Hoping to restore wildlife and preserve farming in a part of the Bay Area that has seen growing development pressure in recent years, a Palo Alto environmental group announced Monday that it has completed the purchase of 668 acres of farmland along the border of Santa Clara and San Benito counties for $7.8 million.

The three contiguous properties are located on the east side of Highway 101 about 3 miles south of Gilroy along the Pajaro River.

The Peninsula Open Space Trust, the non-profit group that bought the farms from willing sellers, said it plans to restore areas along the river for birds, fish and other wildlife, while continuing to lease much of the acreage for farming.

Since 1977, the trust, which has been funded over the years by large Silicon Valley donors like the Packard, He

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