About California rangeland trust
California Rangeland Trust: Protecting Open Spaces and Natural Resources for Over 20 Years
California Rangeland Trust is a non-profit organization that has been working with ranchers for over two decades to protect open spaces and natural resources in California. The organization was founded in 1998 by a group of ranchers who were concerned about the loss of rangelands due to urbanization, development, and other factors. Since then, California Rangeland Trust has become one of the leading land trusts in the state, protecting over 350,000 acres of rangelands across California.
The mission of California Rangeland Trust is to conserve open spaces and natural resources by partnering with ranchers to protect their land through conservation easements. A conservation easement is a legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust that permanently limits certain uses of the land in order to protect its conservation values. By placing a conservation easement on their property, ranchers can continue to own and manage their land while ensuring that it will remain intact for future generations.
One of the key benefits of conserving rangelands is that they provide important habitat for wildlife species such as birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Many rare or endangered species depend on these habitats for survival. In addition, rangelands are important sources of clean air and water, carbon sequestration (which helps mitigate climate change), recreational opportunities such as hiking and birdwatching, cultural heritage sites (such as Native American rock art), scenic vistas that attract tourists from around the world.
California Rangeland Trust works closely with ranchers throughout the state to identify properties that are suitable for conservation easements. The organization provides technical assistance to help ranchers develop management plans that balance agricultural production with ecological stewardship. This includes advice on grazing management practices such as rotational grazing systems which can improve soil health while also providing habitat for wildlife.
In addition to working directly with individual ranchers on conservation projects, California Rangeland Trust also collaborates with other organizations at local,state,and national levels.The organization participates in policy discussions relatedto agriculture,natural resource management,and environmental protection.CaliforniaRanglandTrustalsoconductsresearchonranchlandconservationpracticesinordertoinformbestmanagementpracticesforranchersthatbalanceagriculturalproductionwithecologicalstewardship.
Overtheyearsofitsoperation,theorganizationhasreceivednumerousawardsforitsworkinconservingranchlands.In2019,itwasrecognizedbytheU.S.DepartmentofAgriculturewiththeNationalConservationStewardshipAward.Thisawardrecognizestheoutstandingeffortsofprivatecitizensworkingtobenefitthepublicgoodthroughconservationofnaturalresources.TheawardhighlightedtheworkofCaliforniaRanglandTrustinprotectingopenpaces,naturalresources,andwildlifehabitatsthroughpartnershipswithranchersthroughoutthestate.
In conclusion,CalforniaRanglandTrustisaleadingnon-profitorganizationthatworksinclosepartnershipwithrancherstoconserveopenpaces,naturalresources,andwildlifehabitatsthroughoutthestate.Throughitsinnovativeapproachtoconservationeasements,theorganizationhasprotectedover350000acresofranglandsacrossthestate.CaliforniaRanglandTrust'sworkisimportantnotonlyfortheresidentsbutalsoforthefuturegenerationsofCalifornianswhoareabletoenjoytheseresourceswhilealsoprotectingthemfromurbanizationdevelopmentandothersuchfactors.Itscommitmenttobalanceagriculturalproductionwithecologicalstewardshipmakesitoneofthemostrespectedorganizationsinthestate.ItsawardsandreputationaretestamenttoitsdedicationtoprotectthenaturallandscapeofCaliforniathatbenefitseveryoneinvolvedincludingtheresidents,wildlifehabitats,ranches,farmersondmore.CaliforniaRanglandTrustisanexamplethatotherstatescanfollowwhenitcomestoconservingtheirnaturalresourceswhilealsosupportingtheirlocalcommunities'livelihoodsandcultures
rangelandtrust.org
