At a Glance
The County of San Mateo and its residents have a long-standing love for and commitment to parks, open space and the environment. The Board of Supervisors has allocated local sales tax funds (Measure K) to rebuild aging parks, restore habitat, improve access and expand opportunities for all residents to enjoy, learn about and explore our open spaces.
Trail Repairs, Finding Lost Hikers All in a Day's Work
Technology on the Trails
New, Unique Playground Opens in San Mateo
A Park for Everyone
A Park for Everyone
The Board of Supervisors has pledged $50,000 in local sales tax funds (Measure K) to help build a playground at Redwood City's Red Morton Park that will delight all children regardless of age or ability. Learn more about the Magical Bridge Playground.
Technology on the Trails
Members of the Student Conservation Association (SCA), a nonprofit organization that engages youth and young adults in the protection and restoration of parks, marine sanctuaries and cultural landmarks in all 50 states, have hiked dozens of miles in San Mateo County parks to map invasive plants, repair trails, restore habitat, map park features and perform other work. Learn more.
Infusion of Funds Helps Parks Tackle Backlog of Work
At Memorial Park, the oldest park in the San Mateo County Parks system and what many call the jewel in its crown, rangers have been busy replacing water pipes, repairing stone fire pits, laying smooth asphalt and fixing a camp used by generations of children. Work at Memorial is among dozens of projects to improve habitat and enhance the experience of nearly 2 million visitors a year with local sales tax funds.
New, Unique Playground Opens in San Mateo
In July 2016 the City of San Mateo removed protective fencing to unveil the newly renovated playground at popular Beresford Park. The playground includes adventure-themed towers for climbing, slides, nets, swings and more. To view a slideshow of the park's newest features, click here. The County of San Mateo contributed nearly $67,000 to the project to ensure that all residents have access to outdoor recreation. The County is also funding parks projects in Belmont and Foster City with local sales tax funds.
Local Funds Design of Two New Miles of Coastal Trail
San Mateo County has joined an exciting partnership of the Coastside Land Trust (CLT), California Coastal Conservancy, Peninsula Open Space Trust and City of Half Moon Bay to complete a significant gap in the California Coastal Trail along the blufftops south of Poplar Beach in Half Moon Bay between the Wavecrest Property and Redondo Beach. The County contributed $260,000 toward the project in Measure K local sales tax funds. Learn more.
Award Helps Pacifica Add to Pedro Point Headlands
An $80,000 award from the County of San Mateo supports the City of Pacifica’s purchase five acres of land to be included in the Pedro Point Headlands, a spectacular expanse of coastal bluffs at the southern edge of the city. The Board of Supervisors approved the award to the city February 9 with funds from the half-cent countywide sales tax (Measure K). Learn more.
Grant to Help Plan and Build Ravenswood Bay Trail
The County of San Mateo and Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District entered into a much-anticipated partnership to design, engineer and complete a critical 0.6-mile section of the San Francisco Bay Trail using $1 million in San Mateo County local sales tax funds (Measure K) as well as funding from other sources. When completed, San Mateo County residents will have access to an 80-mile contiguous stretch of multi-use trail where bicyclists and pedestrians will be able to enjoy the shoreline, commute to school and work, and exercise outdoors with friends and family. Learn more.
Map of Ravenswood Bay Trail Connection Project
Trail Repairs, Finding Lost Hikers All in a Day's Work
Joel Cervantes is a ranger in San Mateo County's parks. It's a dream job as he's surrounded by trees and beautiful vistas each day. But chainsaws, poison oak and picking up trash are all part of the day's job. Passage of the local sales tax helped to fund his position and to allow Parks to establish itself as its own County department.
Lessons from Rising Seas
Many students at Redwood High School said they had never heard of or thought much about the threat of global warming and rising seas until they took a field trip to the levees surrounding East Palo Alto. Now they are prepared to change their lifestyles and make choices based on such factors as greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprints in a project funded in party by local sales taxes.
Important links
Do you want to know where Measure K tax dollars are being invested?
Check out this chart to view each initiative and to see how local funds are supporting local needs in San Mateo County.
