California Rangeland Trust

The Rangeland Trust's mission is to serve the land, people, and wildlife by conserving California's working rangelands. Our vision is that, through conservation, working ranches will be recognized by all Californians as the best way to protect what matters - clean air and water, healthy food, open space, and our Western culture, values and communities.

Over the last decade, 500,000 acres of rangeland were lost to development - imagine Los Angeles and San Diego combined! By 2050, California's population will top 60 million, and 2 million more acres will be lost. With more than 420,000 acres on the Rangeland Trust's ever-growing list of active projects, we are uniquely situated to protect significant natural resources before they are gone forever. California may very well be the most biologically diverse state. The same land that provides food and open space for livestock is also home to many species of wildlife and plants, including threatened and endangered species of fish, mammals, birds, and plants - 67% of endangered species that call our state home will spend a part of their life on rangeland. These species require well-managed livestock grazing to maintain suitable habitat. It is therefore imperative that we preserve these healthy landscapes and watersheds for humans and wildlife alike.

The Rangeland Trust works with the ranching community in our state to protect working lands using conservation easements. Our partners, often multi-generational landowners, are committed to sustainable management of their livestock businesses. Through well-managed grazing, these ranchers provide healthy fish and wildlife habitat, support clean air and water, offset carbon emissions, facilitate climate adaptation, and conserve California's iconic landscapes. Our vision is that, through conservation, working ranches will be recognized by all Californians as the best way to protect what matters - clean air and water, healthy food, open space, and our Western culture, values and communities.

Donations to California Rangeland Trust support activities toward our core mission, including moving conservation efforts forward while we seek institutional funding, partnering with coalitions throughout the state to maximize the benefits of conserved rangelands for landscape-scale habitat health, and serving ranching families by sharing their stories, connecting them to new resources, and building a community of passionate land stewards.

California Rangeland Trust conserves working lands throughout the State of California - from Siskiyou County to San Diego County and from San Bernardino County to the Pacific Ocean.