Agricultural Easements

The Land Trust holds conservation easements to protect agricultural land, natural resources and the scenic beauty of a dozen ranches and farms in north and south Santa Barbara County.

Our easements make sure the land is kept open for agricultural use, and prevent it from being converted for residential or commercial development.

Each easement is negotiated with the landowner. Some easements are purchased by the Land Trust. Others are donated, qualifying the owner for federal and state tax incentives. The Land Trust works with ranch and farm owners to prepare qualifying easements, and we are then responsible for annual monitoring to ensure that easements are followed by the current and future owners of the land.

Agricultural easements generally do not provide for public access, although some ranch and farm owners allow Land Trust Events such as ranch or farm tours for our members and invited guests to better understand agriculture in our county.

Rancho Dos Vistas, Gaviota (1,406 acres)


At the top of Refugio Pass and just west of former President Reagan’s "Western White House," Rancho Dos Vistas is now governed by a conservation easement that allows only three home sites, and sets aside ninety percent of the land for wildlife habitat. The Land Trust helped landowner Cima del Mundo secure a state income tax credit for donating this easement, under the Natural Heritage Preservation Tax Credit Act sponsored by Senator Jack O’Connell. Cima del Mundo also donated a 2.5 mile trail easement that connects two sections of federal land in Los Padres National Forest. Some day Rancho Dos Vistas’ trails may connect to the Arroyo Hondo Preserve and to Refugio Road, allowing a "coast-to-crest" public trail route that is isolated from other agricultural and private home sites.

La Paloma Ranch, Gaviota (750 acres)

Eric Hvolbøll’s great-grandparents purchased La Paloma Ranch in 1866, and his mother has lived her entire life there. Over the decades, the ranch in Venadito Canyon has been a sheep and cattle operation, and farmed for walnuts, tomatoes, lima beans, and most recently avocados. Their love of the land led the Hvolbølls to sell a conservation easement on the ranch in 2002.

The Land Trust arranged grant funding from the State Coastal Conservancy, County of Santa Barbara and State Resources Agency to have this land permanently restricted to agriculture. The family retained the right to build three family homes and two employee dwellings, but gave up the right to further subdivide or develop the property except for agricultural use. Ecologically valuable communities of coastal sage scrub, chaparral and riparian habitat are protected under the easement as well.

El Capitan Ranch, Gaviota (650 acres)


The national conservation group The Trust for Public Land (TPL) recently completed fundraising to acquire 2,500 acres on the El Capitan Ranch, to become part of the El Capitan State Park. In a related transaction, our local Land Trust now holds conservation easements on the remaining 650 acres of El Capitan Ranch. These easements provide for continued operation of the private El Capitan Campground and the existing equestrian training ranch. Outside of these already developed areas, only two new homes may be built, and the land is otherwise restricted for agricultural use.

Fairview Gardens (12 acres)

The Land Trust helped the Center purchase the land at a discounted price by placing an agricultural easement on the farm. Grant funds awarded by the County Board of Supervisors, along with private and foundation gifts, helped complete the land purchase.

Our 1997 agricultural easement requires that 88% of the land be used for agricultural production, with farm support, employee housing and educational uses allowed on the remaining land. This easement is unique in that it requires that Fairview Gardens use organic or biodynamic farming methods only. Conservation easements don’t typically specify agricultural methods, but the Center for Urban Agriculture is strongly committed to organic farming, and wanted the easement to reflect that commitment.

Rancho Rinconada, Buellton (105 acres)

When they decided to buy Rancho Rinconada to build a new winery and vineyard on Santa Rosa Road, long-time Land Trust members Richard and Thekla Sanford volunteered to donate a conservation easement over 105 acres of the oak woodland on their 438-acre property. Their magnificent new winery is now open for business, and the dense oak woodland surrounding the vineyard is permanently set aside in a Land Trust easement.

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