Plan Allows for Development While Providing Protections to
California Condor and 24 Other Species
TEJON RANCH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May. 10, 2013--
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe joined Tejon Ranch
Company (NYSE:TRC) President and CEO Robert A. Stine and representatives
from other partner agencies and conservation advocates at the company’s
headquarters today to formally announce the successful completion and
Service approval of a Habitat Conservation Plan that will provide
specific protections for 25 species, including the California condor,
while permitting limited development and other land use activities on
designated ranch lands.
Fifteen years in the making, the Tehachapi Uplands Multiple Species
Habitat Conservation Plan (TUMSHCP) was prepared by Tejon Ranch Company
and its partner, DMB Pacific Ventures, in cooperation with the Service.
It will protect wildlife habitat and enhance species conservation on
141,866 acres of ranch lands and is the first such plan to focus
primarily on conserving habitat and creating a study area for the iconic
California condor. Founded in 1843, Tejon Ranch is the largest
contiguous expanse of private land in California and its 270,000 acres
provides habitat to hundreds of plant and animal species.
The Service’s approval of the plan provides a 50-year incidental take
permit to the Tejon Ranch Company which will give the company certainty
that it will be in compliance with the federal Endangered Species Act
(ESA) when it proceeds with various land-use and development activities.
The Service’s permit does not authorize lethal take of a condor, nor
does it allow take caused by hunting or mineral extraction.
Of the 141,866 acres covered by the Plan, more than 129,000 acres will
be conserved in perpetuity. The conserved lands include a 37,100 acre
ridge line area of the ranch historically and currently used by
California condors that’s been designated as a Condor Study Area. Also
included are a 5,553 acre mountain resort and other development in
southern Kern County.
“The Plan we celebrate today is the result of many people thinking big
ideas about wildlife conservation,” said Service Director Dan Ashe. “It
is a landmark plan with a landscape view of conservation, and helps
ensure California condors, birds and other rare wildlife will remain a
vital part of this landscape for years to come.”
“The multiple year process was both a challenge and a journey for all
parties involved, but it was a journey worth taking,” said Tejon Ranch
Company President and CEO Robert A. Stine, “The end result is an
incredible success story for the HCP process with the signing of this
permit covering nearly 142,000 acres of incredible California landscape
and protecting not only the California condor, but 24 additional species
as well.”
In 2007, Tejon Ranch Company was the first private land owner in
California to voluntarily ban the use of lead ammunition on its lands.
The action took place in advance of state legislation in 2008 that
banned the use of lead ammunition within the range of the California
condor. In 2008, the company signed the Tejon Ranch Conservation and
Land Use Agreement with Audubon California, the Endangered Habitats
League, Natural Resources Defense Council, the Planning and Conservation
League, and the Sierra Club to preserve up to 240,000 acres of ranch
lands and create the non-profit Tejon Ranch Conservancy to manage the
lands.
“As one of its key participants, DMB Pacific Ventures believes that the
Plan complements the objectives incorporated into the Tejon Ranch
Conservation and Land Use Agreement - a collaborative agreement between
the Ranch and the nation’s leading environmental advocates which
conserved 90 percent of the 270,000-acre property,” said Eneas Kane,
Managing Director and CEO of DMB Pacific Ventures. “We’re also proud of
the working relationship that DMB Pacific Ventures has established with
the Service on behalf of Tejon Ranch.”
In addition to the California condor, the TUMSHCP provides protections
for two other birds protected by the ESA: least Bell’s vireo and
southwestern willow flycatcher. Another bird, the western yellow-billed
cuckoo, is a candidate for ESA protection. A list of species covered
under the TUMSHCP and other documents, including the Record of Decision
are available at: http://1.usa.gov/194uD9c.
About Tejon Ranch: Tejon Ranch Company operates the 270,000-acre
Tejon Ranch, located approximately 60 miles north of Los Angeles and 30
miles south of Bakersfield. Founded in 1843 as several Mexican land
grants, Tejon Ranch is now home to farming operations, cattle grazing,
resource extraction operations, recreational activities, and limited
real estate development. Tejon Ranch has been involved in significant
conservation efforts for many decades and is an important partner in
efforts to recover the California condor. More information is available
at www.tejonranch.com.
About DMB Pacific Ventures LLC: DMB Pacific Ventures LLC
("Pacific Ventures") is a privately held real estate investment and
development company with offices in San Francisco, California, Irvine,
California and Phoenix, Arizona and assets throughout California and in
Hawaii. With a seasoned team of real estate investment, entitlement and
development associates, Pacific Ventures seeks out opportunities where
we can apply our capital and expertise in a catalytic manner to achieve
extraordinary returns on the investments and relationships we pursue.
Pacific Ventures has a history of successfully identifying, visioning,
planning, entitling, permitting, developing, managing and operating
significant land development and natural resource conservation holdings
in the western United States and Hawaii.
About the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service is the premier federal agency whose mission is working
with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife and plants
and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We
are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation,
known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural
resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service. The
Service’s Pacific Southwest Region manages national wildlife refuges,
national fish hatcheries, ecological services and law enforcement
offices in California and Nevada and is headquartered in Sacramento. For
more on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov/cno.
Connect with us at http://www.facebook.com/usfwspacificsouthwest,
Follow us at http://twitter.com/USFWSPacSWest,
on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/usfws
and download our photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfws_pacificsw/.
Source: Tejon Ranch Company
USFWS
Stephanie Weagley, 805-512-6758
stephanie_weagley@fws.gov
or
Tejon
Ranch Company
Barry Zoeller, 661-663-4212
bzoeller@tejonranch.com
