California Rangeland Trust is the largest land trust in California. Our mission is to serve the land, people, and wildlife by conserving California’s working rangelands.
56 of the ranches conserved by the California Rangeland Trust – encompassing 306,781 acres – were included in the recent Ecosystem Service Study. Researchers discovered:
California is an incredible state, rich in beauty, history, and diversity. It’s a place that has captured the national imagination for centuries: The farthest edge of the American West, where the mountains meet the sea.
As one of only five regions in the world with a Mediterranean climate, our state feeds the world. California is home to 5.2 million cattle and calves—fourth in the nation for cattle, with livestock responsible for 27% of all agricultural revenues in the state.
This is a heritage that all Californians share. These natural resources are essential to our way of life. But it faces threats. The working landscapes that characterize the Golden State are at risk. 62% of California’s open space consists of privately-owned rangeland. And that land is disappearing at an alarming rate.
62% of California’s undeveloped land is private rangeland.
67% of endangered species spend part of their lives on private rangeland.
85% of California’s fresh water runs over ranches.
Richard and Sharon Kline, current owners of Rancho San Lorenzo, were “city folk” by circumstance, but they are ranchers by choice.
Despite their urban upbringings, each held an appreciation for agriculture and the western way of life, and it was this shared appreciation that brought them together over 38 years ago.
What an incredible year we’ve had at the Rangeland Trust! Coming off the heels of the pandemic, we renewed our commitment to work harder than ever and closer than ever. And the results are a beautiful representation of what can be accomplished when we rally together in support for the land, people, and wildlife of our great state. But don’t just take our word for it…
It is often joked that the signing of a conservation easement is like a wedding—forever uniting a landowner and land trust in an ongoing collaborative partnership. Ranching is unique and complex, with highs and lows as cyclical as the weather. So, it makes sense that ranchers pursuing conservation want assurance that the organization they are signing a perpetual contract with understands these challenges and supports their efforts to steward the land while also making a living off it. The Silva family is no exception.
California Rangeland Trust is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax identification number 31-1631453) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
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