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• • Resolution No. 33-03 Resolution of the City Council of Los Altos Hills Supporting and Endorsing the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District's Proposed Extension of its Boundaries to the San Mateo County Coast to Preserve Open Space and Agricultural Lands WHEREAS, the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District is a special district in northwestern Santa Clara County in 1972 (and extended to southern San Mateo County in 1976) for the purpose of preserving and managing open space lands within its jurisdiction on the San Francisco peninsula; and WHEREAS, existing public benefits of the District's services include protecting nearly 50,000 acres of our nearby open space lands,providing for low-intensity public recreational use on approximately 220 miles of trails within 26 open space preserves, permanently protecting local streams and watersheds, and preserving the sensitive habitats of a variety of species of endangered plants and animals, maintaining historic structures and facilities on the land,preserving existing agricultural uses, and providing an environmental education program and volunteer opportunities; and WHEREAS, the Town of Los Altos Hills is within the jurisdiction of the District, and its constituents have reaped the priceless benefits provided by the District,many utilizing the lands for recreational purposes, others enjoying the unspoiled scenic backdrop provided by District lands, and all secure in the knowledge that these unspoiled open space lands are permanently preserved for their children, and the generations beyond; and WHEREAS, in the late 1990s,the District received requests and petitions from individuals, organizations, and elected bodies (including the Half Moon Bay City Council and the Midcoast Community Council) asking for its services in the preservation and management of open space lands, beyond its current boundaries west of Skyline Boulevard, and including the natural treasure that is the San Mateo County coastline, and in a subsequent public opinion poll by the District, approximately 90% of the respondents said that preservation of open space west of Skyline Boulevard was important; and WHEREAS, the 1998 Coastside Subregional Planning Study conducted by the County of San Mateo, the cities of Pacifica and Half Moon Bay, the Midcoast Community Council and sponsored by the Association of Bay Area Governments indicated the need for regional open space preservation and management services in this area, concluded that District boundary expansion was one of the most promising attempts in a decade to meet this need; and