Tejon Ranch

One of California Rangeland Trust’s role is to help ranchers with mitigation projects. In 2000, California Rangeland Trust accepted the donation of a 1,122-acre easement as mitigation for a commercial development located in the northwest corner of Tejon Ranch. As a condition of approval for the development, Tejon Ranch Company donated an easement on nearby grazing land in order to protect habitat for the San Joaquin kit fox and blunt-nosed leopard lizard.The easement project is unique because it demonstrates that, under a management plan overseen by California Rangeland Trust, productive grazing can work in concert with habitat protection of federally protected species. The project is particularly gratifying because it reflects a clear connection between cattle grazing and maintaining a sustainable environment. Good grazing management practices help control vegetative growth, thereby enhancing the habitat for the kit fox and blunt-nosed lizard.