Hare Creek Beach has been Purchased by the Mendocino Land Trust for
Conservation and Public Access

The Mendocino Land Trust is thrilled to announce the completion of the
purchase of Hare Creek Beach in Fort Bragg. This wonderful
accomplishment was finalized on January 5, 2010, providing us with a
great start to the new year.

The Land Trust has been working to complete this project for the past
two years, with the goal of acquiring this 5.6 acre beach in Fort
Bragg in order to conserve the habitats of the property and to create
legal public access. It is a rare occurrence that a privately owned
beach can be purchased with public funds in California. With this
purchase, Hare Creek will be a public beach forever, used in much the
same way as it has been historically but with a new focus –
conservation education and responsible recreation.

The Land Trust would like to extend special thanks to the two key
funders who made this project possible - the State Coastal Conservancy
and Fort Bragg resident Betty Stechmeyer, who made a donation of
matching funds in memory of her late husband and botanist, Gordon E.
McBride.

About Hare Creek Beach
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Hare Creek Beach represents the unique natural assets of the Northern
California coastline, encompassing a variety of sensitive habitats.
The beach is used as a resting and feeding site during migration by
many bird species, particularly migratory shorebirds. Hare Creek also
supports steelhead spawners and Coho salmon spawners annually.

The local community and visitors have long enjoyed the beach for
recreation and bird watching. However, there is currently no legal
access to the beach for the general public. The Land Trust intends to
create legal public access to the beach for all.

Hare Creek Beach is located immediately southwest of the intersection
of Highway 1 and Highway 20 in Fort Bragg, California.

Get Involved: Become a Steward
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Now that the acquisition is complete, the Land Trust has more work
ahead of us. The Land Trust will create a management plan for the
property, raise stewardship funds, begin to conduct restoration and
monitoring activities, and work towards providing legal public access.
These efforts will require time, funding, and, in some cases,
volunteer efforts.

Volunteer stewards will be needed throughout the year to help the Land
Trust conduct monitoring and to aid in restoration activities. If you
are interested in becoming a Hare Creek Beach Steward, please contact
Jenny Hall at jhall@mendocinolandtrust.org or call 707-962-0470.

Donations to Hare Creek Beach Stewardship can be made by mail, by
phone or at www.mendocinolandtrust.org. Be sure to specify that your
donation is for Hare Creek Beach. Call 707-962-0470 or mail a
donation to Mendocino Land Trust, PO Box 1094, Mendocino, CA 95490.

For additional information regarding Hare Creek Beach, please contact
us at 707-962-0470 or email info@mendocinolandtrust.org.