Nonprofit Purchases 58 Acres of Tunitas Creek Beach

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA -- The nonprofit Peninsula Open Space Trust announced this week at that it acquired 58 acres of Tunitas Creek Beach in an effort to preserve the area. The land was purchased for $5 million from a trust.

“A stunning property like Tunitas Creek Beach should be cared for and available for everyone to enjoy,” said Walter Moore, president of POST, in a press release. “This is an ambitious vision that is going to take support from the entire community to make it a reality. We hope to restore this property and open it to everyone to visit and be refreshed by its beauty and to share its many natural resources with all of the living things that make Tunitas Creek and the beach their home.”

The property, which was privately owned for more than 100 years, has become "seriously environmentally degraded due to unsafe and unmanaged public use," according to the press release.

The nonprofit said it will work with the county and property owners to rehabilitate the area.

“The opportunity to create a brand new public beach in San Mateo County does not come around often,” said Supervisor Don Horsley in the press release. “Tunitas Creek Beach is a hidden jewel with over a mile of scenic Northern California beach, as community members have long known."

POST is looking to raise $10 million from the community and community-based organizations to fund the purchase and the environmental restoration of the cliffs and beach. These funds will also cover the design and construction of safe public access trails, parking, restrooms, and possibly, a ranger station. Restoration of the creek corridor will require additional funding.

For more information, go to openspacetrust.org/donate-tcb or contact Megan Derhammer at mderhammer@openspacetrust.org.

--Photo courtesy of County of San Mateo Parks Department