The largest remaining intact part of an 1843 Mexican land grant in California's Cuyama Valley has been permanently protected from future commercial development after a successful grassroots conservation campaign. The 5,650-acre Spanish Ranch, managed by the Doiron family, is now protected by a permanent agricultural conservation easement through a partnership with the California Rangeland Trust. The agreement guarantees that the historic cattle ranch will remain working agricultural land forever, preventing future subdivisions or industrial development. The agreement was completed after a $1 million fundraising campaign. It protects important wildlife corridors, native oak forests, and headwater habitats across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. According to an official announcement from the California Rangeland Trust, the project protects a continuous farming and ranching tradition that began before California became a state.
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