Soquel Linear Park Wins Grant Award

CAPITOLA-SOQUEL, CA - From the desk of the County of Santa Cruz: The Santa Cruz County Parks Department is pleased to announce a $243,608 grant to restore the Soquel Creek riparian corridor while improving connectivity and school access.

"This is an exciting project that will emphasize Soquel Creek as a feature of downtown Soquel, while improving access and circulation for residents, school children and neighborhood businesses," Santa Cruz County Parks Director Jeff Gaffney said. "I'd like to thank State Parks, my staff for all the hard work they did on this grant, and Supervisor John Leopold for his leadership on this project."

This generous grant from California State Parks' Habitat Conservation Fund (HCF) will enable the County to acquire land along Soquel Creek in downtown Soquel. This will be a continuation of the Soquel Creek Linear Parkway project that includes river corridor restoration and a new trail connecting Heart of Soquel County Park, Lions County Park, Soquel Union Elementary School, the Discovery Preschool and Family Center, and the commercial district of downtown Soquel.

With the grant award, the County will now pursue the acquisition of private property needed to complete the project, which is included in the 1991 Soquel Village Plan. Riparian restoration, a trail and interpretive signage are planned as well, eventually leading to the completion of a walking loop through downtown Soquel.

Project partners include the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County, the Discovery School, the Soquel Union Elementary School District and local private property owners.

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