For Immediate UseContact: Garrison Frost
May 8, 2008(323) 951-9620

Lebec, California – Up to 240,000 contiguous acres of spectacular and ecologically significant California wildlands will be protected under a precedent-setting agreement brokered by Audubon California and five other environmental groups with the Tejon Ranch Company. The agreement will protect approximately 90 percent of Tejon’s rich natural habitat from development and open new opportunities for Californians to enjoy this tremendous landscape firsthand.

“If you look at a map of California, you can see just how big a victory this is for Californians,” said Graham Chisholm, conservation director for Audubon California. “The protected area is immense – 375 square miles – and the only place in North America where four distinct ecoregions meet on one property.”

Tejon Ranch encompasses more of California’s natural beauty and diversity than any undeveloped area of the state. Located at the junction of the Mojave Desert and the Sierra Nevada, central and coastal mountains, the enormous parcel is home to precious native grasslands, oak woodlands, Joshua tree woodlands and conifer forests. It is home to the endangered California Condor and more than two dozen state and federally listed plant and animal species.

"The previous ban on lead ammunition, the pullback of development from four of the five principal foraging ridges and the protection of the vast expanse of the ranch's backcountry are important steps forward in the condor’s recovery." said Chisholm. “Because of the assurances we were able to secure in negotiations, Audubon California will not oppose plans for development on the remaining 10 percent of the property."

In negotiations conducted over the past 20 months, Audubon California, the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Endangered Habitats League, the Planning and Conservation League and Resource Opportunities, LLC worked with the Tejon Ranch Company to hammer out an agreement establishing lasting protections for the property, while at the same time preserve economic value for the publicly held company.

The agreement puts in place:

• Permanent Conservation – Safeguards 240,000 acres, including 178,000 acres through an enforceable conservation easement and dedicated open space, as well as the option to purchase an additional 62,000 acres.

 

• Governance and Funding – Establishes an independent Tejon Ranch Conservancy to manage and restore landscape, monitor the conservation easements, and provide for public access. The agreement also provides it with a permanent funding source through a transfer tax on lots and homes sold and resold on the ranch.

• Public Access – Thirty-seven miles of the Pacific Crest Trail will be realigned in order to allow hikers to cross the Tejon Ranch. The agreement also commits all parties to work together to establish a state park on a portion of the ranch, and the Tejon Ranch Conservancy will manage a public access program.

 

• Agreement – Audubon California and its partners agree not to oppose three development projects on 10 percent of the Tejon Ranch. These developments will still be subject to public review and applicable federal and state environmental protection laws.

Audubon California and its partners in the environmental community have secured a hard fought victory for California’s environment through intense negotiations. Ultimately, these negotiations presented a unique opportunity to settle the ranch’s future and avoid decades of piecemeal legal wrangling with little likelihood of gaining the extensive habitat protection and funding for long-term restoration and management that this represents.

“This comprehensive negotiated solution is a window of opportunity to preserve the ecological integrity of the Tejon Ranch,” said Dan Silver, chief executive officer of the Endangered Habitats League.

In addition to the Condor, the Tejon Ranch is home to up to 17 bird species on the Audubon Watchlist, including Golden Eagle, Spotted Owl, Purple Martin, Willow Flycatcher, and Tricolored Blackbird. The scale of this agreement is likely to attract a great deal of attention beyond California’s borders.

”This is an agreement that goes beyond birds and beauty,” said National Audubon Society President John Flicker. “Business, environmental and political leaders in California are showing the nation how we can all work together to achieve real conservation without conflict.”

A key element of the agreement is the opportunity for the public to purchase 62,000 acres of Tejon Ranch at a value to be established by an independent appraisal. The partners to the agreement have already approached state and federal officials, as well as private funders, for help in securing the monies needed to accomplish this goal.

About Audubon California

Audubon California is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat that supports them. With more than 50,000 members in California and an affiliated 48 local Audubon chapters, Audubon California is a field program of Audubon. This relationship links Audubon California to a national network of community-based nature centers and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations, engaging millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in conservation.

More information is available at www.ca.audubon.org.