Measure AA

Land acquisition is the first step to open space conservation. The Vision Plan identified 50,000 acres of open space land that, when conserved, would significantly improve wildlife conditions, wetlands, watersheds, creeks, sensitive plant communities and low-intensity outdoor recreation. As of July 2020, Midpen has protected 1,976 acres of land with $23,782,810 in funding support from Measure AA funds.

Measure AA-related accomplishments since 2014:

• preserved 1,976 acres
• opened 20.1 miles of additional trail to public access
• closed a critical 0.6-mile gap to establish 80 miles of continuous Bay Trail access
• opened three new parking areas, creating a total of 126 new parking spaces
• expanded the conservation grazing program by 315 additional acres to reduce wildand fire risk and support viable agricultural use of land resources
• opened three new preserve areas to the public: Mount Umumhum Summit of Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve, lower La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve, and Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve
• invested $19.9 million in MAA funds in projects on the San Mateo County Coastside

The Midpen board of directors reviews project prioritization to adapt to changing needs and conditions. The current list of Measure AA project priorities was adopted by the board of directors in March 2018 and included opening additional areas of Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve, continuing work on Bayfront habitat protection and public access partnerships, and providing additional public access and habitat restoration in La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve.

As promised, Measure AA funds are used ONLY for the 25 key priority actions identified by the community during the Vision Plan process. Those priority actions are portfolios of multiple projects that are prioritized independently. Download the Top 25 Future Open Space Project Portfolios.