A century ago, the purchase of the Lone Star Ranch was sealed with a transaction of five gold coins. For five generations, the family stewarding this ranch has learned so much from the land and enhanced their care to align with the unique ecosystems here. Now, ranch owners, Mark and Dina Moore, are seeking the next step: permanent conservation of the Lone Star Ranch.
“As long as you could get on and off your horse and open a gate, you were working!”
Robin Flournoy cherishes memories of growing up in beautiful Portola Valley, where she became rooted in the traditions of ranching and its Western heritage. “I knew I wanted to be involved with this for the rest of my life.”
The question of succession weighs heavily on the mind of nearly every rancher: “Who will take over my ranch once I am gone?” According to the USDA, within the next two decades, approximately 70 percent of U.S. farming and ranching operations will confront this issue. While the next generation often assumes responsibility, this isn’t always the case, necessitating careful planning and arrangements to safeguard the operation into the future. For the late Louise Hanson, the original proprietor of the Hanson Ranch, a conservation easement emerged as a cornerstone of her estate planning.
In the face of war, internment, and personal tragedy, the Nakagawa family has persevered. Their ranch, remaining as one of the last Japanese American-owned agricultural enterprises in the United States, stands as a symbol of their unwavering resilience. And though Yokichi, the family patriarch, has passed on, his indomitable spirit will continue to live on through the land and his family’s hearts forever.
Calaveras County, as known as “Frogtown, USA”, was made famous by jumping frogs, so it only seems fitting that frogs are helping a local ranching couple take the leap to conserve their beloved ranch.
The California Rangeland Trust is pleased to announce the conservation of the Sans Topo Ranch in San Benito County, Calif. The 4,500-acre conservation easement was completed with funding from the Wildlife Conservation Board and United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), with support from USFWS Ventura Fish & Wildlife Office (VFWO), California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW), and San Benito Working Landscapes Group.
On May 19, over 80 guests gathered at the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum in Santa Barbara County for our Reunir celebration. Friends, both new and familiar, had a great time connecting with one another and hearing from guest speakers Andy Mills, Rangeland Trust Chairman; Pam Doiron, Spanish Ranch Owner; and Sharyn Main, Climate Resilience Program Director for the Community Environmental Council, about how local rangelands and ranching families are adding to the resiliency of the iconic Santa Barbara region.
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.
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.
Mendenhall Ranch San Diego County Endangered Species Habitat on Palomar Mountain Forever Conserved In 2020, the California Rangeland Trust permanently conserved of 117 acres of the Mendenhall Ranch on top of Palomar Mountain in San Diego, County. The conservation agreement, held by the Rangeland Trust, prevents the sale of smaller
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