Hollister
– Local nature lovers can breathe a little easier today
following a more than $4 million deal between the Reeves-Baldocchi-
Boyle family and the Nature Conservancy that will guarantee that
the 11,000-acre Gabilan Ranch will remain intact and a wildlife
habitat for generations to come.
Hollister – Local nature lovers can breathe a little easier today following a more than $4 million deal between the Reeves-Baldocchi- Boyle family and the Nature Conservancy that will guarantee that the 11,000-acre Gabilan Ranch will remain intact and a wildlife habitat for generations to come.
“The ranch is an ecological treasure, in part because its been under the same ownership for the past three generations,” said Christina Fisher, Project Director for the Monterey Bay Area chapter of the Nature Conservancy. “There are few roads or developments except for the farm buildings, so the family has preserved much of the ecosystem. … You still find native frogs and salamanders in the water, and there are 80 different species of birds here.”
The Conservancy worked with the Gabilan Cattle Company for six years to acquire a $4.2 million conservation easement, which essentially guarantees the conservancy certain rights to the land while the family maintains ownership of the property and continues their cattle operation. In this case, the family promises not to develop the land in any way that might harm the plants, animals or water quality of the land.
“There are two primary reasons we were interested in doing this in the first place,” said Darrell Boyle, CEO of Gabilan Cattle Company. “First of course was to protect the land … the second was to keep the ranch in our family. We’re the third generation running the ranch and we have a long history with this wonderful property.”
The land lies just south of Fremont Peak State Park, which actually used to be a part of the ranch. Rollin Reeves donated the 70-acre park to the state in the early 1930s, honoring its significance in the Mexican-American War. Colonel John C. Fremont’s infamous stand against the Mexican Army took place on the mountain in 1846.
The ranch is home to some of the area’s most threatened plants and animals, and boasts blacktail deer, elk, bobcats, jackrabbits and great blue herons, as well as the endangered tiger salamander and California red-legged frog, according to the conservancy. Conservancy officials also hope the ranch will be a friendly environment for the newly reintroduced California condors.
“We try to be very thoughtful in our planning. We look at an area and say, ‘If we could only save a tiny piece of this, what would it be?'”Fisher said. “We feel confident that Gabilan Ranch is one of those places, and it was a lucky circumstance that they approached us. It proved to be a win-win situation.”
The Conservancy hopes that its agreement with the Gabilan Cattle Company will be the first of many such deals with local ranching families, particularly those with property on or around the Gabilan Mountain Range.
“This is our first such agreement, but we hope it won’t be the last. We hope this will be a model for the future,” Fisher said. “The easement approach is helpful for ranch owners, because it’s an important tool to protect the landscape while preserving the American and Californian cultural heritage of land management and ranching.”
For the 20-plus members of the Reeves-Baldocchi-Boyle family, who have been stewards of the ranch since 1929, the easement is a guarantee that their operation won’t meet the same fate as many similar ranches have over the past decade or so.
“You can see what’s happening here and all over the Silicon Valley,” Boyle said.
Not only does this agreement ensure the future of the ranch’s wildlife, but it will also sustain three generations of memories for the family.
“If you spend some time out here, you know its a wonderful place,” said family patriarch Bill Reeves. “There are a lot of memories here, and a lot of lessons, and a lot of maturity I’ve gained from spending my time here.”
This isn’t the Conservancy’s first foray into San Benito County. Recently, the nonprofit purchased the 1,700-acre Pinnacles Ranch and campground from a private owner, effectively buying time for the National Park Service to acquire funds to acquire the land and add it to the Pinnacles National Monument. The property was officially incorporated into the park in late April.
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or ds****@fr***********.com.
