ABOUT THE PROPERTY
With its iconic California oak woodland landscape, a journey through Rana Creek Ranch is like going back in time before highway traffic, strip malls, and power lines marred coastal California. Situated between Salinas Valley and the Santa Lucia Range, Rana Creek is one of the largest historic landholdings in California’s Carmel Valley, with 14,142 contiguous acres ranging from 500 to 3,400 feet in elevation, and is critically important for flora, fauna, and people.
Rana Creek Ranch contains some of the best oak woodland habitat remaining in Central California. Nurtured by the fog and rain blowing in from Monterey Bay, the trees show little impact from recent drought, and because of careful past management, the oak forests are replete with an understory of native plants and a surprising absence of invasive plant species.
Rana Creek Ranch is the traditional homeland of the Esselen tribe, and The Wildlands Conservancy welcomes a growing partnership with the tribe to help steward the land, restore its fish and wildlife, and host the visiting public.
The $35 million acquisition, which was completed on July 28, 2023, was funded with a mix of private and public support, including $24 million from the California Wildlife Conservation Board, the largest grant for acquisition the agency has made this year, and $2 million from the State Coastal Conservancy.
FUTURE PUBLIC ACCESS
Over the next year, The Wildlands Conservancy will plan and fundraise for infrastructure improvements that will allow us to safely invite the public to Behold the Beauty of this spectacular landscape.
Partnerships for outdoor education, conservation projects, and cultural resource management are being formed to foster access to the Preserve from diverse communities.
CONSERVATION OUTCOMES
Encompassing seasonal creeks and wetlands, the property supports populations of the Federal- and State-listed California red-legged frog and California tiger salamander and stretches of Rana Creek and Agua Mala Creek could provide restoration habitat and downstream benefits for the federally protected steelhead trout population. The acquisition protects a key wildlife corridor between the Salinas Valley and Los Padres National Forest and will provide free educational and recreational opportunities for underserved communities.
A Land Stewardship Institute and Conservation Training Center will be established at the existing conference center, facilitating work with partner organizations, and teaching the next generation of land managers various skills, from habitat restoration to title due diligence to the philosophy of caring for the land.
Photos in carousel and above courtesy of Hall and Hall.
