Current Projects
San Antonio Ranch
Connecting Wildlife
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The 586-acre San Antonio Ranch is a critical missing property in a larger regionally significant wildlife corridor between the Gabilan Range and Santa Cruz Mountains. The property is a strategic acquisition that would fill a gap between three protected ranches - Rocks Ranch, Rancho Larios Open Space, and the Nyland property - to create a 4,245-acre protected landscape which is essential to the effectiveness of Caltran’s pending San Benito Wildlife Crossing over US Highway 101.
If not permanently protected, the property is highly vulnerable to subdivision into ranchettes, which would irreversibly fragment habitat and compromise wildlife movement in this already constrained landscape.
This acquisition ensures the land will continue to be a working cattle ranch, return Indigenous land stewardship, and host community members on our Ranch Days.
Thanks to our partners, this project is progressing. The Conservation Fund (TCF) secured $1,500,000 collectively from the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) and the Wildlife Conservation Network, and assumed risk through bridge financing that enabled them to negotiate a substantially reduced price from the sellers. TCF is passing on their savings to SBALT.
We must raise $2,800,000 to buy San Antonio Ranch
SBALT is applying for state funding and we need our community's help with letters of support and donations that demonstrate our commitment to funding the care of this land...forever.
To donate toward this purchase and the stewardship of our lands, click here.
To read about this spring's San Antonio Ranch Discovery Hikes and how to register, click here.
To write a letter of support by March 5, click here.
Stay tuned for more updates on this project! 📢
Read the recent article in BenitoLink here.
San Benito County General Plan Agricultural Element
The Agricultural Element of the General Plan is a new component of the General Plan that is being developed. Development of the Agricultural Element includes compiling reports regarding soil classification, hydrology, economic analyses, and other relevant factors which will inform the policies of the Ag Element.
This effort is intended to strengthen the County’s support for agriculture, including rangelands, and the long-term viability of the agricultural economy. The reports and the Agricultural Element are expected to include:
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Identification of intrinsic values of farmland that are of high value in addition to food production.
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Identifying farmland at risk of conversion or loss.
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Identifying high priority agricultural lands for conservation.
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Conservation strategies and approaches.
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General Plan policies related to agriculture.
This element is being developed as part of the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) program, which provides funding to help prevent the conversion of agricultural lands to non-agricultural uses. The goal is to create policies that ensure long-term agricultural productivity, preserve open spaces, and support the local economy. Read more about the Stakeholder Planning Group here:
Ag Element Stakeholder Planning Group | San Benito County, CA
San Benito Wildfire Resilience Program
UC Cooperative Extension, San Benito Agricultural Land Trust, the San Benito Resource Conservation District (RCD), and many other partners recently updated the San Benito Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). In 2025 we embarded on the development of the Regional Priority Plan (RPP) for San Benito County. Visit the San Benito Wildfire Resilience Program webpage to learn more.
Photo by Bob Connolly
The CWPP serves as a roadmap for prioritizing hazardous fuels reduction and other fire prevention activities to improve community resilience to wildfires. The CWPP also identifies where there is the need for fire to support fire-adapted habitats and Indigenous cultural fire practices. The RPP will recommend a set of priority projects from the CWPP to implement. Having an RPP is a key requirement for continuing and expanding the region’s funding for wildfire mitigation related projects.
This project is funded by a block grant awarded to the State Coastal Conservancy through the California Department of Conservation.