Midpen set to improve access to Bear Creek Redwoods in Los Gatos

The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District approved its budget for the next fiscal year setting aside funding for certain projects in and around Los Gatos The district presented a budget on June that estimated million in revenue and million in expenditures According to the budget document revenues were expected to increase by or million while expenditures were projected to increase by or million Property tax makes up of the district s revenue with grants interest and rental and other forms of income making up the rest Related Articles Cupertino cuts the ribbon on inclusive playground Setback for citizens opening of beachfront land once owned by rock star Plan to rebuild Big Basin Redwoods State Park after devastating fire nears completion How to trek the East Bay Skyline Trail Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park campground to remain closed until season For the next fiscal year almost million was set aside for Measure AA capital projects while million was allocated from the general fund for other projects Voters in the district approved Measure AA a -year million general obligation bond in June Among the projects highlighted by Midpen spokesman Ryan McCauley was improved access to Bear Creek Redwoods A new northeast trailhead and four more miles of trail will open to allow people in Lexington Reservoir County Park to walk directly to the redwoods McCauley noted the district also has plans for a multiuse trail which will extend from the northeast trailhead to allow bikers to ride through the preserve At present only hikers and horseback riders are allowed to use the trails Both the trailhead and the multiuse trail are partially funded through Measure AA The district is also designing a new parking lot near the redwoods that will contain about spots McCauley reported construction is expected to take six months between spring and fall to avoid working during the rainy weather and polluting nearby waterways It is not funded through Measure AA Because it s so well-loved and well-visited on weekends the parking lot can fill up McCauley noted It does pretty regularly in the morning on weekends regularly so being able to expand the parking area to allow for more people to access the preserve is something we re really excited for Bear Creek Redwoods The ideas for these projects came from neighborhood input after voters passed Measure AA to expand Midpen s threshold and take on several larger-scale projects The trailhead and parking area were among the first suggestions McCauley announced McCauley also mentioned a wildlife undercrossing and pedestrian overcrossing along Highway near the northern point of Lexington reservoir The wildlife undercrossing is meant for deer and mountain lions but can also be used by bobcats coyotes squirrels and foxes The overcrossing would create a larger regional trail connecting El Sereno Open Space Preserve with the Los Gatos Creek Trail The project is in its final design phase and partially funded by Measure AA but the district is looking for grants to complete funding it We think of roads as connecting communities but roads can also act like walls and blockades for wildlife that are trying to move to new places find shelter find mates McCauley mentioned Lastly since the discovery of critically imperiled Santa Cruz kangaroo rats in the Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve a scarce years ago Midpen is trying to enhance their chaparral habitat with sandy soil McCauley declared they are a keystone species which means their presence impacts countless other species For example kangaroo rats keep manzanita seeds in their cheeks and buries them allowing the plants to germinate and grow This effort is not funded by Measure AA It s constantly good when we can see these very rare species pop back up again McCauley reported