For Immediate Release                                                                       

Contact:  Mark Silberstein or Stephen Slade (831) 728-5939

Elkhorn Reserve to Expand

            The Elkhorn Slough Foundation announced today the purchase of  a conservation property adjoining the Elkhorn Slough Reserve in the central Monterey Bay area.  The 3 acre parcel protects the watershed of unique slough marshes owned by the National Estuarine Research Reserve. 

            “This property harbors rich upland habitat of oak woodland and maritime chaparral and adjoins a key Reserve wetland” said Becky Christensen, of the California Department of Fish and Game, who manages the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve,  “ We are very pleased that the Elkhorn Slough Foundation was able to purchase this land and look forward to incorporating this property into the Reserve boundary.” The Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve currently encompasses 1550 acres of land on the south east side of Elkhorn Slough.

            This purchase brings the acreage of slough lands protected by the non-profit Elkhorn Slough Foundation to 2,700.  The Foundation has worked with the Reserve and a number of partners to secure the future of Elkhorn Slough’s natural resources.  The Foundation currently manages 3500 acres in the slough, including 800 acres owned by The Nature Conservancy. 

            The transaction was completed with a private landowner who was motivated to keep the land natural.  The Foundation paid for the property with funds contributed by members of the non-profit. The Foundation intends to transfer this property to the California Department of Fish and Game in the near future. 

            The Elkhorn Slough Foundation is a community-supported Land Trust that works with local landowners to insure that the natural heritage and health of Elkhorn Slough is secure.  “We have been gratified by the community response to conservation here” said Mark Silberstein, the Foundation’s Executive Director, “People appreciate the value of the Slough as a natural area and have responded generously to help protect it.” 
           
            Elkhorn Slough is one of the few coastal estuaries in California and harbors a remarkable diversity of wildlife, including Southern Sea Otters, Harbor Seals, over 340 species of birds, 100 species of fish and many unusual plants.  The Reserve is one of 27 National Estuarine Research Reserves established in the coastal zone of the United States and has been designated a State Ecological Reserve and a Globally Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society.  For more information about Elkhorn Slough access: www.elkhornslough.org

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