None The Nature Conservancy in California Press Releases Search All Press Releases Misty Herrin Phone: (213) 327-0405 E-mail: mherrin@tnc.org

The Nature Conservancy purchases 4,000 acres in San Diego County

Deal will protect vital wildlife habitat and drinking water quality

Ramona, Calif.—May 11, 2005—The Nature Conservancy announced today the acquisition of Monte Vista Ranch, 4,056 acres of sensitive habitat in the heart of San Diego County once targeted as the site for a new 500-home development. The $15.9 million purchase was partially funded by the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) and the California State Coastal Conservancy (CSCC) with a $9.7 million grant generated by Proposition 12 parks bonds approved by voters in March 2000.

"The purchase of the Monte Vista Ranch is one of The Nature Conservancy’s most outstanding conservation achievements in San Diego County," said Cam Tredennick, project director for The Nature Conservancy. "Our acquisitions are often strategic additions to existing preserves, but this property has the potential to become an entirely new public preserve in the future. It’s a coup for the people of San Diego County."

Located seven miles south of Ramona, the Monte Vista Ranch is a mosaic of coastal sage scrub, chaparral, woodlands, grasslands and riparian habitat that supports many sensitive animal and plant species including Engelmann oak, Cooper’s hawk, golden eagle, gray fox, great horned owl, mule deer and endangered San Diego thorn-mint. San Vicente Creek, which runs through the property, provides rich habitat for species such as the California treefrog, yellow warbler and the endangered least Bell’s vireo and arroyo toad. The ranch lies just upstream of the San Vicente Reservoir, so keeping the property in a natural state will also help safeguard drinking water in the region.

"Purchase of the Monte Vista Ranch is a great step forward in our long-term efforts to protect the valuable wildlife habitat in the river's upper watershed," said Douglas Bosco, chair of the California State Coastal Conservancy. "Because the ranch serves as a corridor for wildlife that migrate long distances throughout the region, the effects of the purchase will be felt well beyond the ranch boundaries."

The Nature Conservancy was successful in securing state funds for the Monte Vista Ranch purchase because it is a critical acquisition for San Diego County’s Multiple Species Conservation Plan (MSCP). Created in 1996 by local government agencies, business groups and nonprofit organizations, the MSCP provides a framework for conservation efforts county-wide. It was developed under an approved Natural Community Conservation Planning (NCCP) program partnered by the California Department of Fish and Game and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which calls for the regional protection of plants, animals and their habitats while allowing compatible economic activity in less sensitive areas.

"The Wildlife Conservation Board is thrilled to provide support to the federal, state and local Natural Community Conservation Planning (NCCP) efforts in San Diego County," said Al Wright, Director of the WCB. "These grants allow us to act quickly to protect critical wildlife habitat by sharing costs with our federal and local partners. Through cooperative efforts like the NCCP Program, we are ensuring that California’s natural heritage is preserved for future generations."

The Nature Conservancy played a significant leadership role in the creation of San Diego County’s MSCP and is actively involved in the implementation of this innovative conservation tool.

"The Nature Conservancy is working with a diverse group of partners in San Diego County to establish a network of protected habitat lands and migration corridors for wildlife," said David Van Cleve, ecoregional director for The Nature Conservancy. "It is extremely gratifying, from both a personal and professional point of view, to be able to add property of this size, significance, beauty, and location to the portfolio of conserved lands in this county."

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Additional contacts:
Al Wright, Wildlife Conservation Board (916) 445-0137
Dick Wayman, Coastal Conservancy (510) 286-4182

The Nature Conservancy is an international non-profit membership organization, whose mission is to preserve plants, animals, and natural communities by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. Founded in 1951, The Nature Conservancy and its more than one million members have safeguarded more than 15 million acres in the United States. The Conservancy has also worked with like-minded partner organizations to preserve more than 100 million acres in Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Pacific, and Asia. In California, The Nature Conservancy has protected more than 1.2 million acres. Visit us on the web at nature.org/california.

The Wildlife Conservation Board was created in 1947 to administer a capital outlay program for wildlife conservation and related public recreation. The primary responsibilities of the WCB are to select, authorize and allocate funds for the purchase of land and waters suitable for recreation purposes, and the protection and restoration of wildlife habitat. The WCB places major emphasis on partnerships with other conservation groups, including federal, state and local resource agencies, conservancies, joint ventures and non-profit conservation organizations.

The California State Coastal Conservancy is a state agency that works with the people of California to protect and improve the coast and San Francisco Bay. The conservancy has helped open over 100 miles of coast and bay shores to the public and preserve over 150,000 acres of wetlands, wildlife habitat, parks, and farmland.