ABOUT THE CONSERVANCY
Located at the intersection of four ecological regions and between large tracts of public and private conservation land, the Tejon Ranch Conservancy is key to sustaining California’s biodiversity. By developing state-of-the-art conservation science and land management principles on the Ranch, the Conservancy will lead the way in understanding and protecting the exceptional biodiversity, ecosystems and movement of wildlife throughout this vast region.
Ultimately, the Conservancy’s impact will reach far beyond the Ranch through its public access programs. Current and future generations of Californians will explore the Ranch. Students and researchers will be provided with a natural laboratory to deepen their knowledge of the ecological significance of this extraordinary area. And those who maintain traditional land-use practices in working landscapes will have an opportunity to balance these uses with the conservation and restoration strategies developed collaboratively on the Ranch. Providing environmental education and public access is vital to fostering an appreciation of wild places and all that they provide to people everywhere.
THE CONSERVANCY'S SIGNIFICANCE
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At 270,000 acres, Tejon Ranch is the largest contiguous private property in California. Straddling the Tehachapi Mountains, it lies at the convergence of four of California’s 10 major ecological regions: Great Central Valley, Sierra Nevada, Mojave Desert and Southwestern California. Tejon Ranch provides the only corridor for wildlife movements between vast tracts of protected lands.
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The diversity of plants and animals found on Tejon Ranch reflects its position as a biogeographic crossroads, where species unique to each of these regions are found together. More than 200 species of birds have been spotted, a third of the state’s native oaks are represented, and more than 60 at-risk plant and animal species are protected on the Ranch's conserved lands.
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As California becomes increasingly crowded, protecting its diverse wildlife, while producing the resources needed to live, is critically important. With the Conservancy, the Ranch is now a valuable living laboratory for scholars and scientists. The Conservancy partners with leading universities to engage in research to inform management decisions. These studies will be relevant throughout the Southwest as the Conservancy continues to learn how best to balance the activities of a working ranch, while preserving and enhancing its biodiversity.
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Tejon Ranch represents an extremely critical piece of a larger, continent-wide conservation effort to create important and unobstructed corridors for wildlife. Significant public and private conservation investments have been made to create this vital corridor for wildlife because needed habitat is increasingly threatened by land use and climate change.
VISION
The Tejon Ranch Conservancy is guided in all it does by this core set of values:
CONSERVATION SCIENCE
Developing and applying the best available conservation science is the foundation for managing, restoring and protecting the native biodiversity and ecosystems.
INDEPENDENCE
The Tejon Ranch Conservancy is committed to maintaining its independence to ensure the integrity of its actions.
COLLABORATION
The Tejon Ranch Conservancy was born out of an extraordinary collaboration of conservation groups and the Tejon Ranch Company. The organization seeks to continue in that spirit by proactively seeking partnerships on key elements of its work.
OPENNESS
The Tejon Ranch Conservancy is committed to a culture of openness in its activities and its decisions.