open space and agricultural working lands,” Midpen General Manager Ana María Ruiz said. “We have a shared vision to balance natural resource protection and viable agriculture at Johnston Ranch with future opportunities for new community connections to nearby nature.”
The iconic Coastside property is made up of rolling grassy hills, coastal scrub, the Arroyo Leon Creek corridor and agricultural lands. It was once slated to be developed into a golf course and luxury homes before POST preserved it in two transactions taking place in 1999 and 2001. After a lot-line adjustment process is completed with San Mateo County, the Johnston Ranch property will be preserved as follows:
The City of Half Moon Bay will continue to own the historic New England saltbox-style Johnston House located on the property. Visible from Highway 1, and a known landmark to many who live on or visit the coast, the Johnston House is open to the public for docent-led tours. The City of Half Moon Bay is currently planning a pedestrian and bike trail that will one day connect downtown Half Moon Bay with the Johnston House along Higgins Canyon Road.
POST, a private nonprofit land trust, will retain ownership of Johnston Ranch’s 224 acres of prime agricultural lands that have been farmed by the Giusti family for decades. As part of their Farmland Program, POST intends to eventually sell the prime agricultural portion of the property to the farmer, subject to a conservation easement, protecting it from future development and ensuring it remains productively farmed in private ownership.
Midpen, a public agency, is now managing the 644-acre Johnston Ranch uplands as part of its adjacent Miramontes Ridge Open Space Preserve. This work will include ranger patrol, environmental restoration and wildland fire resiliency work. The existing cattle grazing operations on the property will be incorporated into Midpen’s conservation grazing program to help maintain coastal grassland habitat. Eventually, Midpen planners will begin a public process to explore the possibility of a new easy-access loop trail near the Johnston House to introduce ecologically sensitive recreation.