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A Western Affair
Santa Rosa Island Event
Cowboy Breakfast

In early October the Vail and Vickers families, along with the California Rangeland Trust, hosted over 125 guests on Santa Rosa Island, home of the Vail & Vickers ranching operation for nearly 100 years. Guests reveled in the windy island weather as they toured the ranch headquarters and listened to the past and future fate of this family’s ranching roots as 2011 approaches. Cousins Nita Vail, Tim Vail and Will Woolley thanked guests for attending in spite of challenging and changing weather conditions (not as typical in the late fall) and shared stories about the island ranch and the importance of the environmental, economic, and cultural resource benefits of keeping ranches preserved in California. Will Woolley shared with guests their family’s history and what lies ahead:
 
“In 1980 the Channel Islands National Park was created, signed into existence by President Jimmy Carter. Funds were appropriated in 1986 to purchase Santa Rosa Island. At this point Vail and Vickers had a tough decision in front of them. There was no question that the island had to be sold to the government. The question was how could Vail and Vickers retain their livelihood and extend their heritage on the island. If one were to ask any member of the Vail or Vickers family in 1986 if they wanted to sell the island the answer would have been a resounding NO! They simply had to make the best of a situation that was not optimum.

Under the terms of the agreement that sold the island to the government Vail & Vickers was allowed to continue its ranching and hunting operation for twenty five years. Unfortunately this agreement did not hold up in court when an environmental group challenged the original agreement. The settlement of that lawsuit shut down the cattle operation in 1998 ending the 109 years of the ranching partnership between Vail and Vickers. The last 97 years of this partnership took place on Santa Rosa Island. The hunting operation was allowed to continue until 2011 at which point both the deer and the elk will have to be removed due to park service mandates.-

As 2011 approaches the Vail and Vickers era on Santa Rosa Island draws to a close. For the members of the families involved in the island over the last several decades the loss of Santa Rosa and the subsequent shutdown of the ranch has been devastating. It is like losing a very close member of the family as well as a close knit community all at the same time.  Our connection to the land and the pride we took in its stewardship over the generations has been something that has proved to be very hard to walk away from. It is our hope that our stories about and our knowledge of the land we love so dearly will continue on through future generations.”

It is a heartbreaking ending of a ranching family’s legacy like this that compels the California Rangeland Trust to continue our work to assist ranch families who want to keep their property in ranching forever. Had Vail & Vickers had an option to secure a conservation easement on the island back in the 60’s maybe their story would have ended differently. We ask you to continue your support of our mission-driven work and help us protect California’s open space, natural habitat and the stewardship of ranchers. Visit our donation page on this website to see how you can support us and to view more pictures from A Day on Cowboy Island become our fan at www.facebook.com.

Photo above right: Will Woolley, Nita Vail and Tim Vail welcome island guests to the ranch house.