TSN Member Communities

Service area: The Santa Cruz Mountains region, as we define it, extends from the San Francisco Bay area, south to the Pajaro River and is bounded to the east by the Santa Clara Valley and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The region is comprised of a diverse array of ecosystems which include diverse natural features ranging from ridge tops to alluvial fans, old growth forests, saltwater lagoons, marshes, mudflats, and intertidal zones. Ownership and land use varies from park and open space preserves to privately held timber and agricultural lands interspersed with both rural and urban communities.

About us: The Santa Cruz Mountains Stewardship Network is a region-wide and cross-sector collaboration of independent individuals and organizations who are committed to practicing effective stewardship on their own lands and coordinating their efforts with other land stewards to enhance stewardship on a regional level. Our mission is to help cultivate a resilient, vibrant region where human and natural systems thrive for generations to come.

The primary objectives for forming and joining the SCMSN are to: Build trust and strengthen relationships within and across sectors and jurisdictional boundaries; Value diverse perspectives and approaches to stewardship, exploring together what constitutes best current and future stewardship practices; Sense and respond to emergent challenges; Identify critical obstacles that hamper stewardship efforts and develop strategies for improving effectiveness; Collaborate where individual and regional stewardship goals converge; Leverage existing activities and resources and avoid duplication of stewardship efforts; Share information in order to enhance knowledge and promote best practices that support long term sustainability; Inform other landowners, the public at large, potential project funders, regulators, and legislators about the importance and value of effective stewardship for enhancing the health of the Santa Cruz Mountain region; Recognize and support landowners and private businesses who are advancing stewardship goals and are using best practices; Ensure adequate resourcing for long term stewardship efforts; Educate and recruit future stewards of the land

Participating organizations include: Amah Mutsun Tribal Band; Big Creek Lumber & Building Materials; CAL FIRE – California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection; Swanton Pacific Ranch CALPOLY – SLO; California State Parks; Girl Scouts of Northern California; Land Trust of Santa Cruz County; Midpeninsula Regional Open Space; Post; San Lorenzo Valley Water District; San Mateo Parks; San Mateo Resource Conservation District; Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County; Santa Cruz County Parks Department; Save the Redwoods League; Sempervirens Fund; Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve; U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management; Open Space Authority Santa Clara Valley; Santa Clara County Parks; Redwood Empire; Natural Reserve System – University of California; Valley Water; San Jose Water

Contact information: Learn more about SCMSN’s Member Community Coordinator, Dylan Skybrook, on the Our Team page or contact him here.

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