Rangelands, Ranchlands, and the Bren Study
The Big Sur Land Trust considers well-managed cattle grazing an important economic mainstay for Monterey County and a vital conservation tool of lands, known as rangelands, on which the historic plant community is predominantly grasses. Ranching on private rangelands provides immeasurable benefit to our community as a source of local food and as a cultural legacy that demonstrates a strong relationship to land. Private rangeland accounts for over 40% of Monterey County’s total area; of the 25 habitat types in Monterey County, 21 exist in rangelands. 60% of the County’s grasslands and 50% of its oak woodlands are in private ranchlands. Urban encroachment, however, along with rising land prices and other pressures are causing a growing number of ranchers to sell their land. Conversion of ranchland to rural estates and other non-ranching uses can often cause habitat loss, resource degradation, and cultural and ecological fragmentation. To preserve and sustain these historic landscapes, it is a priority of The Big Sur Land Trust to find ways to work with ranchers in collaborative, community-based efforts that will strengthen the long-term economic and ecological viability of ranchlands in Monterey County. The Central Coast Rangelands Coalition , for example, a grassroots effort and a key BSLT conservation partner, is seeking ways to create and implement sustainable rangeland practices that conserve open space and wildlife habitat while maintaining a vibrant ranching community.
An important step on this path was our partnership with the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara. With support from the Dean Witter Foundation, five graduate students from the Bren School recently researched the issue of ranchland economics in Monterey County. Their study focused on understanding the factors that might lead ranchers to sell or keep their land, and recommended several creative public-private strategies to help ranchers preserve their ranching traditions and its high quality of life. Conservation easements, diversified land use through ranch tourism or third-party infrastructure (such as wind turbines and cell phone towers), and grassroots marketing cooperatives are potential strategies to ease financial pressures on ranch owners, making it more attractive for them to keep their ranchlands intact. The Big Sur Land Trust is committed to building bridges between ranchers and other Monterey County stakeholders to preserve this vital aspect of our region’s natural and cultural identity.
For more information on the Bren Study, contact Joanna Devers, BSLT Acquisitions Manager, at jdevers@bigsurlandtrust.org
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