Tejon Ranch Is 'Holy Grail' Of California Conservation Efforts (PHOTOS)

60 miles north of Los Angeles is the Tejon Ranch. At 269,000 acres, it is the largest continuous private landholding in California.

Under threat from development, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and four other environmental groups helped organize "the largest land conservation deal in California history," according to onearth. The deal, completed in 2008, preserved about 90 percent of the ranch from development and established the Tejon Ranch Conservancy.

The ranch is "the Holy Grail of conservation in California," according to Joey Reynolds with the NRDC, as quoted by The New York Times. It is also an important habitat for the critically endangered California condor. The Tejon Ranch was founded as a Mexican land grant in 1843.

The pictures below highlight some of the natural wonders of the Tejon Ranch.

Captions courtesy of Natural Resources Defense Council.

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In May 2008, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Sierra Club, Audubon California, Endangered Habitats League, and Planning and Conservation League entered into one of the largest land conservation deals in California history after two years of negotiations with the landowners Tejon Ranch Company and its partners. The agreement provides permanent protection for 240,000 acres -- over 90% -- of the largest contiguous, private landholding in California.

In May 2008, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Sierra Club, Audubon California, Endangered Habitats League, and Planning and Conservation League entered into one of the largest land conservation deals in California history after two years of negotiations with the landowners Tejon Ranch Company and its partners. The agreement provides permanent protection for 240,000 acres -- over 90% -- of the largest contiguous, private landholding in California.

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Comments

[futurefile]

06:11 PM on 09/07/2011

Wow, how beautiful. California is truly a great natural resource. I've been to a few places in this world, but California has some of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.

[Deep Thinking Man]

05:39 PM on 09/07/2011

60 miles north of Los Angeles is the Tejon Ranch. At 269,000 acres, it is the largest continuous private landholding in California.

Under threat from development, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and four other environmental groups helped organize "the largest land conservation deal in California history," according to onearth. The deal, completed in 2008, preserved about 90 percent of the ranch from development and established the Tejon Ranch Conservancy.

The ranch is "the Holy Grail of conservation in California," according to Joey Reynolds with the NRDC, as quoted by The New York Times. It is also an important habitat for the critically endangered California condor. The Tejon Ranch was founded as a Mexican land grant in 1843.

more of these same actions must be performed !!!!! the seasons and temperature variances look to be bringing back the beautiful, natural life in this area. without our help; areas such as this will be destroyed due to greed and money.

in/on areas like this; Nature will give all of Her Natural residents all that She has, and ask just enough in return!!!!!...is there a simpler lifestyle anywhere else ????

[left in vermont]

06:00 AM on 09/07/2011

During my time living in Southern California, I had the great fortune to work for the owners of Rancho Santa Margarita, a 50,000 acre ranch outside of San Juan Capistrano. It too is a refuge for many species, and the Audubon Society had a research center there to monitor the flora and fauna on the ranch. It is a working ranch as well, and the owners' ancestors bought it from the holders of the original Spanish Land Grant. It included, before the war, what is now Camp Pendelton. At the time I was there, efforts were being made to eradicate non native invasive species. Spectacular.

[mcewenesq]

02:38 PM on 09/06/2011

Before you greenies get too big a "woody" you should visit this holy grail some time. This site has some of the most vicious weather and conditions anywhere. Summer temps of 110 plus and winter conditions that are sub-arctic with 70 mph winds.

But it is apparently now "preserved"....

[bdoug25000]

02:46 PM on 09/06/2011

So stay inside and hide, weenyboy! I happen to love weather like that. Try this: Suspend thyself with a bungy cord under a high bridge during a hurricane, sure beats pecking at a computer!

[left in vermont]

05:47 AM on 09/07/2011

They have a lot of hurricanes in central California? Who knew!

[bad spelling grammar]

05:47 PM on 09/06/2011

If you could be so kind as to crawl in a hole and die it would be much appreciated by the rest of the world

[Linus521]

02:27 PM on 09/06/2011

Gee, I'm stunned. Most of us posting here are doing so in the spirit of celebrating a masterpiece of Holy Creation.

I would hope you would be a tree hugger too because those little boogers are your fresh water and oxygen machinery while they evapotranspire cooling water vapor which cools the leaves, the soil and the surrounding area while they sequester heating trapping gases in their bodies, and while according to scientific research conducted on human subjects' minds, man's heart and souls rapture more magnificently in sight of wild landscapes than the most beautiful of man's architecture and landscaping.

And, social scientists maintain, that small scale hunting and gathering was the most successful lifestyle for mankind as he worked and played his entire existence in paradise, with twice the amount of free, leisure time, spending his entire life with his family and his children, no bosses, no jobs, utter freedom. If he wanted a berry, he just picked one or he sat on the edge of a wild, free river and fished. They had access to vastly more varieties of vegetables than a modern supermarket, and had periods through the year, they had absolutely nothing to do.

FYI, they didn't have to grow anything. If they ate a grape, they didn't plant it as it would have been natural biological diversity. Shell mounds in CA representing multi-thousands of years, showed they experienced no major events -- no wars, no famine and no epidemics.

[bdoug25000]

02:53 PM on 09/06/2011

So you are saying you would shrivel up and die if your constant supply of oil was cut off, that might be a good thing.... But thatch huts and hand tools, no computers or TVs, or even air-conditioners? I kinda like the sound of that, bring it on! We treehuggy types are pretty tough compared to you kids outa Subik Bay, apparently.

[ironmaiden321]

11:04 AM on 09/06/2011

One of many STUNNING places I have visited in California. I unfortunatly live in New York where our claim to fame is the scyscrapers...but nothing compares to nature !

[left in vermont]

05:48 AM on 09/07/2011

What about the Adirondacks?

[HLL]

11:51 AM on 09/07/2011

Agree wholeheartedly - "Nothing compares to nature!"

Happy to be your first fan ;-)

[twowheelerf4i]

10:46 AM on 09/06/2011

The pics are from the months when it is the most scenic and the whole ranch dosen't look like the pics. I live 10 minutes from Tejon and hunt on the ranch, most of the year is a bone dry tinder box. We've been very lucky this year although there is a fire burning right now it's not a complete blow out yet.

[Linus521]

12:53 PM on 09/06/2011

I am concerned too. Most of this land has been impacted by cattle, and cattle devour the native plant biological diversity, even disturbing the soil where opportunistic weeds quickly take over. California's hills were green and not straw colored or brown until the introduction of European cows and sheep.

You are correct. The introduced, non-native weeds are annual pants, and die and dry, just in time for fire season. Native plant biological diversity is herb, wildflower or perenials and do not die in fire season. Tragically, these straw-like weeds have changed the dynamics of wildires in the entire West. Historic fires in the west were so slow moving, they would start in the spring by lightening and burn until autumn, and they burned in mosaics, leaving large tracts of land untouched, saving biological diversity.

So, what do policy makers decide, deforest the native plants and trees, which disturbs the soil, permitting these weeds to establish to prevent fires! The weeds have caused more frequent fires, faster moving fires and more intense fires, and deforestation also heats up and dries out the climate. Where I live in CA, wildfires have become more frequent and more like firestorms, devouring vast tracts of land. When I was a kid, a child would set a wildfire and residents put them out with their garden hoses.

[Wake Up Call]

01:10 PM on 09/06/2011

You could say the same thing about half of the land in America. Thus the wildfires that happen somewhere every year.

[Linus521]

02:43 PM on 09/06/2011

Yes, eco's refer to cattle as the Hooved Locust as they devour the Earth. An elderly person, I have witnessed first hand the dynamics of fire changing where I live. In the last few years, our fires have been monsters, close to firestorms, consuming vast tracts of land and ecosystems.

Ironically, the fire department demands deforestation of our plant biological diversity around structures, and my neighbors have destroyed entire hillsides of ecosystem, leaving hotter, bare soil or plant plants that are equally if not more inflammable, like the highly inflammable Australian eucalyptus trees, which kill our native, nectar sipping birds.

Upon deforestation, the soil is disturbed and something will grow in that vacated soil, and it is always opportunistic weeds that left their checks and balances back in Europe. These weeds become straw just in time for fire season, causing faster, more intense and more frequent fires. And, deforestation heats up and dries out the climate.

Ironically, in spite of the fire departments edicts, our wildfires are becoming more like firestorms and we now have, infinitely less "brush" than when I was a child. Killing the Earth, heating up and drying out the climate while creating firestorms because of scientific ignorance.

[PlayTOE]

10:18 AM on 09/06/2011

How many Americans look at these pictures and say "I wonder if I can drive my SUV over there and enjoy the beauties of nature?"

[TronnyD]

10:25 AM on 09/06/2011

Don't forget to stop at McD's so you can have a picnic from inside your SUV while your there!

[PlayTOE]

11:34 PM on 09/06/2011

fanned .. the American approach to wilderness wonder is to litter it with plastic.

[bdoug25000]

09:46 AM on 09/06/2011

My father and I backpacked through there when I was 10 years old, over forty years ago now. We killed a Peccary and cooked it over a fire. This is perhaps the best memory I have of my childhood, which is filled with good memories. May Tejon Ranch endure forever!

[themainpoint]

09:09 AM on 09/06/2011

exquisite...good for them!

[SimonBao]

09:01 AM on 09/06/2011

Those are extraordinary landscapes.

Thank you, to everyone who helped to preserve them.

[PurpleRoad]

07:57 AM on 09/06/2011

Lived in LA my entire life and never been.

Photo excursion is definitely in the pipeline.

[wontbfooledagain]

02:49 AM on 09/06/2011

stunning.

[20thCentury Man]

01:48 AM on 09/06/2011

My state is great.

[SolarPowerGuy]

04:10 AM on 09/06/2011

Happy to share, my friend.

[Steve Otta]

01:08 AM on 09/06/2011

Damn it, we need to develop that land and turn it into ugly little boxes that people can live in. Why would anyone want to visit an undeveloped piece of property