The Lompico Watershed Conservancy was formed in 1997 to function as a land trust for the purpose of placing the headwaters of Lompico Creek into protected public trust status. This goal was accomplished in 2006 when the venerable Sempervirens Fund intervened to purchase the forest land we were working to protect. This purchase ended attempts by the previous landowner to log the property. The Conservancy successfully defeated the first permit to log the property in a process that began in 2001 and lasted for over two years. In 2004 in a stunning decision, the California Board of Forestry overturned agency (CDF/CAL FIRE) approval of that logging permit. A second permit process was initiated seeking to log the property. This permit review ended with the Sempervirens Fund purchase. The remarkable story of this long struggle can be found in the archival sections of this website. Many people were involved and helped us to achieve this goal. The Sempervirens Fund land trust was obviously a crucial partner. The Conservancy spent two years assisting Sempervirens with efforts to raise money to fund the purchase of the land.

The activities of the Conservancy have continually expanded over the past 12 years. We are still acting as a land trust and are adding additional wild lands into conservation status. We also review and comment upon water resource, land use, and wildlife conservation policy at the County and State level. We are involved with several local and state agencies and review processes. He hire scientists and attorneys to assist us as experts. The Conservancy works with various other local organizations including the San Lorenzo Valley Women's Club and the Sierra Club. We are part of a community of conservation activists working to preserve the wild heritage of Santa Cruz County and the State of California.

The Conservancy is also proud to have been the first private non-profit in modern Santa Cruz County history to have designed and completed a salmon migration barrier correction project. This project was funded by the CA Department of Fish and Game and involved substantial volunteer effort by local people who are not willing to stand by and watch our salmon and steelhead pass into extinction.