Gaviota Coast Conservancy Buys Rancho Tajiguas in ‘First Step in Permanently Protecting Coastline’
The 3,272-Acre Ranch Is Largest Continuous Property on Gaviota Coast
For the first time, the Gaviota Coast Conservancy has acquired land on the Gaviota Coast.
The environmental nonprofit recently purchased the historic 3,272-acre Rancho Tajiguas property, the largest continuous property on the Gaviota Coast between Gaviota State Park and Isla Vista.
Since its grassroots-beginnings in 1996, the advocacy group has worked to protect the Gaviota Coast from development and preserve its rural character. But recently, they have been pursuing more permanent conservation for its coastal properties.
“We’ve known we wanted to do this for a while, but this is us taking a first step in permanently protecting the coastline,” explained the conservancy’s Executive Director Doug Kern.
From an ecological perspective, he added, it is a great place to start. Filled with “wonderful wildlife” such as mountain lions and black bears, as well as plenty of “restoration opportunities,” the ranch is a “precious” resource on the coast.
While they are still assessing the property, he explained, they do have plans to eventually open it up to the public. He said they are considering starting with tours led by docents, but right now, “it’s such a large property, people would end up getting lost,” he said with a laugh.
Restoration, of course, is in the plans too. Tajiguas Creek runs through the property, making it a prime location to boost endangered steelhead trout and salmon populations.
To heal the land and keep it a functioning ranch, they want to raise money to restore the hundreds of acres of avocado orchards burned in the Alisal Fire. Dating back to the 1790s, the ranch was an agricultural property colored with avocados and permissions. The conservancy wants to preserve that history while securing “the future of sustainable food production.”
In addition to this restoration work, the group also wants to raise money to pay for maintenance and hire a small crew to work on the ranch, as well as prepare for future wildfires. Although they paid less than the $45 million asking price and Kern was not at liberty to say the actual cost, the ranch was not cheap.
Kern said that before they open it up to the public, they want to ensure that the property is “self-sustaining” by repairing infrastructure damaged by the fire, restoring wildlife habitat and agricultural operations, and acquiring property and fire insurance.
The group closed on the property in September and will share more information in the New Year about its plans and how the public can get involved.
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