Hollister Peak, Cerro Alto Ranch to be permanently protected
–The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County has permanently protected the 540-acre Cerro Alto Ranch along Turri Road with a voluntary conservation easement.
Cerro Alto Ranch is named for Hollister Peak’s original name – Cerro Alto. This 540-acre ranch features the entire southern slope of Hollister Peak from Turri Road to Hollister’s craggy summit. The elevation change on the property makes for an impressive diversity of wildlife habitat, vistas, and terrain. Serpentine outcrops support a host of rare plants, hillside oak woodlands feature views of Morro Bay, and cattle graze on the rolling coastal grasslands along Turri Road.
The portion of Hollister protected by this agreement is highly visible from Los Osos Valley and Morro Bay. Travelers along Turri Road might recognize the windmill that stands at the base of the sweeping hillsides of the property. “The ranch is a truly special piece of our county. Through this partnership with the owner, we have been able to protect local food, iconic views, and homes for wildlife. The ranch is one of many beautiful places from San Luis Obispo to Los Osos that are part our effort to preserve a path through the Los Osos Valley,” said Kaila Dettman, Executive Director of The Conservancy.
“Permanently conserving Cerro Alto Ranch has been the realization of a dream for me,” said Jeff Buckingham, who owns the ranch with his wife Joan. “When I first arrived at Cal Poly in the summer of 1979, I went exploring and found Turri Road where I paused for a moment in front of the ranch my family now calls home. I thought, ‘wouldn’t it be amazing to live here and be able to keep this place looking just this way forever?’ With the help of The Land Conservancy, we have done just that.”
The Land Conservancy has now conserved more than 1,600 acres in and around Los Osos Valley. Another conservation easement was completed in September 2018 at Kandarian Farms, a 130-acre property located along Los Osos Valley Road. Cerro Alto Ranch and Kandarian Farms join three other farms and ranches in the Los Osos Valley-area under conservation agreements with The Land Conservancy. “When we add new conservation easements near other conserved properties, we enhance the benefits for wildlife, agriculture, scenic vistas, and ultimately our entire community,” said Kaila Dettman.
Cerro Alto Ranch is still privately owned. No public access, including to Hollister Peak, is allowed as a result of this agreement. However, The Land Conservancy has permission to host docent-led hikes on the ranch each year with the support of the landowner. The existing sustainable livestock operation will continue. Residential development is reduced to two homes and subdivision of the property is prohibited under the easement terms.
The Cerro Alto Ranch conservation easement was funded by the Camp San Luis Obispo Army Compatible Use Buffer (ACUB) Program. The Camp San Luis Obispo ACUB Program is a partnership between Camp SLO and The Land Conservancy to protect land proximate to the installation from significant land use change.
More information about The Land Conservancy’s efforts to protect a path through Los Osos Valley can be found at www.lcslo.org.
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