After a decades-long fight over Banning Ranch—one of the last undeveloped coastal areas of Orange County—the Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit dedicated to land conservation and the creation of parks, has purchased the property for nearly $100 million.
The sale, concluded Dec. 16, is a victory for conservationists and local tribal communities, as it supports California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s initiative to protect 30 percent of the state’s land and coastal waters by 2030.
“Millions of Californians will soon be able to enjoy this remarkable new open space overlooking the Pacific Ocean,” said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot in a press release Dec. 19. “It’s a great example of what we’re capable of doing in California through creative partnerships.”
The non-profit’s goal of purchasing the 384-acre property is to shield it from development, provide another public coastal park in Newport Beach, and grant local tribal communities access to the land.
The property—formerly known as Genga—was originally home to the Acjachemen and Tongva tribes before western settlers transformed it into a cattle and sheep ranch. Since the 1940s it has served as an active oil field.
“Genga holds a special place in our hearts,” said Heidi Lucero, chair of tribal council Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation. “We are thrilled to be able to share with the public the importance of this village.”
Plans for the land include a public park and preserve with trails, camping, and picnic sites along its coast.
The preserve includes nearly 100 acres of marshes, mudflats, and riparian scrub—a group of trees and bushes that grow along streams and lakes—and 67 acres of coastal sage scrub, inhabited by several endangered species.
Longtime Orange County philanthropists Frank and Joan Randall donated $50 million to the endeavor. The land will be named in the couple’s honor.
“Completing this conservation project was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and would not have been possible without the incredible generosity of Frank and Joan Randall,” said Guillermo Rodriguez, a director of the nonprofit.
The nonprofit secured the rest of the needed funding in additional private and public donations, including $15.5 million from the California Wildlife Conservation Board and $14 million from the California Natural Resources Agency, $11.5 million from the State Coastal Conservancy, and $8 million from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The land’s oil operator will—at its expense—clean up and shut down operations at the site over the next two to three years.
The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority—a local Southern California public agency—will be the official steward of the property.
