Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) has purchased an additional 2,284 acres of the historic Sargent Ranch property, originally named Rancho Juristac. To date, POST has protected 6,114 acres of the 6,500-acre ranch that is home to multiple at-risk species and provides vital habitat and connectivity for wildlife across the region. This land forms the core of the Juristac Tribal Cultural Landscape, an area held sacred by the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band where tribal ceremonies were conducted for millennia.

Located in southern Santa Clara County, southwest of Gilroy, the unique geography of Sargent Ranch provides essential connectivity between the Santa Cruz Mountains, Gabilan Range and Diablo Range. POST’s purchase of Sargent Ranch follows years of coordinated efforts by the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and numerous regional organizations and their supporters to advocate for conservation of the property through the Protect Juristac campaign. A unique coalition of advocacy partners convened by the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and Green Foothills included regional conservation organizations, faith communities, civil rights organizations and grassroots community groups such as Friends of Juristac.

“It is deeply fortunate that the landscape of Juristac has been protected. We are grateful to all who have worked alongside our Tribe to make this dream a reality,” said Ed Ketchum, chairman of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band. “Juristac is a place of great power, where our spiritual doctors lived and conducted healings. The history of our people is written across the landscape and lives today in our stories. The protection of Juristac honors our ancestors and brings hope for a brighter tomorrow when we can return to our sacred grounds and restore our traditions.”

Peninsula Open Space Trust Protects 2,284 Acres of Sargent Ranch

Related Feature: Amah Mutsun Land Trust Acquires First Property in Ancestral Territory | Hundreds Rally for Protection of Sacred Tribal Land from Mining Project | Campaign to Protect Juristac Gains Support of Santa Cruz City Council | Amah Mutsun Tribal Band Fight to Protect One of Their Few Remaining Sacred Lands