The Big Sur Land Trust announced today the acquisition of the 317-acre Whisler-Wilson Ranch, located south of Carmel and inland of Highway One, across from Monastery Beach and Pt. Lobos State Natural Reserve. The acquisition preserves the San Jose Creek Watershed, a critical refuge for Central Coast steelhead, and secures a last key piece in a larger landscape of local and state protected lands that will help create new opportunities for future public access, recreation and outdoor education.

The spectacular property is part of the historic Pt. Lobos Ranch once owned and cared for by the A.M. Allan family, who is credited with originally saving Pt. Lobos – since treasured for generations as a state park – from development in the late 1800s. The Big Sur Land Trust purchased the property from the Whisler and Wilson Family Trusts. Two of A.M. Allan’s granddaughters, sisters Mary Morgan Riley Whisler and Elizabeth Allan Riley Wilson, are matriarchs of the Whisler and Wilson Family Trusts.

“Our intent in conserving this ranch is to create the opportunity for the public to experience, enjoy and learn from this exquisite landscape while preserving the extraordinary legacy of land stewardship exhibited by the Whisler and Wilson families,” said Bill Leahy, executive director of The Big Sur Land Trust. “ The property’s location between Pt. Lobos Ranch State Park and Palo Corona Regional Park will allow us to work with State Parks, the Monterey Peninsula Regional Parks District and other local partners to finally connect these properties and develop a vision for managed public access, trails, resource conservation and education programs that will serve to integrate the property into the larger parklands landscape.”

“For six generations our families have had a wonderfully long and deep connection to this land,” said Mary Whisler. “The ranch, the first stand of redwoods south of Carmel, is such an unusual and beautiful place, so close to Carmel, yet a world away. Our families never wanted it to be developed.”

The ranch includes a beautiful creek canyon lined with mixed stands of redwoods, sycamores, bays and cottonwoods flanked by open meadowlands. Upland terraces feature oak, madrone and bay trees as well as maritime chaparral and coastal scrub, offering stunning “top of the world” views of Pt. Lobos State Natural Reserve, Carmel River State Beach, and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary as well as inland views of Palo Corona Regional Park, Jack’s Peak, Carmel Valley and the mountain ranges beyond. Riparian habitat along San Jose Creek provides an important home for Central Coast steelhead, red-legged frogs and migrating songbirds. Brilliant displays of wildflowers adorn the property in the springtime. The ranch also includes a small 100-year-old cabin the families have used over the generations.

“My mother rode with her father and then with me up the canyon on horseback and I have done the same thing with my children and grandchildren,” said Betty Wilson. “Everyone learned how to fish here and caught their first trout on this ranch.”

The Big Sur Land Trust acquired the 317-acre property for $4 million using private monies from the Land Trust’s McMahan Revolving Acquisition Fund. Established in 2004 through a legacy gift from the Catherine L. and Robert O. McMahan Foundation, the fund allows the Land Trust to rapidly “bridge finance” important land acquisitions such as Whisler-Wilson while it seeks to raise monies to reimburse the fund.

The Nature Conservancy contributed $166,050 towards the purchase to conserve redwoods and stream habitats on the property. “Monterey County is one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth, and the Whisler-Wilson ranch is historic and environmentally important,” said The Nature Conservancy Monterey Project Director Christina Fischer. “The Nature Conservancy is proud to work with The Big Sur Land Trust to protect this outstanding property for people and nature.”

The Whisler-Wilson acquisition is a critical component of the Carmel River Parkway Vision Plan. The Vision Plan, completed in fall 2005, was spearheaded by the Land Trust and developed through a cooperative effort of over 20 agencies and organizations and over 200 community members. The plan, which includes the area around Pt. Lobos and Pt. Lobos Ranch, sets forth a vision for integrated planning of parks, trails, and restoration and education sites. A network of public trails is envisioned to provide safe access and connection to existing public parklands, such as Palo Corona Regional Park and Pt. Lobos Ranch State Park and to other trails, serving as connection points for learning the stories and natural histories of people and the land.

“The Whisler-Wilson property stands as an important link within a future integrated park, open space system and trail network, as laid out in the Carmel River Parkway Vision Plan, and will offer all members of our communities magnificent learning opportunities about native wildlife and plants, the history of native cultures and European settlers and what it is to experience one of our area’s most unique and beautiful landscapes,” added Bill Leahy.

Founded in 1978, the mission of The Big Sur Land Trust is to conserve the significant lands and waters of California’s Central Coast for all generations. In collaboration with partners and the community, the Land Trust has protected more than 30,000 acres of land since its inception. The Land Trust is committed to pursuing land and water conservation work that strengthens our communities and inspires a stewardship ethic so that Monterey County can maintain its unique and special place in the world. The goal and commitment of the Land Trust is to pursue resource conservation that supports the well-being of land and people and sustains our region’s unique quality of life for us all. For more information visit www.bigsurlandtrust.org