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California Senate Bill 949 designated the Santa Cruz Mountains as a Resource of Statewide Significance and was signed into law on September 25, 2026 by Governor Newsom. The bill was written by Senator Becker and co-authored by Senator Laird and Assembly Member Berman, with sponsorship from the Sempervirens Fund and Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MidPen).

The bill was further supported by the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), Amah Mutsun Land Trust, and Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority.

The distinction formally acknowledged the cultural, historical, and environmental value of the area which spans San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties. It recognizes its unique habitats, recreational opportunities, and ecological benefits. The law directs the California Natural Resources Agency and its affiliates to encourage collaborative stewardship of the region and creates a framework for interagency coordination.

Goals of the bill include protecting and restoring watersheds, natural habitats, and forests. It expands public access, fosters regional partnerships to protect both natural and working lands, partners with local tribes to protect ancestral lands, and supports climate resiliency for private landowners. The statute ensures that the Santa Cruz Mountains remain an important part of California’s ecological heritage.

If you have ever tried to buy a home in the Silicon Valley flatlands, you know the experience. You walk into an open house, make eye contact with a bidding war, and leave three hours later realizing you just offered your firstborn child for a 900-square-foot fixer-upper with no backyard.

But if you look up—specifically toward the redwood canopy of the 95033 zip code—the real estate air gets a little fresher.

The housing market in the Los Gatos Mountains is currently a balanced to slightly buyer-friendly market, unlike the intense seller competition seen in other parts of the Bay Area. Down in San Jose or Sunnyvale, buyers are still throwing cash at sellers. Up here? You might actually get to view a house twice before someone else buys it.

A balanced market means you have leverage. You can ask for a home inspection without the seller laughing you off the mountain. You can negotiate. You might even find a seller willing to leave behind their backup generator.

Of course, mountain buying comes with its own unique flavor of Bay Area drama. You aren’t competing against 45 other software engineers. Sometime’s a buyer’s primary concerns shift from “How good are the local schools?” to “How old is this septic tank?” and “Will this driveway require a personal winch system in January?”

For those willing to trade the convenience of a neighborhood Starbucks for the thrill of a 20-minute winding descent down Highway 17, 95033 offers a rare Bay Area luxury: breathing room.

Keith and Shelly Kanady are a real-estate team at Compass serving the Santa Cruz Mountains for 40 years. Call us at 408-316-1666, or email Keith.Kanady@Compass.com.