Van Alen Ranch
Madera
County
Conserving oak woodlands for future
generations
On May 3, 2007, the
California Rangeland Trust placed a conservation easement on 2,305 acres of the
Van Alen Ranch (historically known as the Preuschoff Ranch) forever
preserving a family’s way of life and a piece of California’s western heritage.
The transaction fulfills the desire of the Ranch owners to keep the land as a
privately-owned ranch in perpetuity. The Van
Alen Ranch lies in the heart of the Kennedy Table area where spectacular blue
oak woodlands, vernal pools and grazing resources are particularly high. The
Ranch will continue its significant role in maintaining habitat continuity
within the San Joaquin
River watershed. The
conservation easement enables the next generation of ranchers to sustain the
quality of the Ranch by the continued use of low-impact grazing as an
ecological management tool. This project was funded by a grant through the
California Wildlife Conservation Board’s Oak Woodlands Conservation Program.
Designed by: Digital Persuasions