JULY 5, 2005 COMMENTARY Seeing the Big Picture at Tejon Ranch The proposal for a conservation area sounds good, but officials need to be shrewd negotiators and wise planners. by Mary Nichols and Joel R. every spring. It provides a home to the held to its commitment that the land con- Reynolds California condor and other rare or sen- servation project will proceed indepen- sitive species, including the mountain dently of whether its future development Anyone who has driven Interstate 5 can silverspot butterfly, the yellow-blotched plans are approved. envision Tejon Ranch — the vast stretch salamander, the Heermann's kangaroo of golden hills and live oak that sepa- rat and the bald eagle. The governor has said he supports "smart rates the edge of Los Angeles from growth," and here's where he can prove Bakersfield. There is little disagreement about the it. The Tejon Ranch Co. has unveiled two importance of the ranch, but state funds separate development projects for the Last month, the owners of the 275,000- — from voter-approved bonds in this property — an 11,700-acre town called acre ranch announced a proposal to sell case — are limited. So the governor's Centennial, with 22,000 new residential a third of their land as a conservation first task is ensuring a fair price, based units, and an upscale, low-density resort area, guaranteeing its permanent protec- on a state-approved appraisal. If Tejon called Tejon Mountain Village. The rest tion. The offer, now being considered by Ranch Co. wants to sell something less of the ranch's future is a mystery — the state, could provide a major building than full title to the area — the terms there is no comprehensive land use plan block in a natural wildlife corridor be- are not yet clear — then the agreement for the entire property — and neither Los tween the and the moun- must include ironclad, enforceable pro- Angeles County nor Kern County has tain ranges of . visions that accomplish conservation taken a formal look at, much less agreed goals and secure significant public ac- on, where urban growth should be al- So far so good. But the Tejon Ranch cess to the land. All of these negotia- lowed. Co.'s willingness to create a conserva- tions must be transparent; the public must tion area is only the first step in a pro- have a say in the deal before it is set in Few projects present more clearly the cess of planning for the future of this stone. challenge of controlling sprawl, protect- historic Spanish land grant. As Gov. ing habitat and providing housing and Arnold Schwarzenegger considers the The size, location and boundaries of the jobs. What will be done to prevent offer, and as Los Angeles and Kern proposed conservation area need to be gridlock on I-5? And how can we make counties assess the company's emerg- rigorously scrutinized. Critics are con- sure that the company creates enough ing development plans for other parts of cerned that the best wildlife habitat has jobs in its developments for the people the ranch, they must ensure that public been excluded from the proposed area. who will live there, and that it protects money and land-use approvals work to- They also say that land in the proposal open space, air and water quality? gether to protect the ranch's unique bio- that has no development value should be logical diversity and enormous environ- donated by the company rather than pur- None of these questions is resolved by mental importance. chased with state money. the conservation area proposal, and our respect for the Tejon Ranch Co.'s lead- Tejon Ranch sits at the crossroads of the Public access for hiking is planned, but ership in making the proposal should not southern Sierra Nevada, the Central where and how much hasn't been clearly prevent us from insisting on solid an- Valley, the , and the spelled out. Given the vagaries of the swers before development marches Tehachapi and coastal mountains, con- state budget process over the long term, over the pass. necting four distinct plant and animal funds for management of the area should habitat types. It is renowned for the col- be set aside now, as part of the deal. orful wildflowers that blanket its hillsides Most important, the company must be "Make sure that when we change a place," wrote Tony Hiss in his book "The Experience of Place," "the change agreed upon nurtures our growth as capable and responsible people while also protecting the natural environment and developing jobs and homes enough for all."

Though transferring 100,000 acres at Tejon Ranch from private to public own- ership is the kind of change that Califor- nians can celebrate, it could be the first shot in a major land-use battle unless Schwarzenegger and his administration ensure that the conservation is real.