California

Ackerson Meadow's unrivaled location and scenic beauty have also attracted the attention of developers. Understanding that the threat of development is real, we are working quickly to protect the land as an addition to Yosemite National Park for millions of visitors to enjoy and for wildlife to thrive.

In 2012, Santa Barbara voters overwhelmingly defeated a plan that could have led to the development of Veronica Meadows, once home to the Veronica Medicinal Springs Water Company. For many years, the oak-dotted land along a creek had been a popular place to stroll or commune with nature—so beautiful that it was a favorite location for local artists to set up their easels.

In Los Angeles County, where 98 percent of coastal wetlands have been filled in and developed, conservationists worked for three decades to protect the last remnant of the historic Ballona Wetlands near the Los Angeles International Airport.

We helped develop  a new third of an acre park on Maywood Avenue. One of California's most densely populated and park-poor cities, Maywood is located on the edge of the Los Angeles River and surrounded by heavy industrial areas.

Located in the city of Hawthorne, Bicentennial Park is a proposed park renovation that will transform unused and run-down tennis courts into a lively neighborhood park.

Once scheduled for sale as nine development parcels, the ranch was purchased by TPL in 2002 for addition to Los Padres National Forest. The project created an 11-mile stretch of permanently protected coastline between the bridge and Andrew Molera State Park.

In April 2010, following a year-long fundraising campaign, The Trust for Public Land protected Cahuenga Peak, the 138 acres behind the world famous Hollywood Sign. 

The Canal neighborhood in San Rafael provides a significant portion of low-income housing in one of the most affluent counties in the United States. Though the neighborhood is diverse, many residents share a common tie to a strong food culture.

The Castle Valley Trailhead is the gateway to a host of many popular outdoor destinations in the northern Sierra, including Castle Valley and Castle Peak, the Pacific Crest Trail, the Sierra Club’s Peter Grubb Hut, Hole in the Ground trail and the Donner Rim Trail. This has made it one of the northern Sierra Nevada’s most popular trailheads and yet until 2016, the land was not just privately owned, but up for sale.

With over 32 miles of bay shoreline, historic petrochemical industry, and a growing population, Richmond is one of the most vulnerable cities to climate change in California.

In 2010, The Trust for Public Land protected more than two miles of Cold Stream, the remarkable Cold Stream Meadow, and nearly three miles of the popular Mount Lola Trail.

It's called "the cornfield" because crops grew there in the 19th century. More recently, this 32-acre property on the edge of LA's downtown and Chinatown was an abandoned railyard slated for a one-million-square-foot industrial development.

Cowell Ranch, the 4,000 acres of oak-studded hills flanking Mount Diablo,a fast-growing region of the state, were earmarked for urban development before TPL completed the $13-million deal to purchase and preserve the land in 2002.

In 2002, TPL protected the 2,500-acre El Capitan Ranch, nearly doubling state park land on California's Gaviota coast.

Ellwood Mesa is a 137-acre coastal bluff near the community of Goleta, north of Santa Barbara. TPL helped protect this property in 2005.

A cascade of flowers and greenery on Telegraph Hill, the garden was created by former resident Grace Marchant in a 30-year labor of love.

In December 2010, TPL was able to pull a bright conservation success story out of the bleak economic downturn, and purchase Bruin Ranch, now known as the Harvego Bear River Preserve, which will eventually underpin a regional wilderness trail and park.

With a generous donation from the Helen Diller Family Foundation, The Trust for Public Land is completely redesigning two existing playgrounds at Civic Center Plaza that are heavily used by children in surrounding neighborhoods where parks and open space are limited.

Ryan Creek is a tributary of the Humboldt Bay, a coastal lagoon on California's rugged North Coast. We are working with Green Diamond Resource Company to preserve 7,550 acres in this area as a community forest outside of Eureka.

In the fall of 2015, The Trust for Public Land purchased the Preserve's 688 acres from the family that has owned the land for most of the 20th century. The newly established Kashia Coastal Preserve restores coastal access to the Kashia, protects important cultural sites, and provides a place to connect present and future generations of the Kashia with their heritage

Liberty Island, on the northwestern fringe of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, is one flooded tract whose flooding has yielded unexpected, and encouraging, results.

The Trust for Public Land is working with City of El Cerrito to purchase the Madera Hillside property and unite the Hillside Natural Area forever.

In the 1960s, the headlands were slated for a 30,000-person housing development. The architects of the deal to conserve this area included three founders of The Trust for Public Land.

The yard at Melrose Leadership Academy in Oakland was mostly concrete with almost no shade—dangerously hot in the summer, and not able to absorb and slow any rainwater during winter storms. So we worked with the community to remove pavement and replace it with trees and native plants, which will absorb stormwater and keep kids cool in the shade. It’s the first project in a partnership between The Trust for Public Land, Green Schoolyards America and the Oakland Unified School District to transform asphalt schoolyards into green spaces. Along with climate and environmental benefits, the yard at Melrose Leadership Academy is now helping teachers improve environmental literacy and is a welcoming green place for students and families to exercise, play, and experience nature.

In September 2000, with Mori Point on the auction block, The Trust for Public Land assembled funds from private donors, the Pacifica Land Trust, and its own capital to outbid the developers and take the land off the market forever.

The Trust for Public Land is working in partnership with city and county governments, timber companies, and land trusts to acquire properties and finance conservation easements in California's North Coast region.

Once a pristine wetland, the Upper Devereux Slough was filled to create the Ocean Meadows golf course in 1965. Now it's on track to be restored to its natural splendor.

We're helping to create a pocket park for the residents of Echo Park, a dense neighborhood on the edge of downtown Los Angeles where many families with small children live.

Pine Avenue is one of ten major park developments we are leading in the Los Angeles area. This former vacant lot is now a beautiful and safe place for people of all ages to play.

Located between a middle-class neighborhood of single-family homes and two of San Francisco's largest public housing projects, Potrero Hill serves families from across the economic spectrum. 

Located between the Los Angeles Basin and the booming communities of the San Fernando Valley, California's Santa Monica Mountains offer essential recreation in one of the nation's most densely populated regions.

Trails and parks can create substantial benefits for public health and quality of life. Our mission at The Trust for Public Land is to create parks and protect land for people. However, 1 in 3 people in America do not have access to a close-to-home park.

The 3,000-acre Royal Gorge property, which straddles the Sierra Crest at Donner Summit, has it all—sharp granite peaks, lush mountain meadows, old growth forests, crystal clear streams, and a rich human history.

Every year as many as two million people escape the bustle of Los Angeles to hike in Runyon Canyon Park. Located in the Hollywood Hills next door to one of the city’s most crowded neighborhoods, Runyon Canyon is a popular place to meet with friends, walk dogs, hike, and enjoy expansive views.

The Trust for Public Land is working with San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department to engage the community in a participatory design process. The renovation will be anchored in the context of existing recreational facilities and programs within the Tenderloin.

Located in the highest-elevation headwaters of three major rivers—the Middle Yuba, the Little Truckee, and the Feather-nearly 1,200 acres are now protected through the first-ever conservation easement acquired from Sierra Pacific Industries.

South Victoria Avenue Park has transformed a vacant nuisance property into a vibrant playground and gathering space for the children and families of Hyde Park, Los Angeles. The park provides much needed green space to over 10,000 people who live within a 10-minute walk.

In May 2011, The Trust for Public Land helped the town of Atascadero in San Luis
Obispo County acquire a new park replete with a popular swimming hole and network of trails connecting to the Los Padres National Forest and, ultimately, the Pacific Ocean.

A two-acre ribbon of mini-parks that stretches through the heart of Visitacion Valley and includes a community and native plant garden, gathering plaza, and children's playground.

At various times, local skydivers, hunting clubs, and trail runners have all used the Walker ranch property for recreation.

In August 2009, TPL helped to protect 100-foot Webber Lake Falls, which includes three natural swimming holes, for addition to the Tahoe National Forest.

Connecting ocean and sky in Sonoma County.