Keene Ranch Kern County, Proudly Offered By

707 Merchant Street, Suite 100, Vacaville, Ca 95688 (707) 455-4444 Office (707) 455-0455 Fax [email protected] www.californiaoutdoorproperties.com

Introduction

Looking up the green hills

The 8940 +/- acre Keene Ranch is located in Kern County. Ideally located between Bakersfield and Tehachapi, the ranch is only a two hour drive from downtown Los Angeles. This ranch gives the buyer a plethora of options: A cattle ranch with oak covered grasslands, pine trees and year round springs; an equestrian dream ranch with amazing trails and beautiful valleys; a ranch teaming with wildlife, deer, elk, bear, quail, and everything in between. The ranch is a blank canvas, very private with no structures and waiting for the right person to build their family compound and escape from the hectic city life. Or the ranch has the ability to be developed. The Southeast portion of the ranch borders the community of Golden Hills. The Northwest portion of the ranch borders the community of Bear Valley Springs. Access to the ranch is very convenient with paved road bordering the ranch for 3 miles. Take highway 110 N/Harbor Freeway to CA-14 near Santa Clarita, head north on CA-14 towards Mojave and go west on CA-58 to Keene, CA. The ranch is located on Woodford-Tehachapi road that parallels CA-58. Keene is a small town of 431 people with a great restaurant and only 8.5 miles from Tehachapi. Tehachapi, a town of 14,000 people has a good airport with fuel and a 4040-foot runway. Bakersfield, the 9th largest city in California with 347,483 people is only 35 miles from the ranch and has commercial flights. The Bob Hope airport is 111 miles away and the Ontario airport is just 134 miles away. The famous Tehachapi Loop is located next to the ranch, a California historical landmark. The Loop was built by Southern Pacific Railroad in 1874 and was quite an engineering feat of its day. The loop gains 77 feet in elevation as the track climbs a steady 2% grade. A train more than 4000 feet long thus passes over itself going around the loop. Please call the office for an appointment. 2

Size and Description

View across Keller Valley to Black Mountain The ranch consists of 33 parcels and is currently in the Williamson Act. A detailed list of parcel numbers is available upon request.

“The California Land Conservation Act of 1965--commonly referred to as the Williamson Act- -enables local governments to enter into contracts with private landowners for the purpose of restricting specific parcels of land to agricultural or related open space use. In return, landowners receive property tax assessments which are much lower than normal because they are based upon farming and open space uses as opposed to full market value. Local governments receive an annual subvention of forgone property tax revenues from the state via the Open Space Subvention Act of 1971.”

As you drive into the ranch you will be amazed by all the diversity of the ranch. You start out at about 2780 foot elevation and the ranch has beautiful valleys tucked into the hills with springs and wildlife. As you climb the hills, you will see Black Mountain off in the distance, which stands at 5686 foot elevation. The entire mountain sits on the ranch. The gem of the ranch is the Keller Valley that encompasses about 1000 acres at the 4200 foot elevation. This valley is loaded with wildlife and one of the favorite spots for the cattle. At one time, this valley was being considered to be developed into a community like Bear Valley Springs. But now there are miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding or ATVing. You will never run out of things to do. The pastoral rolling grasslands are interspersed with wildflowers and oak trees and at the higher elevations you will see more pine trees and steeper topography.

Water and Utilities

Water troughs are commonly used to keep cattle hydrated

Even during this terrible drought, the owner says that the springs supply water year round. When looking at the topographic map, you can see many blue line creeks that originate on the ranch. This indicates that there are a number of natural springs around the property. While it is fairly dry on the ranch for most of the year, there are plenty of creek beds that fill up with rainwater and snowmelt in the winter and spring. The ranch has one well and a five thousand gallon tank that is powered by a generator. This water is mainly used for water troughs, which keep both livestock and wildlife hydrated throughout the hot, southern California summers. Power and telephone are available on Woodford-Tehachapi road, which runs along the border of the ranch for over two miles. There are some great home sites and with the miles of ranch roads, you are only limited in how far you want to drive. Both water and power should not be your concern at Keene Ranch as water has proven to last even the harshest of droughts and the power is easily accessible.

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Livestock

Happy California cows

The ranch is optimally set up for a substantial cattle operation. The grass-covered Keller Valley is sure to keep the cows both happy and healthy. The thousands of acres on the ranch allow for more than enough room for livestock to occupy. While not all of the ranch should be used for livestock, there is more than enough space for a medium to large size operation. If you’re more interested in horses, know that the space could also be used as an equestrian center with trails for exploring and flat land for round pens and riding rings. Water has not been an issue on the ranch and as a result, troughs are set up throughout the property to give the livestock something to drink. During the winter the lush hills and valleys make for great grazing and the springs and troughs allow for water to be distributed across the property. With food and water taken care of, the cows at Keene Ranch are certainly content. While the ranch has only seen a cattle operation, it is important to remember that the space is open and available to hold whatever livestock related pursuit you desire.

Recreation

A black bear climbs a tree on the property

On a ranch this size, the list of recreational possibilities one can participate in is seemingly endless. Take a ride on horseback up through the trails to high ridges and even mountaintops with amazing views of the surrounding area. Not a horseback rider? Not a problem! Explore the hills and valleys on foot, the way the Kawaiisu Native Americans did for thousands of years. If that’s not enough, Keene Ranch is a hunter’s paradise, attracting wildlife such as deer, elk, quail, black bears, foxes, and much more. The elk is a very exciting feature of the ranch and with the close proximity of the Tejon Ranch; your possibilities to improve the wild life habitat are endless. If you’re looking for other types of entertainment, look no further than Tehachapi, home to rodeos, a motocross park, bicycle races and festivals throughout the year. Tehachapi is filled with people who embrace the outdoors, as their website says, “People here, whether resident or visitor relish their time spent outside enjoying the scenic beauty and all the recreational opportunities, extreme sports and wildlife the area has to offer.” Whatever your recreational passion may be, you’re sure to find it at Keene Ranch or in nearby Tehachapi or Bakersfield.

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Left: A young male elk is an example of the type of wildlife that can be found at Keene Ranch.

Right: A family of quail is discovered by the trail.

Left: There are many foxes like this one to be found at Keene Ranch

Weather and Kern County

Deer roam through the trees and bushes of Keene Ranch

As stated at visitkern.com: “This grand and historic area, where settlers once sought the riches brought by gold and the “black gold” of oil, is now a place of golden opportunity. Kern County is filled with booming cities and an unparalleled quality of life. Diversity is the name of the game here. Found at the southern end of California’s great Central Valley, Kern County is the gateway to Southern California, the , the Sierra Nevada and the . Perfectly located, Kern is within easy reach of Los Angeles or San Francisco, the Pacific Coast or Las Vegas, Yosemite or Death Valley. [It is] The third-largest county in California — larger than Massachusetts, New Jersey or Hawaii; or Delaware, Rhode Island and Connecticut combined — Kern hosts a wealth of recreational and tourism opportunities.

The Wild and Scenic Kern River is a Mecca for outdoorsmen. Beginners and professionals alike flock to its world-class rapids. The Kern River Valley is also the gateway to the Giant Sequoia National Monument and is home to some of the best fishing and camping in California. Five recreational lakes just add to the water-based fun. Kern’s desert is home to the awe-inspiring Red Rock Canyon State Park and the living ghost town of Randsburg. You can also view the history of flight or developments in military technology at Edwards Air Force Base, Vernon P. Saxon Flight Museum, or the U.S. Naval Museum of Armament and Technology at the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station… With valley, mountain and desert areas, Kern County has something for everyone. Whatever you enjoy — bird- watching, golfing, hunting and fishing, auto racing, sky diving, rock climbing, biking, off- roading, skiing, kayaking, windsurfing or river rafting — Kern County is the place to be!”

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View looking south from the property

Development

View of neighboring Golden Hills development from the property

The area surrounding Keene Ranch is growing rapidly in population. It is bordered by developments such as Bear Valley Springs to the west and Golden Hills to the east. While these communities still remain relatively spacious, population in Tehachapi has more than tripled in the past 40 years. Keller Valley, which runs through the heart of the ranch, was at one point under consideration for development, but it remained private land. It is still optimal real estate and thanks to the efforts of past owners of Keene Ranch, it still remains a pristine natural haven removed from the chaos of the rest of the world. The neighboring developments are not imposing at all. They are separated from the heart of the ranch by high ridges and mountains, which are the only places that they’re visible from. The center of the ranch is so far removed from Golden Hills and Bear Valley Springs that you wont even know they’re there until you travel up to the ridges and mountaintops and look down upon them. A growing population is inevitable and thus, more houses and developments will be built. Keene Ranch is a quiet natural spot away from these growing developments where you don’t have to worry about being affected by them.

Some interesting Kern County facts taken from the Hagelis Group brochure:

1. Kern County is No.1ÐIn California 10 years total in Personal Income Growth 2. Kern County is No. 1 Ð In California 10 year job growth 3. Kern County is No.2 - In California Metro in economic recovery 4. Kern County is No.3 Ð In housing price gains forecast

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To the north of the property lies Tehachapi Loop, still frequently used by trains

Offering Price

Please call us for a price

California Outdoor Properties, Inc is pleased to have been selected as the Exclusive Agent for the seller of this offering. All information has been obtained from sources deemed reliable by California Outdoor Properties, Inc. however, the accuracy of this information is not guaranteed or warranted by either California Outdoor Properties, Inc., the sellers, and prospective buyers are charged with making and are expected to conduct their own independent investigation of the information contained herein. This offering is subject to prior sale, price change, correction or withdrawal without notice and any offer presented does not have to be accepted.

California Outdoor Properties Inc. 707 Merchant Street, Suite 100 Vacaville, California 95688 707-455-4444, fax 707-455-0455 [email protected] www.californiaoutdoorproperties.com