 |
Freeman
Ranch, Gaviota (660 acres)
|
The first conservation easement the Land Trust
bought from a Gaviota rancher, the Freeman Ranch is the scenic
backdrop to Refugio State Beach. The Freemans may use the
land for any kind of agriculture, and may build homes necessary
for family and employee use in areas outside the view of the
public beach.
|
|
 |
Important natural resource features
on the ranch, including a large vernal pond, a 30 acre oak woodland,
and one mile of Refugio Creek, are guarded through agricultural
management practices the Freemans agreed to follow. This purchase
was supported by grants from the California Farmland Conservancy
Program, California Coastal Conservancy, State Resources Agency,
the County Coastal Resource Enhancement Fund, and two private foundations.
Great
Oak Ranch, Santa Ynez (1128 acres)
Thoroughbred owner and breeder Walter Thomson and his late wife
Holly donated a conservation easement in 1986 over their Happy Canyon
ranch, to make sure this spectacular, oak-studded land is never
subdivided for development. Now belonging to the Thomson’s
grandchildren, the Great Oak Ranch may be divided into a maximum
of three lots. The easement restricts cultivated agriculture to
mapped areas outside of the oak savannah, native grassland and pine
forest that serves as an important wildlife corridor between Lake
Cachuma and the Los Padres National Forest.
Briggs
Family Ranch, Lompoc (86 acres)
Harold & Dorothy Briggs donated one land parcel along the Santa
Ynez River to the Land Trust in 1989, and their estate donated an
adjacent parcel in 1995. The Land Trust then sold the ranch to a
private buyer, retaining an agricultural easement to keep the property
open for ranching and farming and to protect the river frontage
as wildlife habitat. The easement also safeguards the Tom Briggs
Memorial, a meadow overlooking the river dedicated to the Briggs’
son who was killed in Vietnam.
Marcelino
Springs Ranch, Buellton (70 acres)
When the City of Buellton voted to annex farmland owned by Norman
Williams to build a new housing development, school, city park,
Mr. Williams was faced with paying a large fee to the State of California
to cancel the Agricultural Preserve (Williamson Act) contract on
his land. However, a new state law allows landowners to put an equivalent
piece of land under an agricultural conservation easement rather
than pay the cancellation fee. Mr. Williams worked with the Land
Trust to place an easement on row crop and grazing land that is
part of the Marcelino Springs Ranch, just outside of Buellton.
Rancho
Felicia, Santa Ynez (314 acres)
In 1998, Walter Thomson also donated a conservation easement over
Rancho Felicia, part of the first thoroughbred training ranch established
in the Santa Ynez Valley. Mr. Thomson wanted to guard the agricultural
heritage of Happy Canyon, and make sure his ranch never becomes
the target of "ranchette" subdivision, so the easement
allowed only two separate parcels to be created, each with a home
site. The land is otherwise restricted to agricultural use. Important
stands of native sycamore, pine and oak trees on the ranch may not
be cleared.
Rancho
Las Cruces, Gaviota (900 acres)
On one of the larger private ranches in the county, owners Jonathan
& Nancy Kittle granted a conservation easement on 900 acres
of upper watershed land to The Nature Conservancy in 1973. The easement,
which protects the oak woodland, chaparral, grassland, small streams
and springs on this part of Rancho Las Cruces, was transferred to
the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County in 1984. Rancher Louise
Hanson purchased the property with the conservation easement in
the 1980’s. The easement permits the landowner to pasture and
graze livestock, and to build and maintain water-related improvements.
San
Roque Ranch, Santa Barbara (880 acres)
In the foothills behind Santa Barbara, San Roque Ranch is one of
the largest undeveloped properties along the city limits. The land
was purchased by environmental investment group Cima del Mundo,
which donated an easement on 880 acres of the 1,200-acre ranch.
The easement includes the rich upper riparian woodland along San
Roque Creek, reaching all the way up to La Cumbre Peak. Cima del
Mundo gave up the right to build homes on five existing land parcels.
A productive avocado orchard, and land developable for a few home
sites, remains south of the conservation easement. The riparian
woodland, chaparral scrub and towering sandstone formations of San
Roque Ranch, now owned by Land Trust supporters Michael and Robin
Klein, will always remain a spectacular scenic backdrop to Santa
Barbara. The Arroyo Burro public trail easement crosses the ranch,
offering hikers a close up view of the nearby easement land.
Valley
Oaks, Lompoc (8 acres)
In 1990, the John Bodger & Sons farming company donated to the
Land Trust this conservation easement over a scenic oak grove adjacent
to Santa Rosa County Park, retaining the right to use the land for
hiking, picnicking, horseback riding and nature studies, and agreeing
to keep it open to allow the free passage of wildlife. The landowner
agreed to do this at the request of the County Planning Commission
during the review of a lot split on their adjacent farmland.
|
