The Wildlands Conservancy Announces Acquisition to Begin Preservation of 30,000 Acre Dean Witter Lone Pine Ranch
Press release from The Wildlands Conservancy:
The Wildlands Conservancy has launched a two-phase acquisition to preserve the historic Dean Witter Lone Pine Ranch, a 30,000-acre property that includes 20 miles of the “Grand Canyon” of the National Wild and Scenic Eel River.The property includes fantastic geology, a major carbon sequestration opportunity with 86 million board feet of fir, pine and oaks, a herd of Roosevelt elk, and significant wetlands. The Wildlands Conservancy used private donations to purchase 3,000 acres of the Lone Pine fronting 3.5 miles of the Eel River. This acquisition secured a two-year option to purchase the remaining 27,000 acres for $25 million.“This is a rare opportunity to preserve some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the country,” says David Myers, The Wildlands Conservancy’s executive director, “We hope donors will consider the Grand Canyon of the Eel River as a legacy project to protect a national park quality landscape, writing a new chapter of American conservation history.”The Grand Canyon of the Eel River, from Dos Rios to the Humboldt Redwoods, is the most rugged landscape within the 196-mile Eel River system. [Photo provided by The Wildlands Conservancy, photo credit to staff]
The Lone Pine acquisition is part of The Wildlands Conservancy’s Eel River Emerald Necklace conservation project, which links a system of preserves spanning the Grand Canyon of the Eel to the estuary. The Lone Pine is a day’s paddling journey downstream from The Wildlands Conservancy’s Spyrock Preserve, which has five miles of frontage on the Eel. It’s 80 miles upstream from The Wildland Conservancy’s Eel River Estuary Preserve on the Pacific Ocean.“This historic conservation purchase will ensure permanent protection for one of the most wild and scenic river stretches in the western United States,” said Peter Galvin, co-founder and director of programs for the Center for Biological Diversity. “The ‘Grand Canyon of the Eel River’ is home to dozens of endangered species and rare wildlife. The Wildlands Conservancy’s heroic and visionary efforts to restore the Eel River and California’s wildlands will be appreciated by generations to come.”A new law championed by Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) will create the Great Redwoods Trail, following the route of the abandoned Northwestern Pacific Railroad and linking these preserves for world-class paddling and bicycling.The Wildlands Conservancy’s executive director, David Myers (right), and mission advancement staff, Paul Melzer (left), look down at the emerald waters of the Eel River. [Photo provided by The Wildlands Conservancy, photo credit to staff]
The Grand Canyon of the Eel is an important acquisition in the protection of the National Wild and Scenic Eel River and the establishment of the Great Redwood Trail Photo provided by The Wildlands Conservancy, photo credit to staff]
“This is a huge win for everyone,” says Sen. McGuire, “TWC’s purchase will help create entry to the 300-mile Great Redwood Trial as it expands into the Eel River Canyon and allows access to the river. This part of the Eel is one of the most spectacular areas in California and this project takes us one step closer to preserving it for all time.”The Wildlands Conservancy owns and operates California’s largest nonprofit nature preserve system, including the 93,000-acre Wind Wolves Preserve in Kern County, the largest nonprofit preserve in the west. Open to the public free of charge, these preserves offer free hiking, camping, and access to nature. The Wildlands Conservancy recently led the campaign to have land it donated to the U.S. Interior Department designated as the 1.6 million-acre Mojave Trails National Monument, the largest national monument in the lower 48 states. Now growing faster than the California State Park System, The Wildlands Conservancy acquired four nature preserves over the past year.
These include Santa Margarita River Trails Preserve along five miles of oak-shaded trails next to the Santa Margarita River in San Diego County; a mile of majestic coastline and redwood forest at Seawood Cape Preserve in Humboldt County; and a mile of the West Walker River at Aspen Glen Reserve in Mono County.
More information is available at http://www.
wildlandsconservancy.org.
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What kind of taxes does a conservancy pay?
The taxes on these rural properties, absent any development potential, are pretty low so it’s not generally a major issue. The land trusts that I’m familiar with pay property taxes.
The land trusts I’ve worked for do not pay property taxes on land held by a nonprofit.
That seems unusual
I don’t know Ernie but that’s one beautiful piece of land. I did some trouble shooting and work on their solar and hydro power systems at the different home sites years ago. The place never failed to make me think “wow!” Just awesome!
Charlie
I used to do the refrigeration work on the main house. At one time the south end was used as the ranch cook house. You are right, that ranch is real treasure. If the main house is still intact, it could be considered to be one of the best museums that I have ever seen. Every pond has pond turtles in them. As you know, the Horse Ranch part has a spring that runs enough water to run a generator. It is a major cattle producing ranch.
California has a poor reputation for maintaining their parks. I am seriously concerned about what will become of this once very productive ranch if it becomes a conservancy. My family once owned the headwaters of the South Fork of the Eel River, now the Angelo preserve in Branscomb. It is a fabulous place, but it has been returned to nature and is a huge expense that generates NO income that I know of. Vehicles are not allowed.
To follow this way of thinking, what will happen when they decide to turn the great Sacramento Valley into a preserve, and return it to a wilderness area. Don’t say it can’t happen, they are already removing the water project dams, and they have a plan to remove the Hetch Hetchy dam that San Francisco uses for water.
I would be nice if we could return everything back to nature, but first people are going to have to stop making babies.
I also wonder what will become of the forest lands and oak woodlands. The timberlands have been fairly intensively managed and changing the management decision to “do nothing at all” would not be good for the landscape. The ranch needs decades of planned thinning in timberland and fir removal in oak woodland. I hope the nature conservancy gets that.
Your comment about Cal.’s parks sure rang a bell for me.
The council Madrone, once the biggest Madrone in the world, had cables stretched between opposing major branches and what looked like a length of telephone pole supporting one of them for years. The tree and the land it was on ended up in the hands of state parks who removed all the “artificial” supports. 2 years later the council tree was broken and dead on the ground.
I once tried to explain to a woman I met there from the Save The Redwoods League that it was for some of us kind of a chapel. I had stopped to rest in its shade and be thankful as I usually did when on a motorcycle ride that took me past it. I and many others loved that tree.
I might as well have been talking to the tree itself. All she could say was “but it’s not natural”.
What stupid BS!
Back east where I came from almost 60 years ago a tree like that would have had the best efforts of local taxpayers to preserve it even if the methods used weren’t “natural”. If that approach had been taken the tree would probably would still be standing to be marveled at, appreciated and prayed under.
Bah Humbug!
The Council Madrone fell in “a wet snow event.”
https://ppo.puyallup.wsu.edu/pmr/pacific-madrone-research/the-council-madrone/
While I understand it may have been a sad reality to see it perish, the fact is trees dont live forever.
Cables or no cables attached to it.
Good morning Ernie. You’re right, the main house was a bit of a museum. When me and my pals were working on it a few years back, it looked like the whole place might slip on down the hill! Hope someone took a look at that.
As to your last statement Ernie, I agree. My bumper sticker references an old James Bond movie.
“Just say yes to Dr. No”. Also, I support the conservancy. As a younger cowboy I rode the ranch ahorseback with Allen Jameson, Andy Shubeck & Ted O’Ferral.
Allen Jameson was the first to call me to to repair the walk-in cooler. (Late ’60’s?) When I finally arrived there he insisted that I join them for lunch. I was most impressed with the huge lazy susan wheel in the middle of the table stacked with food. Jameson was a cowboy’s cowboy. He ramrodded the ranch with an iron fist.
Mrs. Witter (Ann?) was a piece of work. I had to put a new condensing unit on the walk-in cooler. I put it at the edge of her rose garden. She made me come back and move it to the sidewalk that edged the bluff. She thought that was a better place. Go figger… She was used to moving mountains with her pointy-finger.
Older Cowboy, when were you there? The ranch has always fascinated me. My father-in-law spoke very highly of the ranch as his boss had cattle on the ranch off and on, and I used to fish the Eel along that stretch.
People=sh!t
Firefighters = gold and other people, while not perfect, are often kind, funny, and clever. I’m not ready to flush them all yet.
Ernie, they are a non-profit.
Hey Ernie What kind of taxes are the top 1% paying as the national debt under Trump adds 3.5 trillion so that the extremely wealthy get even wealthier on the backs of folks who get W-2 forms with the tax money nicely withheld? You’re a nice guy Ernie but your argument is getting a bit time-worn. What do you think Trump’s tax returns will look like and why won’t he release them? You KNOW why! You are not stupid, you know and are unfazed.
Screw the regular folks, that’s the plan. What do you want to happen? So another beautiful place is open to all the people for all time. What a terrible idea for a country. I hope you will volunteer for the Truth and Reconciliation process that will be needed to heal the Post Trump Trauma Syndrome. What have I done and thought to contribute to the Trump disaster? I share this disaster. How can we heal?
LCO
I appreciate that you think that I am a nice guy. Peoples opinions mean a lot to me.
What I fear is, just as people are leaving California because the cost of living is to high, the rich will just move to an Island in Bora Bora and not pay any taxes at all. I am not any expert in politics or high finance, but I was reading just this morning that is what happened in countries that taxed the rich.
I don’t know, I don’t have any great advice, just a lot of questions. Maybe there is no solution. I’m thinking that if I could teach pigs to fly It would solve a lot of things, but you have no idea how damn stubborn pigs can be.
Hang in there friend.
If you think there will be unrestricted public use you are dreaming
Other land they control is wide open. Some require permits but they all allow public use
I don’t know Ernie, I’m sure another commentor will, though.
Wow, what a huge chunk of land!
Now I see what senator mark McGuire is thinking about with his bike trail down the eel. A sort of massive, low elevation oak rangeland/woodland preserve all the way up into the fog/redwood belt.
A very amazing region for sure, as many can attest. many nooks and crannies, all sorts of walkable hills and gullies.
However, I am not as enthusiastic about the “ recreation economy” as other conservationist are.. mainly because I think it all assumes that America maintains a largely middle class status.
I see no assurances to America’s even short term economic stability..
Who know what economic quality of life our descendants will have in two generations.
Destitute people view nature very differently than priveledged recreation enthusiasts do, just saying.
On the whole though, great news to hear a large tract of land on the gentle eel may be preserved until America collapses and the pillage begins again wholesale.
Wildlands pays land taxes on its preserves.
More land parked for the affluent city folks. Watch the mismanagement unfold. McGuire cares more about trails than fixing the highways.
I think this about 50% wonderful, 50% tax advantage.
Wouldn’t they be much better off buying up water rights? Most of the large ranches in the eel river drainage are not ‘working’ ranches and contribute very little, if any, environmental damage. I am guessing lone pine was no different.
I wish I could be whole-heartedly pleased about this news. Jeffersonian is closer to the mark on this than folks might like to admit.
Once you move beyond the propaganda from these organizations, you find that the issue is far more complex than it initially appears to be. The more I learn about the land trust/conservancy phenomenon, the more suspicious I become of the motives and the methods of those behind it.
I highly recommend that everyone with access to the internet spend some time reading up on this subject.
public private partnership.
two wolves and a sheep voting for what’s fer dinner
people are losing their ability to separate the cancer from the host.
This is dumb as hell deal
Being of a cynical mind, here is one take on the news… given that the LConservancy is all for the ‘Great’ Redwood Trail, it probably makes great sense to the promoters to get this property into the hands of some people who, unlike most wealthy purchasers of big properties, would have the bucks for lawyers to fight the notion of yuppies hiking/biking through their slice of paradise (and it is!).
The Gods (1% movers and shakers) seem to be busy being the scenes!
Correction:”it probably makes great sense to the promoters to get this property into the hands of some people who won’t fight the trail access, unlike most wealthy purchasers of big properties whowould have the bigbucks for lawyers to fight the notion of yuppies hiking/biking through their slice of paradise”
sorry that came out poorly first time…
We, The Wildlands Conservancy, pay full property tax as we have kept the ranches we have bought in the Williamson Act as active grazing ranches. All our preserves are open to the public for free, as we believe if you have to pay to visit nature you have a been disposed of a birthright. We are the leaders in California at providing free field trip to disadvantaged children…too many people today are listening for the bad notes and don’t hear the singing.
Thank you Wildlands,
Best answer…
where do they get the monies from ?
The money comes from you, the taxpayer, to the Witters. I think the State of California has a lot of critical holes to plug right now and acquiring land isn’t one of them.
Wildlands Conservancy is not government public lands that get removed from property tax rolls. But they do buy land and subsequently turn it over to various government entities. What the details of these transfers are I don’t know but the stats I saw on the internet indicates that a little less than half the acreage they have bought was thus transferred out of the tax base. It can be a burden to locals to have to maintain roads, schools and services without the corresponding taxes to go with it. There used to be compensatory payments from the State and the Feds but they seem to have dried up in the last couple of decades.
If mendo and Sonoma had more sustainable grazing, in tandem with oak regeneration and streamside protections, some of the extreme fire danger common in the more suburbanized of these rangeland landscapes could be managed much better, while producing beef as well.
Working landscapes are often a good idea, as long as we are bieng respectful to the integrity of the coexisting needs of common natural processes.
Mr or Mrs Wildlands also makes a good point with his or her musical analogy, about those of us that tend to fixate on our negative premonitions instead of taking heart in good work.
Noted.
And appreciated.
A open and mostly unfenced oak woodland landscape in any season, is truely one of the most appealing and poetic landscapes.
One of the most endangered as well..
I was fortunate to have lived on the north end of ranch in the early 80’s…had spectacular ranch house, multiple barns, outbuildings, etc. Kekawaki Creek ran thru the barnyard, was doing my pen & ink drawings & publishing my Country Calendar, each day was different, my favorite memories …old man Dean Whitter @ one time imported a herd of white deer & I looked out window to see a white deer with a deformed one horn that made it appear to be a unicorn… took a photo of course… miss that ranch
It would be nice if people quit assuming their assumptions are correct and talk/write like they know what they are talking/writing about, and instead search out the facts and the truth. Those are the people that need to quit breeding.
Whoa now… this is a comment section. We can’t let facts get in the way of our opinions! Just an observation.. some commenters come across as rational and intelligent on some topics (like this one) and sound like total backwood hicks on others. I’m lookin at you [edit]! (Only teasing don’t edit me)
On topic- I totally support these concepts of passing down land to the public- it beats the alternative of splitting them up into trophy ranchettes like has happened plenty of times. I also hear what Ernie is saying. So you got to find a middle ground, and that sounds like what these guys are doing. I hope the Barnum Ranch out towards Willow Creek would go this direction in a few decades. That would be amazing and much more accessible than this ranch. To me I mean.
Be nice if the concervency group would answer these questions.
I’ve been down the tracks, if you think it you be a few mil or 100 mill to fix your high. Up to standard fordisabeled good luck. If you think disabled doesnt apply good luck
Not sure where this ranch is located. It would be nice to see a map. Is it upstream or down from Alderpoint?
Up stream, or south of Alderpoint.
I’m under the impression that Mr. Wittier would travel in his private caboose, from Benicia to Kekawaka station to spend the summer month with family and occasional friends.
Just discovered this comment thread, and though it’s from more than a year ago, wanted to add a note:
To all who made comments re: working on or visiting Lone Pine in years past. Thank you for your very kind comments plus your help with the wonderful old ranch!
All branches of the Witter family have loved and enjoyed the daily adventures of Lone Pine for more than 80 years and we all want the very best for her future. We believe that best future now lies in the capable, caring hands of the Wildlands Conservancy.
For those who knew him, Allen Jamison was truly the consummate Cowboy in the highest meaning of that term; and spent his life on that Ranch earning it a wonderful reputation year in and year out. And yes, Ernie Branscombe, Ann Witter Gillette was “a piece of work”! It’s nice to hear from people in the know back then!
Our grand children love the ranch and will be back to visit when they can, but for our generation we want to thank everyone at Lone Pine, and extended environs for making it such a magical place that will forever live brightly in our hearts and minds.
It’s a good community – we will miss it, but so appreciate having had it in our lives.
Blessings, health and Happy Trails to you all. Becky Witter (Mrs Dean Witter lll)
4 1/2 years since this article appeared, we are all still waiting for an unveiling. At 75, I’m still hopeful to see this wonderful preserve before my own passing, but time may be running short.