Serving California Since 1998

California Rangeland Trust is the largest land trust in California. Our mission is to serve the land, people, and wildlife by conserving California’s working rangelands.

What does California Rangeland Trust do?

  • Much of the open space in California is being lost to development. Over the past 10 years, 784 square miles of open landscapes—roughly the size of Los Angeles and San Diego combined—were converted to industry and housing
  • California Rangeland Trust is committed to protecting air, water, wildlife, and healthy local food by conserving rangeland and ensuring it will never be developed.
  • We help ranchers partner with funders to permanently protect working lands through conservation agreements.
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  • Much of the open space in California is being lost to development. Over the past 10 years, 784 square miles of open landscapes—roughly the size of Los Angeles and San Diego combined—were converted to industry and housing
  • California Rangeland Trust is committed to protecting air, water, wildlife, and healthy local food by conserving rangeland and ensuring it will never be developed.
  • We help ranchers partner with funders to permanently protect working lands through conservation agreements.
Learn More

56 of the ranches conserved by the California Rangeland Trust – encompassing 306,781 acres – were included in the recent Ecosystem Service Study. Researchers discovered:

  • These ranches provide up to $1.44 billion in ecosystem services annually.
  • Rangeland Trust conservation easements return $3.47 for every dollar invested when considering the loss of all ecosystem services under current zoning restrictions.
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California Rangeland Trust Presents

You just can't see them from the road

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California Rangeland Trust Presents

FRom the ground up:

Healing Our Planet, Healing Ourselves

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Rangelands heal our planet.

California is an incredible state, rich in beauty, history, and diversity. It’s a place that has captured the national imagination for centuries: The farthest edge of the American West, where the mountains meet the sea.

As one of only five regions in the world with a Mediterranean climate, our state feeds the world. California is home to 5.2 million cattle and calves—fourth in the nation for cattle, with livestock responsible for 27% of all agricultural revenues in the state.

This is a heritage that all Californians share. These natural resources are essential to our way of life. But it faces threats. The working landscapes that characterize the Golden State are at risk. 62% of California’s open space consists of rangeland. And that land is disappearing at an alarming rate.

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Open Spaces

62% of California’s undeveloped land is rangeland.

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Wildlife

67% of endangered species spend part of their lives on private land.

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Fresh Air & Water

85% of California’s fresh water runs over ranches.

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Ranches Conserved
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Acres Conserved
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San Luis Obispo County
The California Rangeland Trust has worked diligently to preserve the state's most precious lands in more than 80 locations.
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San Luis Obispo County
The California Rangeland Trust has worked diligently to preserve the state's most precious lands in more than 50 locations.
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Tuolumne County
The California Rangeland Trust has worked diligently to preserve the state's most precious lands in more than 80 locations.
Learn More
Napa County
The California Rangeland Trust has worked diligently to preserve the state's most precious lands in more than 80 locations.
Learn More
Monterey County
The California Rangeland Trust has worked diligently to preserve the state's most precious lands in more than 80 locations.
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Merced County
The California Rangeland Trust has worked diligently to preserve the state's most precious lands in more than 80 locations.
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Fresno County
The California Rangeland Trust has worked diligently to preserve the state's most precious lands in more than 80 locations.
Learn More
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San Luis Obispo County
The California Rangeland Trust has worked diligently to preserve the state's most precious lands in more than 80 locations.
Learn More
San Luis Obispo County
The California Rangeland Trust has worked diligently to preserve the state's most precious lands in more than 50 locations.
Learn More
Tuolumne County
The California Rangeland Trust has worked diligently to preserve the state's most precious lands in more than 80 locations.
Learn More
Napa County
The California Rangeland Trust has worked diligently to preserve the state's most precious lands in more than 80 locations.
Learn More
Monterey County
The California Rangeland Trust has worked diligently to preserve the state's most precious lands in more than 80 locations.
Learn More
Merced County
The California Rangeland Trust has worked diligently to preserve the state's most precious lands in more than 80 locations.
Learn More
Fresno County
The California Rangeland Trust has worked diligently to preserve the state's most precious lands in more than 80 locations.
Learn More
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Ranches Conserved
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Acres Conserved
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Follow Our Blog

The Abiding Legacy Art Exhibit Creates New Connections to Rangeland Conservation

October 20, 2026

Earlier this month, The Oak Group held its 40th anniversary exhibit, Abiding Legacy, opening at the Santa Barbara Library’s Faulkner Gallery. The show is a collection of 110 paintings and photographs of 10 Central Coast ranches conserved by the California Rangeland Trust. Through this collaboration, 27 plein air artists had the opportunity to experience these working landscapes firsthand and share them with the public through their art.

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ROOTED IN STEWARDSHIP

September 30, 2026

Currently, the Rominger family is working to rehabilitate seven miles of riparian corridors on the ranch by seeking to reestablish native species, including California oaks. As the restoration work continues, cattle grazing remains an important part of the equation for how the family cares for the ranch. Well-managed grazing plays an important role in maintaining healthy rangelands by managing vegetation and reducing the buildup of wildfire fuels, while also supporting soil health, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, and the overall resilience of the landscape.

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MAINTAINING A FAMILY’S LEGACY ON THE LAND

September 30, 2026

In the mid-1970s when Louise Moulton sold the last remaining parcels of Rancho Niguel in Orange County, she took the proceeds and purchased 14,000 acres near Lompoc in Santa Barbara County. She wasn’t ready to give up the pastoral, ranching lifestyle she had grown up with. In the early 2000s, she conserved her ranch with the California Rangeland Trust and began a partnership that continues to thrive today.

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California Rangeland Trust is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax identification number 31-1631453) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

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