In a remarkable triumph for conservation in California’s Bay Area, a significant land acquisition has just taken place to protect a historic ranch from being transformed into a sand quarry.
Known as Sargent Ranch, this land holds deep spiritual significance for the Amah Mutsun Indian Band and is now set to be preserved for generations to come.
Situated about 27 miles from Monterey Bay in south Santa Clara County, the Palo Alto-based nonprofit Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) has successfully finalized its third purchase agreement, securing nearly all of the original 6,500-acre Sargent Ranch. With this purchase, only 7% of the land remains in the hands of developers who had pursued environmental permits for a sand and gravel quarry over the past decade.
Faced with legal challenges from environmental organizations regarding the ranch’s historical and ecological importance for native wildlife such as badgers, deer, mountain lions, bald eagles, and steelhead trout, the developers ultimately decided to sell.
“This property represents one of our region’s most ecologically and culturally significant landscapes,” expressed POST President Gordon Clark in a statement. “To date, we have acquired three properties in the area, protecting a total of 6,114 acres of the 6,500-acre ranch. The remaining 480 acres are under contract, and we anticipate conserving them by late 2026.”
Clark emphasized that the primary goal of conserving this land is to achieve a major victory for biodiversity. It will help safeguard habitats and maintain essential landscape connectivity for species migrating between the Santa Cruz Mountains, Gabilan, and Diablo Ranges.
The Amah Mutsun band has been associated with this land for centuries, long before it became a site of colonization through a Spanish mission. In the mid-1800s, James P. Sargent, the ranch’s namesake, acquired the property with his wealth from California’s Gold Rush. His ownership saw the establishment of a railroad depot, saloon, and various other structures.
Over the years, the property changed hands multiple times and was the subject of various unrealized development plans. Most recently, Sargent Ranch Partners LLC proposed a sand and gravel mine on the site, seeking approval for a 403-acre open-pit gravel mine in 2015, only to face strong opposition from environmental advocates.
The current owner has not commented on the sale to POST, which has successfully raised over $63 million primarily through contributions from Silicon Valley benefactors and private donations, as reported by the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
With the ranch now safe from development, its future remains uncertain. Clark plans to conduct studies on the land’s native animal movements, while the Amah Mutsun will be involved through a stewardship and co-ownership agreement. There is potential for the property to eventually be transferred to the county, where it could become part of a network of approximately 28 parks managed by local authorities.
