Multi-Generational Tuolumne County Ranch Secures California Rangeland Trust a Major Milestone

(SONORA, CALIF.) – October 28, 2025

The California Rangeland Trust is proud to announce a significant milestone in its ongoing commitment to conserve the Golden State’s natural resources and working landscapes. Through a newly completed conservation agreement with the Mackey family of the Murphy Ranch, located just outside Sonora, Calif., the Rangeland Trust has now partnered with 100 ranching families to conserve 100 ranches statewide, protecting more than 420,000 acres of rangeland.

This achievement marks a defining moment in the organization’s nearly three-decade history, underscoring its leadership in advancing voluntary, rancher-led conservation that keeps working lands productive, healthy, and whole. Beyond protecting the land itself, the Rangeland Trust’s work strengthens the legacy of stewardship carried forward by ranching families who manage these landscapes for the benefit of all Californians.

“Partnering with 100 ranching families to conserve their private working rangelands is more than a milestone—it’s a reflection of the trust, collaboration, and shared purpose that make lasting conservation possible,” said Michael Delbar, CEO of the California Rangeland Trust. “Each conservation easement tells a story of stewardship and resilience, ensuring that California’s working lands continue to thrive for generations. Yet as our state faces mounting pressure from development, our work is far from over. Together, we must stay focused on finding solutions to protect these landscapes and the livelihoods they sustain.”

According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, the United States lost 141,733 farms and ranches and over 20.1 million acres of farmland between 2017 and 2022. Based on 2016 data from American Farmland Trust, California alone stands to lose an additional 797,400 acres of agricultural land by 2040 due to development and land-use changes — a decline that threatens food security, wildlife habitats, and the legacy of sustainable land stewardship passed down through generations of ranching families.

The recent conservation of the Murphy Ranch stands as a powerful reminder of what’s possible when a legacy endures. Homesteaded in 1862 under the Homestead Act, the ranch has remained a part of California’s working landscape for generations. In the early 2000s, Robert Mackey, a descendent of the Murphy family, and his family assumed ownership, dedicating themselves to keeping the nearly 430-acre property productive and sustainable while preserving the region’s long-standing ranching heritage and their family legacy. While the Mackey family remained focused on preserving their ranching heritage, the landscape around them continued to change.

Between 1980 and 2020, Tuolumne County’s population grew from roughly 33,900 to 55,600, while the City of Sonora expanded from 3,247 to 5,003 residents. Most of this growth occurred in the 1980s and 1990s, with population increases slowing in the last two decades. Despite modest growth in recent years, development pressure remains a significant concern. Large ranches in the region face ongoing threats of subdivision, as rising land values and demand for ranchettes or residential parcels create incentives to break up long-standing agricultural properties—lands that provide food and fiber, sustain local economies, and deliver environmental benefits such as clean air, water, and wildlife habitat.

Witnessing this pressure firsthand, the Mackeys wanted to ensure that their ranch would remain intact in perpetuity, leading them to partner with the California Rangeland Trust.

“I had been coming to this area my whole life to work on this ranch until we took it over,” explained Mackey. “It felt like every time I came to town something new was being built. And now, there is constant development pressure, and long-standing properties and families are just getting swallowed up into five and forty-acre parcels. As a family, we just knew we did not want that to happen here.”

The Murphy Ranch lies southeast of Jamestown and northeast of Chinese Camp, adjoining the Sardella Ranch, also conserved in perpetuity through a partnership with the Rangeland Trust, to create a 950-acre expanse of protected rangeland. Just a short drive from both New Melones Lake and Don Pedro Reservoir, the property features Rough and Ready Creek running through it and supports diverse habitats, including blue oak and valley oak woodlands, foothill pine forests, and potential habitat for the foothill yellow-legged frog.

The success of this conservation effort was made possible through strong partnerships among agencies, organizations, and individuals dedicated to preserving California’s working lands. The Mackey family completed the conservation easement through a bargain sale agreement, generously donating a portion of its value to ensure the long-term protection of their land. The remaining funds were secured through collaboration with the California Department of Conservation (DOC) and the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC).

“Rangelands like Murphy Ranch and the other 99 ranches the California Rangeland Trust has helped to protect are crucial for California’s open spaces, wildlife corridors, and future food security”, said Jennifer Lucchesi, Director of the DOC. “We are proud to be part of this important milestone, in partnership with the SGC, and congratulate all involved on this monumental achievement in protecting California’s working lands.”

Funding for the project was provided through the SGC’s Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALC), administered in collaboration with the DOC. SALC is part of  California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that directs Cap-and-Trade dollars toward projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen the economy, and improve public health and the environment—particularly in disadvantaged communities.

“The SGC is proud to support this effort alongside the Department of Conservation and partners like the California Rangeland Trust, whose 100th conserved ranch marks an inspiring milestone in preserving the state’s agricultural and cultural heritage,” said Erin Curtis, Executive Director of the SGC. “The conservation of the Murphy Ranch reflects how state investments can help ranching families preserve their land and legacy while supporting a more sustainable future for all Californians.”

Through partnerships like these, the Rangeland Trust continues to combine shared resources and expertise to achieve lasting conservation outcomes across the state. These collaborations help address the complex challenges ranching families face while ensuring the protection of California’s vital working landscapes.

“Reaching number 100 is something worth celebrating,” Delbar said. “Robert Mackey and his family have been incredible stewards of their land for generations, and it’s important that we recognize their dedication and commitment to conservation. Because of them—and the 99 other ranching families that have chosen voluntary conservation—we still have places that provide fresh, local food, clean air and water, and vital wildlife habitat. We tip our hats to all our ranching partners and look forward to working alongside many more to protect the best of the Golden State in the years ahead.”

Delbar’s recognition of the Mackey family underscores not just the significance of one ranch, but of a statewide effort decades in the making. Each conservation easement represents a family’s deep commitment to their land, their legacy, and to California’s future.

For the Mackeys, learning that their property marked the Rangeland Trust’s 100th conserved ranch carried special meaning.

“I am actually really excited,” Mackey expressed. “Earlier this year I knew we were going to be close. I know it’s just a number, but it feels like a good start. We’re particularly happy that our ranch is contiguous with the Sardella Ranch, ensuring that a large chunk of land is protected in the local area. It’s humbling to know our decision contributes to something bigger than ourselves.”

The conservation of the Murphy Ranch not only marks a landmark moment for the California Rangeland Trust but also underscores the impact of decades of dedication to safeguarding the state’s working landscapes. As the organization’s 100th conserved ranch, this conservation project demonstrates how collaboration with families, local communities, and state programs can protect open spaces, wildlife habitat, and California’s agricultural productivity.

While reaching this benchmark is cause for celebration, the Rangeland Trust’s mission continues. There are still hundreds of thousands of acres of rangeland still at risk from development, and ongoing partnerships will be essential to ensure that these lands and the families who steward them remain productive and protected for generations to come.