Help Conserve Rock Front Ranch with the California
A large cliff stands above the Rock Front Ranch, serving as a gateway to the western end of the beautiful and resource-rich Cuyama Valley. The land preserved by the Ranch provides a valuable wildlife corridor, enabling native animals to move throughout the protected portions of the Valley without having to cross the highway. It also serves as an important rest spot, and even nesting site, to migrating bird populations – including the iconic peregrine falcon.
Since 1900, ranching families have managed their herds of cattle at this scenic gateway. Over a hundred years later, the landscape remains the same, and continues the tradition of cattle ranching and working highly-trained cow horses.
Facing pressures to sell this historic ranch, the current landowners proactively partnered with the California Rangeland Trust to conserve the land for future generations of people, livestock, and wildlife.
In November 2017, we received a challenge grant and are now seeking to raise $165,000 by May 1, 2018.
The Rock Front Ranch celebrates a California
Why We Want to Conserve the Rock Front Ranch
The Cuyama Valley is situated across northern Santa Barbara and southern San Luis Obispo Counties. It is a region especially threatened by conversion to more intensive agriculture such as orchards and vineyards, which has almost drained the Valley’s water basin while fracturing natural habitats and wildlife corridors. Such conversion degrades and, in many cases, destroys the environmental benefits derived from managed rangelands.
Degradation to the Cuyama Valley’s natural ecosystem would ripple throughout the region. The Valley has become a critical wildlife corridor for animals needing to reach the larger conserved territories in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura Counties. It serves as a sanctuary for migrating birds, and is home to several endangered species that benefit from the healthy environment maintained by grazing cattle.
The owners at Rock Front Ranch decided that protecting this landscape is of vital importance. To achieve their goal, they teamed up with the California Rangeland Trust to place a conservation easement and ensure it can forever remain undeveloped.
Why We Want to Conserve the Rock Front Ranch
In partnership with the landowners, the California Rangeland Trust is seeking to place a conservation easement on the ranch as a strategic buffer to protect the Cuyama Valley and the life it sustains. Furthermore, we believe that this project will highlight the need for preserving the Valley and attract more conservation funds for the area. It can also demonstrate to other landowners how conservation easements present an attractive alternative to selling all or part of their land for uses with high water demands on an already seriously impaired water basin.
Securing the conservation easement for Rock Front Ranch will cost $500,000. An early grant from the Smart Family Foundation enabled preliminary work to begin on the easement. In November 2017, the California Rangeland Trust received a Challenge Grant from the Henry Mayo Newhall Foundation for $30,000 that is dependent on our ability to raise the next $165,000 by May 1, 2018. With this strong start to our fundraising efforts, we anticipate a timely completion of the conservation easement that will forever protect these 350 acres of rangeland – and the Valley habitat beyond it – before any of it is sold, subdivided or converted to more water-intensive agricultural uses. Be a part of conserving this iconic ranch! The Rock Front Ranch can be the first Rangeland Trust conservation easement funded entirely through private donations. Please join us by making a gift today!
