POST to connect Coastal Trail: Nonprofit buys 21 acres at Pillar Point bluffs, will donate to count

“This is the fulfillment of a decade-long dream to preserve Pillar Point bluff,” POST President Walter T. Moore said in a press release. “This is a spectacular piece of the California coast and we are thrilled that people can now take an uninterrupted hike on this property and enjoy the incredible scenic beauty of this place.”

The area is known for spectacular views of the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve as well as the Mavericks surf break while serving as critical habitat for species such as the threatened California red-legged frog and the endangered San Francisco garter snake, according to POST.

The nonprofit previously purchased adjacent Pillar Point bluff properties including 119 acres in 2004, 4 acres in 2007 and 17 acres in 2008. The recent purchase of the 21-acre site was for an undisclosed amount from a seller who wishes to remain anonymous, said Noelle Thurlow, POST’s director of land transactions.

The regional group adheres to a successful private-public partnership methodology by which it secures properties for preservation and donates them to entities like the San Mateo County Department of Parks, Thurlow said. It also secures preservation easements, she added.

“County parks is a great partner of POST,” Thurlow said. “POST, as a private nonprofit, can act confidentially with landowners and can be flexible in a way that public agencies cannot. So we work with our public agency partners to identify properties they’re interested in then we negotiate with the landowners directly. It serves both organizations really well.”

Although the site has unofficial trails currently frequented by the public, Thurlow said, POST plans to assist the county in extending the coastal trail and transfer the property later this year.

“We are so lucky for our ongoing partnership with POST to acquire parklands in San Mateo County,” parks Director Marlene Finley said in a press release. “I look forward to taking this to the Board of Supervisors to consider adding to county parks’ stewardship at Pillar Point bluff, welcoming the public to more access and exploration.”

POST’s preservation of the area has helped deter development over the years, Thurlow said. The recently acquired site was sought after for construction about 20 to 30 years ago and less than 10 years ago houses were proposed just south on the bluffs, Thurlow said.

The purchase aimed at supporting habitat and facilitating public access was supported by funding from the Coastal Conservancy and a grant through the Living Landscape Initiative Challenge Grant Program of Resources Legacy Fund, which is funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, according to POST.

Thurlow said it took nearly a decade to buy the property as it was formerly tied up in an inheritance settlement. Now, Thurlow said POST is thrilled to have secured up a link that provides vital habitat and recreation.

“This was kind of the missing piece in the puzzle because it’s between two other pieces. So now it’s a contiguous area of protected land that will have official trails,” Thurlow said. “It’ll be great to have it be part of the county parks ownership. Also, we’ll work with county parks to improve the trail system.”

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