07/09/2022
So for a few years we donated our beer for the VLT Wild and Scenic Film Festival. YOU bought that beer and supported the mission of the Ventura Land Trust. Together look at what WE had a small part in accomplishing!!
We are delighted to share an exciting and historic announcement: Ventura Land Trust has been awarded $7.2 million by the State of California to complete the acquisition and conservation of 1,645 acres of Ventura's iconic hillsides, now called Mariano Rancho Preserve.
Mariano Rancho Preserve spans the hills north of Ventura from the western tree of "Two Trees" to Grant Park. The preserve offers scenic views of Ventura, the ocean, the Channels Islands, and the mountains that surround the land to the north, west, and south.
Ventura Land Trust's conservation of Mariano Rancho Preserve ensures that the land will be protected forever as habitat for endangered coastal sage scrub plant community and a corridor for the movement of wildlife.
*As exciting as this news is, please note that Mariano Rancho Preserve is not yet open to the public.*
A rigorous planning process over the next two to three years will allow VLT to address the long-term conservation and stewardship of the land, design a sustainable trail network, and build infrastructure to accommodate visitors. A series of community meetings this summer and fall will bring forward elements of public access, conservation, and trails and recreation. We encourage you to attend. Please stay tuned to our website for dates, times, and locations.
In the future, the preserve will offer free public access to the hills of Ventura's backyard.
Many thanks to Assemblymember Steve Bennett and Senator Monique Limón for championing Ventura Land Trust and directing this transformative support to Mariano Rancho Preserve. We look forward to seeing Mariano Rancho Preserve become a place for Ventura residents and visitors to gather and recreate in a truly unique setting.
