Iconic stretch of California coastline forever protected
Hearst Ranch, among the largest and oldest working cattle ranches on the California coast, also serves as the cornerstone of one of the largest land conservation agreements in California history. The Hearst Corp., state of California, California Rangeland Trust and American Land Conservancy took more than six years to reach the agreement in 2005. It led to Hearst agreeing to certain restrictions, such as giving up development rights, to ensure that the 128-square-mile Hearst Ranch remains working rangeland forever. The land includes 18 miles of California’s most scenic coastal landscape. Steve Hearst, great-grandson of William Randolph Hearst and vice president of the company’s Western Properties, called the family’s coastal ranch properties “showpieces.” These include 80,000 acres that surround the castle at San Simeon and 73,000 acres in Cholame, near Paso Robles.
Hearst Castle, circa 1940s
Hearst said it was important to tour the location with rangeland biologists, whom he said described the ranch as “a patchwork quilt of flora and fauna not exceeded anywhere in the world.” “When people come to the property, they understand. They see the land, the horses, the dogs and cattle,” Hearst said. The California Rangeland Trust describes a conservation easement as a voluntary, legal agreement between a private landowner and the trust to preserve agricultural land and open space in perpetuity. The nonprofit organization called the preservation of Hearst Ranch “a groundbreaking model for rangeland conservation around the country.” “This undisturbed coastal land stands as a breathtaking example of how good conservation management benefits all us by taking care of our water systems, protecting our cherished viewsheds, helping plants and wildlife thrive, and providing healthy, local food to our communities,” said Michael Delbar, CEO of California Rangeland Trust.
chain and media company. The site includes Hearst Ranch, where cattle have grazed on thousands of acres of hillsides since 1865. Steve Hea r s t , great-grandson of Wi l l i am RandolphHearst and vice president of the company’s Western Properties, said he’s spent time at the ranch since he was a child, riding, picnicking and moving cat t le during the summers: “It’s just been an enormous privilege. … It’s a very special place.” Hearst Ranch cattle are carefully managed and moved throughout the ranches on a seasonal basis to ensure the animals receive ample nutrition while conserving the native grasslands, oak woodlands and coastal prairies. Cattle spend their lives grazing on the family’s ranches in San Simeon and east of Paso Robles, and are raised to a f inished weight of approximately 1,200 pounds. Because of the seasonal nature of the business, Hearst Ranch beef is harvested in late spring and summer and then frozen to be offered year-round. Hearst Corp. supplies much of its beef to Whole Foods Market for Southern California, but Hearst
WilliamRandolph Hearst, early 1900s
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