OPEN SPACES
The latest news from the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy Vol. 9 No. 4
Working to Protect The Ojai Valley’s Future - Today
Special Edition
Conservancy Pursues River and Ranch Property Protecting Open Space On A Large Scale
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n mid-October, the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy entered into an agreement with the Intell Management and Investment Company to protect 1,566 acres of their more than 2,000 acre ranch. The historic property lies in the western half of the Ojai Valley and is bordered by three miles of the Ventura River. The ranch has been known by many names over the last century. One of the early owners, W.I. Rice, christened it ‘El Nido’, which means ‘The Nest’ in Spanish. More recently it became familiar to Valley residents as ‘Farmont’. A long-time battleground for environmentalists and developers, the sprawling ranch has remained relatively untouched and is a haven for a biologically rich mix of animal and plant species. The importance of this open space property is made even more significant by its location adjacent to the Los Padres National Forest and other protected watershed lands. “Everyone who has toured the property is awed by its beauty, size and wild condition,” explains Jim Engel, Conservancy Executive Director. “I’ve taken numerous trips to explore this incredible prop-
erty and have yet to see it all. There are new discoveries around each bend of the oak forested
For information on how you can help protect the Ventura River Open Space please see the inside back cover. canyons and on every chaparral covered ridgeline.” As part of the agreement, the Conservancy will own 1,416 acres and hold a strict conservation easement on an additional 150 acres of land. In total, the Conservancy plans to raise approximately $4 million to acquire and provide for the long-term care and safeguard of the property. Acquisition must be completed before June 2003. The California State Coastal Conservancy (CSCC) has shown a strong interest in helping acquire
the ranch, but also expects the Conservancy to raise local funds through private donations and other funding sources. “In order for us to get involved in this outstanding project, we must feel confident that the Conservancy has the ability to handle the long-term protection of the property,” said Peter Brand, Senior Project Manager for the CSCC. “We will work very hard to come up with the public funds needed, in conjunction with funds raised locally, to complete this project.” CSCC’s grant support would see PROTECTING OPEN SPACE page 2