Fall 2011 - Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District

More documents

Recommendations

Info

ANNUAL MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER, STEVE ABBORS (continued from page 1) incredible natural treasure that will be enjoyed by future generations. As with many of the ongoing projects on our preserves, we look forward to rounding out the latter part of our mission statement, “to protect and restore the natural environment and provide opportunities for ecologically sensitive public enjoyment and education.” The coming year, 2012, will not only mark the District’s 40th year as an integral part of Bay Area life, it will also be the year when we cross the threshold of having preserved over 60,000 acres of open space land. Achieving this milestone is even more significant as we look to the future with a stronger focus on caring for the health of these lands. The District’s primary focus “ We hope to expand our land thus far has been to acquire stewardship capabilities while land in order to save natural areas from development. we reach out to the increasingly We’ve succeeded in securing diverse population that visits properties and watersheds that protect precious water quality, and enjoys the preserves.” knit fragmented habitats back together, protect critical wildlife corridors, and provide places to reconnect with the earth that sustains us. It is now time to redouble our efforts to adaptively manage these open spaces in order to ensure these benefits continue. Ecological systems are incredibly complex webs of living and non-living interactions that are frequently stressed by manipulation for different human uses, many of which result in fragmentation and loss of ecosystem function. Preserving land in order to restore it to as natural a state as possible requires a variety of land stewardship strategies. The District has many restoration projects in the works to maintain ecological health and allow for the continuation of responsible, Mt. Unumhum Summit, Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve low-impact public use. You can learn about a number of these resource management projects by visiting the District’s Web site at www.openspace.org/plans_projects/resource_management.asp. How can we expand the success of our mission in the next 40 years? By taking a lesson from nature: it’s all about diversity. The growing need to provide more care for the lands we’ve secured and protected for you, the public, will require us to broaden our ability to fund the District’s mission. By creatively looking at new strategies and sources of support for these projects, we hope to expand our land stewardship capabilities while we reach out to the increasingly diverse population that visits and enjoys the preserves. We want to enable everyone to get involved in protecting and enhancing their backyard open space lands. Adaptive management means continuously re-evaluating our efforts and actions. Changing course when necessary, while remaining true to our mission and land stewardship principles, requires “big picture” thinking and a foundation of solid planning. On that clear day in June atop Mt. Umunhum, I found myself reflecting about the District as it approaches its 40th anniversary. Taking a moment to pause at the summit, I was inspired by the District’s achievements over the past four decades and am proud to be a part of an organization that has taken such care to carry out the mission entrusted to it by the public so long ago. I look to a horizon of possibilities with optimism for what’s to come, confident in our future as a District and grateful to you, the public, and our many loyal partners and donors who have been and will need to be the foundation of our success in the coming years. Mt. Umunhum, Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve Stephen E. Abbors General Manager BOARD OF DIRECTORS Pete Siemens ◆ Ward 1 (Cupertino, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Saratoga) ◆ Yoriko Kishimoto ◆ Ward 2 (Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Palo Alto, Stanford, Sunnyvale) Jed Cyr ◆ Ward 3 (Sunnyvale) ◆ Curt Riffle ◆ Ward 4 (Los Altos, Mountain View) ◆ Nonette G. Hanko ◆ Ward 5 (East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Stanford) Larry Hassett ◆ Ward 6 (Atherton, Menlo Park, Pescadero, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Gregorio, Woodside) Cecily Harris ◆ Ward 7 (El Granada, Half Moon Bay, Montara, Moss Beach, Redwood City, San Carlos, Woodside) Stephen E. Abbors ◆ General Manager ◆ Kristi Britt ◆ Open Space Views Editor ◆ Renée Fitzsimons ◆ Outdoor Activities Editor 2
2010–2011 FINANCIAL PROFILE The District has remained fiscally stable over the past year during a persistent recession because of its continued focus on fiscal discipline. District Revenues The District’s revenues for fiscal year 2010-2011 were $30.5 million, lower by $1.2 million over the prior fiscal year. Revenues consist of program revenue that includes rental income, grants and donations, and general revenue primarily from property tax and investment income. The District receives approximately two-thirds of its tax revenue from Santa Clara County and one-third from San Mateo County. Tax revenue was $27.3 million in fiscal year 2010-2011, a decrease of 1.3% over the previous fiscal year, as the assessed valuation of secured and unsecured property within the District decreased for the first time since the District was formed in 1972. An additional reduction in tax revenue of $187,859 was due to the suspension of supplemental (SB 813) property tax revenue in Santa Clara County. The District received $286,222 under a new five-year agreement with Santa Clara County to manage the developed portion of Rancho San Antonio County Park. The District also succeeded in obtaining a $1.25 million contribution from Santa Clara County to cover half the cost of land additions to Monte Bello Preserve. District Expenditures As planned, District expenditures did not exceed the amount approved by the Board of Directors in the annual budget. Excluding land purchases and debt service, fiscal year 2010-2011 expenditures were $15.4 million; $3.3 million or 17.6% below budget (related to timing on project expenditures). Expenditures for land were $9.9 million, and the expenditures for debt service (used for payment of long-term debt principal, interest, and related costs) were $8.1 million, resulting in total expenditures of $33.4 million. The land purchases and debt service funds are obtained through transfers from funds previously set aside for that purpose. District Assets and Liabilities The District’s total net assets increased by $9.1 million, and total long-term debt obligations declined by $0.7 million to $123 million. The assets of the District exceeded liabilities by $266.1 million (net assets). Land Added to the Preserves in 2010–2011 The District currently owns, manages, and protects over 59,000 acres of land on behalf of the public in accordance with the agency’s mission of protecting the environment through land preservation and restoration, and by providing public use and enjoyment of open space lands. Monte Bello Open Space Preserve By the end of the fiscal year (March 31, 2011), the District added 662 acres of new open space land to its preserves, valued at $9.9 million. The additions were funded from the following sources: Land acquisition funds from: • The District’s General Fund $8.6 million • Grants $1.3 million Total $9.9 million Open Space Land Added by Purchase, Gift, or Management Agreement • Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve: The District purchased the 86-acre Holmes property, for $2,500,000. • Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve: Four properties totaling 246 acres were added to this Preserve at a total purchase cost of $3,225,000. These purchases include the following: 1) 121.57-acre Chen property, for $800,000; 2) 20-acre Slaght property, for $2,025,000, to be used as the South Area Field Outpost; 3) 80-acre Eagle View LLC property, for $250,000; 4) 24-acre Price property, for $150,000. • Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve: Two properties totaling 112 acres were added to this Preserve. These additions include the following: 1) 14.25-acre Bergman property, for $1,700,000 (purchase includes a 5-year note for $850,000); 2) 97.5-acre Silva property (management agreement with Peninsula Open Space Trust). • Monte Bello Open Space Preserve: The District, in partnership with Santa Clara County Parks and Peninsula Open Space Trust, added 87.62 acres through the purchase of the Powell properties for $2,500,000 with the County matching the District’s contribution of $1,250,000. • Purisima Creek Open Space Preserve: The District has added property gifts (within Redwood Park Subdivision) totaling approximately 0.54 acres valued at $16,585. • Ravenswood Open Space Preserve: A 2.88-acre open space easement was received by the District from the City and County of San Francisco in exchange for a subsurface tunnel easement for the new transbay pipeline. • Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve: The District has entered into a management agreement with Santa Clara County Parks for approximately 127.85 acres. Vaibhav Tripathi 3
Page 1: MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DI
Page 5 and 6: MIDPENINSULA REGIONAL OPEN SPACE DI
Page 7 and 8: OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES • FALL 2011 Ke
Page 9 and 10: OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES • FALL 2011 Lo
Page 11 and 12: OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES • FALL 2011 Pu
Page 13 and 14: OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES • FALL 2011 Su
Page 15 and 16: MT. UMUNHUM UPDATE Status of the Re
Page 17 and 18: 2010 DONATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Dona

Fall 2011 - Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?