Another record-breaking year for the Land Trust is in the books!

The Land Trust completed five conservation easements in 2017—two concluded in the last days of December! 2017 conservation acreage total: 1,664 acres. The Land Trust’s lifetime conservation is now more than 27,000 acres.

Chet, Bruce, and Graham worked long hours in December to wrap up 1,500 of these acres with a pretty bow before the year was out. Las Cumbres Ranch, owned by James and Patricia Selbert, is the largest conservation easement of the year: 950 acres in the Purisima hills near Los Alamos. This conservation safeguards a large, contiguous block of open range land that provides for wildlife migration between Los Padres National Forest, La Purisima State Park, and Burton Mesa Ecological Reserve. Its grassland, scrub, maritime chaparral, and oak woodland communities provide a mosaic of diverse habitat that is home to a diversity of special plants and animals. The Selberts, though they have only owned the property for a year, have already enjoyed sightings of eagles, hawks, bobcats, mountain lions, and many deer.

We’re so proud of our many accomplishments in 2017:

  • We completed the campaign and purchase of Rincon Bluffs (previously Carpinteria Bluffs III) in August
  •  Hay Hill: 88 acres in Toro Canyon conserved in partnership with Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
  • 950 acres conserved at Las Cumbres Ranch, Los Alamos
  • 2 properties totaling 600 acres of important California Tiger Salamander habitat secured

Again, we owe our success to you.

With your support, we conserved more ranch land, habitat, and open space in 2017 than at any time since 2008!