Imagine growing up on a ranch where every thing you need is on the land right in front of you. Between the fruit trees that provide fresh produce in abundance, the pastureland that supports a variety of grazing livestock, and the peace and serenity that comes with being in tune with the land day in and day out, there is no place you would rather be, right?
Now imagine watching the land you love slowly vanish – first the wide open space is encroached
on by one house, then a whole subdivision, and eventually it is taken over by an entire city. Doesn’t it leave you heartbroken to see the working rangeland that was once inhabited by cattle and a diversity of plants and wildlife plowed under and paved over?
For Sally Friend and her son, Michael Dennis, this was reality when their family’s ranch, Rancho Santa Ana, was swallowed up by the growing development happening in and around Los Angeles in the 1970s. Today, the vast landscape where some of Sally and Michael’s fondest memories were made are just that, memories. “That ranch is unrecognizable,” Michael somberly explained.
Watching the land disappear was so disheartening, Michael retreated to Wyoming to start his own veterinary practice. For Sally, this was the beginning of a long road of reestablishing her presence in the ranching industry.
In 1979, Sally and her brother purchased the Carrizo Ranch and the Las Piletas Ranch in San Luis Obispo County, CA. After a few years of the partnership, the pair split, and Sally became the sole owner of the Carrizo Ranch. In recent years, Sally encouraged Michael to come back to California to take over management of the ranch.
Having witnessed the aftermath of what can happen when development comes knocking, Sally refused to watch history repeat itself.
“It is hard to protect your land on your own,” expressed Sally. So, in 2010 she sought out the California Rangeland Trust to ensure the Carrizo Ranch would not end with her generation.
Having witnessed the aftermath of what can happen when development comes knocking, Sally refused to watch history repeat itself.
“It is hard to protect your land on your own,” expressed Sally. So, in 2010 she sought out the California Rangeland Trust to ensure the Carrizo Ranch would not end with her generation.
Sally donated the development rights on the Carrizo Ranch, which at the time totaled 20,274 acres, through a conservation easement held by the Rangeland Trust. The peace of mind from this act alone would have been enough for most but not for Sally.
Within the perimeter of the original ranch stood a 53-lot subdivision ready to be developed. Sally spent years working to acquire these parcels to stave off development and expand her ranch. To date, Sally has acquired 50 of the original 53 lots, each time conserving the additional acreage by donating the development rights to the Rangeland Trust.
“I like to call it a subdivision in reverse,” Michael stated. Today, the Carrizo Ranch encompasses more than 27,000 acres of conserved, working rangeland.
Saving the land piece by piece was not an easy task. “Not a lot of people can be talked out of their land, but I took those roadblocks and moved them out of my way,” recalled Sally.
With this amount of land comes an immense responsibility to care for it. Under previous ownership, the land saw soil erosion and harsh dry farming methods. “The land needed to be left alone, so it could heal itself,” explained Michael. Fortunately, he, like his mother, has a deep love for the land. By implementing holistic management practices, he has been able to successfully nurture the land back to health.
Today, the land, rich in biodiversity, is truly a sight to see — to the south end of the property, oak woodlands cover the hillsides and to the north, rolling grasslands stretch as far as the eye can see. And in addition to Sally and Michael’s commercial cattle operation, the land is also home to a variety of wildlife, including deer, elk, and bears.
“I want to make this ranch all that it can be,” said Michael. “This land is and should be a haven for wildlife, plants, and our livestock, and every day it is a joy seeing the changes we have contributed to.”
In 2020, Sally and Michael were honored with the California Rangeland Trust’s Conservationist of the Year Award which recognizes extraordinary achievement in volunteer conservation by a private landowner (pg. 7). Between Sally’s efforts to ward off development in and around her ranch and Michael’s topnotch stewardship, they were a clear choice for this prestigious award.
“It is very rewarding to be recognized for something that took a lot of time and effort to achieve,” said Sally proudly.
As touched as Sally was to be recognized, one of her greatest pleasures in life is watching her son, three grandchildren, and multiple great-grandchildren enjoy the land as much as she does.
“Seeing the multiple generations on the land is what I always hoped for,” expressed Sally. “Now there is not a question, whether it is my family or not, it will never be lost to development.”
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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