Tag: CA rangeland trust

Image of lake on Epperson Ranch

Epperson Place Ranch

The Keegan family acquired the Epperson Place Ranch in 1944, and in 2011, the Rangeland Trust worked with the family to conserve the 1,547-acre property located in Colusa County’s magnificent Bear Valley. The ranch boasts open grassland, blue oak and foothill pine woodland which provides foraging habitat for resident and wintering raptors, migratory birds, deer, Tule elk and the occasional bear.

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Image of Cattle herd at Avenales Ranch

Avenales Ranch

In September 2017, the California Rangeland Trust, along with funding partners the Wildlife Conservation Board and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, conserved the Avenales Ranch in San Luis Obispo County. The 12,284-acre ranch is known for its bountiful wildlife, watersheds, rich history, and family legacy. It is home to six generations of Sinton ranchers, three of whom are still running the ranch.

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Image of pond on Cook Ranch

W.F. Cook Cattle Company

Sitting just 13 miles east of Stockton, California, the Cook Ranch was poised to see significant impact from urban expansion. A new development had been approved for four, forty-acre ranchette lots on the western boundary, dividing land connectivity and increasing the pressure to change from a cattle ranch to houses. Instead, the Cook family partnered with the Rangeland Trust to conserve their 2,235-acre ranch, ensuring the preservation of the land’s integrity.

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Image of pine forest on willow creek ranch.

Willow Creek Ranch

The Willow Creek Ranch is a beautiful beef cattle ranch that contains a haven for California’s federally threatened and endangered species and provides a significant water source for major cities in the region.

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Image of two people at Sagehorn Ranch

Sagehorn-Russell Ranch

The Sagehorn-Russell Ranch is nestled among the hills and mountains of Mendocino County and is rich in trees, plants, and wildlife. The 5,241-acre ranch has an important place in history as it is where Memorial Rock is found. The inscribed rock has served as a sacred landmark for Native Americans and later by the Sagehorns in 1948 when they acquired the property.

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Image of wild flowers at Keegan Ranch

Keegan Ranch

The Keegan Ranch is an active cattle ranch surrounded by native oak woodlands, wildlife corridors, hundreds of different species of wildflowers, and critical watersheds. It has been owned and operated by the Keegan Family since 1880 and in 2016, landowner Jim Keegan partnered with the California Rangeland Trust to conserve the scenic 2,500-acre ranch.

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Image of pond at Marciel Ranch

Marciel Ranch

The conservation project on the Marciel Ranch reflects the importance of balancing the need for increased housing development with the need for conserving the working lands that livestock and wildlife call home. In order to offset the effects of housing development in the bay area, 158 acres of the Marciel Ranch were conserved in 2017 through a conservation easement held by the Rangeland Trust. This agreement ensures that the property will continue to provide vibrant habitat for the federally listed California red legged frog and California tiger salamander.

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Image of vernon pools at apple road ranch.

Apple Road Ranch

Apple Road Ranch Sacramento County Permanently Protecting Vernal Pool Habitat Situated on the western side of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, the 239-acre Apple Road Ranch is a mitigation easement owned by Westervelt and leased out for cattle grazing. The property provides high quality natural and established habitat for vernal

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Image of tall grass hills at Wilmar Ranch

Wilmar Ranch

The Wilmar Ranch is in Monterey County and is approximately 2,100 acres in size. The ranch neighbors an 11,000-acre property that has also been conserved by the Rangeland Trust. With proceeds from the conservation agreement on the Wilmar Ranch, the ranch owners were able to reacquire most of the ranch, which had been originally put together by previous generations year ago.

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Image of family of four gazing out over green pasture.

Van Vleck Ranch

The Van Vleck Ranch sits directly across the highway from 3,000 homes. While the Van Vlecks had an opportunity to sell the ranch for development, they instead made the decision to preserve the ranch for future generations. In 2017 and 2019, the Van Vlecks worked with the Rangeland Trust to conserve 285 acres and 450 acres respectively. Both were mitigation projects, funded by private developers, to offset nearby developmental impacts on habitat.

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