Tag: california ranchers

Episode 1: Introduction to the California Rangeland Trust

The roots of the California Rangeland Trust run deep. In this inaugural episode, Michael welcomes Rangeland Trust Board Chair, Andy Mills, who also served as one of the Trust’s very first employees back in 1998. Listen as Michael and Andy dive deep into the history of the Trust and talk about their vision for the future of the organization.

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Photo of oak tree at sunset

2021 Year in Review

What a remarkable year it has been! As we bounced back from the challenges of 2020, we renewed our commitment in 2021 to work harder than ever and closer than ever to continue to fulfill the promises made to our landowner partners, our communities, and our donors who make everything possible. Below is a beautiful snapshot of what can happen when we refuse to let anything hinder progress toward conserving the lands we need and love.

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Celebrating Our Ranching Roots

Celebrating Our Ranching Roots at A Western Affair 2021 October 29, 2021 by Alyssa Rolen Earlier this month, friends of the California Rangeland Trust gathered at A Western Affair 2021 to celebrate our state’s ranching roots and the pivotal role ranching plays in the growth of healthy communities. Few know

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Sardella Ranch: Fighting Fire with Fire

In the summer of 2013, a fire came through the Sardella Ranch. Where most would see devastation, Michael Sardella, owner of the Sardella Ranch in Tuolumne County, saw an opportunity.

Sardella has been a resident of the Sonora area his whole life. Since his family settled onto the ranch in 1957, he has witnessed firsthand the effects that population growth and development have on small towns in America.

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THE MARSHALL RANCH: SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL

Ranchers who spend their lives caring for rangeland are a resource as valuable as watersheds and viewsheds. Elizabeth Marshall calls it
“heritageshed”: the invisible but tangible sacrifice of generational ranchers who see stewardship as a calling beyond financial return.

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Every Day is Earth Day

Earth Day falls on April 22nd, but for the ranching community, every day is Earth Day.

This could not ring truer for Darrel and Karen Sweet, owners of the Sweet Ranch in Alameda County and proud California Rangeland Trust ranching partners. “As you enter our property, we have a sign that says, ‘Every day is Earth Day on our ranch,'” Darrel explained. The couple received the sign from friends and fellow California Rangeland Trust ranching partners, Tim and Melinda Koopmann from the Koopmann Ranch, many years ago. Today, the Sweets remain committed to carrying out this mantra both in their words and actions every day.

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Creekview Northern Preserve

In 2020, the California Rangeland Trust conserved 87 acres of open space in West Roseville, known as the Creekview Northern Preserve. The Rangeland Trust partnered with the land development and homebuilding company Anthem United who funded the conservation easement on the property to mitigate potential environmental impacts associated with the development of the 500-acre Winding Creek Community, a new residential area being constructed nearby.

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Sunset photo of the Flying M Ranch

Flying M Ranch

The Flying M Ranch extends over 24 square miles of the Merced Grasslands, one of the largest and most intact vernal pool-grasslands habitats in the world. In 2021, 845 acres of the ranch were conserved through a conservation agreement in partnership with the Rangeland Trust. The conserved acreage joins an additional 5,000 acres previously conserved by the Myers family in partnership with the Nature Conservancy.

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