The acquisition is described as the largest land conservation purchase in nearly five decades, with ongoing commitments to secure the remaining parcels to cover the full 6,500-acre ranch.

Public opposition to the project was intense, including more than 10,000 public comment letters during environmental review, plus rallies, meetings, petitions, and resolutions from seven local city councils opposing the mine.

The conservation outcome preserves ecological connectivity between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Gabilan and Diablo ranges, supporting wildlife movement and habitat for species like mountain lions, badgers, California red-legged frogs, California tiger salamanders, and steelhead trout.

The proposed Sargent Ranch quarry in Santa Clara County would have spanned 403 acres with three large pits, substantial industrial facilities, thousands of daily truck trips, and considerable groundwater use that could impact local creeks and the Pajaro River watershed.

Beyond open space protection, the purchase also safeguards sacred Indigenous cultural sites, landscapes, and traditional practices central to the Amah Mutsun people, with ceremonies at Juristac spanning millennia.

A sustained campaign led by the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, environmental groups, and community supporters culminated in this conservation victory, mobilizing thousands of objections and actions.

On January 29, 2026, Peninsula Open Space Trust purchased 2,284 additional acres of Sargent Ranch for $23.04 million, bringing its total protected land at the ranch to 6,114 acres and securing the core Juristac Tribal Cultural Landscape from development.