A Natural Health Assessment for Santa Cruz County
The Heart of Our Conservation Strategy
Our Conservation Blueprint for Santa Cruz County is a 25-year strategy to protect habitat, water, and farmland that guides our work through 2035.
The result of two years of work that included consultation with over 110 experts and four community forums throughout the county, the report finds that, “The health of Santa Cruz County’s plants, animals, habitats, and water is in decline.” It cites the overdraft of the county’s aquifers and the fact that 18 of the county’s streams and rivers fail to meet Federal Clean Water Act standards. The county also has 13 rare plant and 13 rare animal species that are listed as federally threatened or endangered.
To address these and other threats, additional protection of up to 50,000 acres of land is recommended. The Blueprint identifies eight priority areas for additional protection, with priority given to areas where multiple benefits can be achieved, including protecting water supply and quality, biodiversity, recreation lands, and working lands like farm, ranch and timberlands.
Rather than buying land, the Land Trust recommends increased use of voluntary easements and incentives that leave productive land in private hands and on the tax rolls. The Blueprint has drawn support from across the county’s political spectrum.
Get the Full Blueprint
Download a PDF of the full 200-page Blueprint that includes 24 maps.
Download the Maps
Get all 24 of the high-resolution maps included in the Conservation Blueprint.
Strategic Plan
Our 2023 - 2027 Strategic Plan outlines our priorities for the next five years, bringing us to our 50th anniversary. Get an overview of the plan and download the full plan to get a complete picture of our upcoming goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Understand how the Blueprint was developed as well as its key findings and recommendations.
A report that shows important areas to conserve and makes recommendations on how it can be done.
A report based on current and new research, expert opinion, and public input.
A resource and guide for everyone working to protect Santa Cruz County’s natural environment.
The Blueprint was developed over 18 months by the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County with the support of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Resources Legacy Fund, and Land Trust members.
The work was guided by a seven member Steering Committee and drew on the knowledge of 110 experts who attended technical workshops.
Four community forums were held to solicit public input, with funding provided by the Community Foundation Santa Cruz County.
Santa Cruz County residents highly value their surroundings and have repeatedly taken steps to protect the beauty and natural resources of the county.
The county’s plants, animals, habitats, and waters are in decline and face growing threats in the next 25 years.
Our water supplies are threatened by overdraft of underground aquifers and by increased demand.
Eighteen of the county’s waterways are listed as impaired bodies under the Clean Water Act – all of which feed into the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary.
The county’s population is expected to grow by 35,000 in the next 25 years and the population of the four surrounding counties will reach 4 million.
Under current zoning an additional 17,000 housing units can be built in the county, many of them in rural areas.
The local economy is built on agriculture and tourism, which are dependent on a healthy natural environment.
The Blueprint prioritizes the protection of lands where we can achieve multiple benefits, including protecting water quality and supply, wildlife habitat, recreation, and productive farm and timber lands.
The Blueprint recommends that acquisition not be the dominant way we protect land in the future and that we place more emphasis on other innovative conservation tools.
The Blueprint emphasizes protecting land through easements and stewardship incentives, which keep land in private hands and on the tax rolls, while providing jobs.
As a fourth generation Santa Cruz native and one who is appreciative of – and concerned about – preserving our natural resources, I applaud the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County for compiling its “Conservation Blueprint".
Bruce McPhersonFormer CA State Senator and Secretary of State
What’s Next?
The Conservation Blueprint contains 16 goals, 47 strategies to achieve them, and 143 specific recommended actions. Successful implementation will require collaboration between conservation organizations, community groups, cities, resource and recreation agencies, agricultural organizations, the County, landowners, and individuals across the area.
Join us as we build on existing efforts and partnerships.
Stay Informed
Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest information on preservation progress across Santa Cruz County.