Club, Allies Strike Historic California Conservation Deal

After years of legal wrangling, on May 8, the Sierra Club and partner groups announced a deal to protect the largest contiguous parcel of land designated for conservation in California history—240,000 acres of stunningly diverse landscapes on the privately-owned Tejon Ranch south of Bakersfield. At 375 square miles, the preserve of desert, woodlands, and grasslands is eight times the size of San Francisco and nearly the size of Los Angeles.

"For Southern California, this is the ecological equivalent of the Louisiana Purchase," says Sierra Club Senior Regional Representative Bill Corcoran, pictured above speaking at a press conference with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and others to announce the deal. "It is the keystone for protecting Southern California's natural legacy, a crossroads where our state's mountains, valleys, and desert meet. Visitors to the heart of the ranch see California as it was—wild and achingly beautiful."

Tejon Ranch's vast scale and unique combination of rolling plains, steep ridges, and oak-studded hills have made protection of the ranch the long-dreamed prize of conservationists—in 2005 the Sierra Club made the ranch its top priority in California. Corcoran, who began working on the issue eight years ago, has been negotiating the conservation deal for 20 months; he describes the negotiations as "often difficult but always in good faith." Longtime Club activist Jim Dodson, a key player in the California Desert Protection Act victory in the 1990s, was Corcoran's volunteer partner at the negotiating table, and local Club activists from the Kern-Kaweah and Angeles Chapters were briefed throughout the process.

The Club worked in partnership with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Audubon California, the Planning and Conservation League, and the Endangered Habitats League. "It took a village to preserve the ranch," says Corcoran. In return for keeping 90 percent of the property in its natural state, the Club and its allies agreed not to challenge proposed development on the western and southwestern edge of the ranch, near Interstate 5.

"In my opinion," says Corcoran, "California will never again see a private land conservation agreement of this size and ecological importance."

Top photo by Jeff Gantman. Bottom photo by Bill Corcoran.

Comments

[Robert Haage]

Over the more than 50 years we have lived in Southern California, we have had limited opportunity to visit the vast Tejon Ranch, but always wished for more. Huell Howser's program surveying he Tejoh layout really gave a panorama of delights enclosed within this California treasure. Maybe now that it has become aa preserve, it will be more open to public appreciation. Thanks to the Sierra Club for its leadership in this nature coup.

[Adrienne Pilon]

This is a wonderful step towards creating a wilderness corridor.

[sammy]

I thought that it is a good thing to protect this landscape, but how are we going to do it??

[Dar]

One small step for nature, one large step for humankind. Only by preserving nature will humans see and experience the lessons of outdoors that are infinitely more valuable then owning a McMansion.

[Joanne E. Painter]

Save the land. Every acre counts in this Tejon Ranch in CA. Keep some health in this state.

[monty]

A breath of much needed fresh air. A victory for all who love physical freedom and open space!!!!!!

[Sandra Couch]

I agree that this land needs to be saved for the environment, conservation, and for the habitat of animals that live there!!!
Too much land today is already wasted and destroyed for mining, drilling, more homes, more shopping malls, industrial, and even more roads!!! None of this is needed!!!!

[Scott]

This is a total cop-out. The only thing this accomplished was to save land that Tejon didn't want to develop in the first place. I have been on Tejon Mountain Village and it is by far one of the most biologically important places on the ranch. Well, no more. I can't believe environmental groups I have traditionally supported caved in to this 'deal'...

[Cheryl Kautzman]

Scott,

Believe me, I do understand your frustration. However, I guess having a more positive outcome is much better than a negative one. I do not think that there should be development at Tejon at all. However, I am getting a degree in Politcal Scince and I have learned about forms of "power", one of which manifests itself in the form of 'exchange'; both sides get something that they want. I feel that the end result could have eventually been far worse for the conservation effort if the issue had been let to drag out much longer. Sometimes, "caving in" to a deal where there is a more positive outcome than not, is the only viable option that might be left.