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For Immediate Release June 27, 1995 Contact:        Malcolm Smith
Public Affairs Manager (415) 691-1200

New Member Appointed To Open Space District Board


Los Altos, CA -- The Board of Directors of the Midpeninsula Regional
Open Space District last night appointed Mr. David T. Smernoff of
Mountain View to fill the vacant Ward 4 seat. Out of the seven
applicants for the appointment, Mr. Smernoff was one of four finalists
that were interviewed at a special meeting of the Board. He will serve
the balance of the term for Ward 4, until November, 1996 at which time
he plans to stand for election.

Mr. Smernoff is employed by the SETI Institute and works at NASA-Ames
Research Center, where he also serves on the Ames Environmental
Conservation Committee. He is a co-founder of Bay Area Action, a
non-profit environmental advocacy organization, where he is active in a
variety of environmental volunteer projects, community outreach
programs, campaign organizing, and policy development. Among his goals
for the District, Mr. Smernoff notes the need to enhance the ecological
integrity of District lands, and ensure permanent access to open space
for current and future residents of the area. He is also very
interested focusing on ecological research, environmental restoration,
sound land management, and securing additional funding for continued
land acquisition.

The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, extending from the City
of San Carlos to the Town of Los Gatos, is a public agency which has
preserved nearly 40,000 acres of diverse open space and manages 23 open
space preserves.

Funding is provided by a small share of the annual total property tax
revenues collected within District boundaries. The District permanently
protects wildlife habitat, watershed, and a variety of ecosystems,
restores damaged natural resources, and  provides trail improvements
for passive recreational use by the public. The District's goals are to
acquire a continuous greenbelt of protected open space lands for public
use and enjoyment, and to preserve open space for future generations to
enjoy. There are approximately 20,000 - 30,000 acres of land still at
risk of being lost to development within the District's planning area.

The District is divided into seven geographic wards, each represented
for a four year term by an elected Board member. The Board holds public
meetings on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 7:30
p.m., at the District offices.



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                                             mrosd@netcom.com