Fiscalini Ranch Preserve celebrates 20 years of breathtaking beauty

The Central Coast is rich with natural beauty. From Montaña de Oro State Park to Big Sur, you will see one beautiful vista after another, but one spot holds a special place in our hearts: Fiscalini Ranch Preserve. That is because, in a special way, the Ranch belongs to us.

What we now call Fiscalini Ranch Preserve has a long history and has been known by many names. Before the Spanish Mission era, it was home to members of the present-day Salinan and Northern Chumash Tribes. Their names for this place are lost.

Then it became Rancho Santa Rosa as part of a Mexican land grant that was later divided into smaller properties.

The Fiscalini family ran dairy and beef cattle on the Town Ranch for more than a century before it was sold to developers who had plans for hundreds of houses, a shopping center and golf course on what was eventually called the East West Ranch. The developers moved to block access to the site.

This marked the tipping point for Cambrians who had been walking the land for decades. A determined group formed to ensure that the property would remain publicly accessible forever.

The tale is long, complicated and political, but eventually a nonprofit organization, Friends of the Ranch Land, recruited the American Land Conservancy to help preserve the Ranch as open space.

North Coast Small Wilderness Area Preservation (NCSWAP) was formed and together they raised the $11.1 million price from residents, public agencies, businesses and open space advocates from all over the world.

Ownership of the 437-acre site was transferred to the Cambria Community Services District (CCSD) in November 2000, while the conservation easement ultimately went to NCSWAP, which later become Friends of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve (FFRP).

CCSD manages the land, and with the help of FFRP provides public access, conservation, restoration and education.

Since 2000, more than eight miles of trails have been established, including the breathtaking Bluff Trail.

Neglected grasslands have been transformed from weed-infested acres into native plant habitat rich with wildflowers. Remnant Monterey pine forest has been expanded by more than 40%.

But most importantly, countless thousands of people have visited the Ranch, finding inspiration, respite and joy on this beautiful land that belongs to the people of Cambria, California and the world.

Jo Ellen Butler, long-time executive director of the Friends of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, recently said, “The very existence of the Ranch is a reminder that we can dream really big dreams. That any one of us can change the world and make the world a better and more beautiful place. We can do it with the help of other people if our dream is big enough.”

Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve

Friends of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve is putting on a show to mark the anniversary. The two-hour online program will feature musical performances, oral histories and door prizes.

Each performer, like the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve itself, is a local treasure.

Jill Knight, with her unmistakable, soulful sound, headlines with guitarist Eric Williams. Brynn Albanese, an internationally recognized and versatile violinist, provides the opening set then joins Jill and Eric for a reunion of the Jill Knight Trio.

Closing the show will be Neal Dundas, our own bluff-top bagpiper. Interviews and never-before-seen imagery of the Ranch will tell the story of its history, the place it holds in our hearts and community, and how each person can help sustain this jewel of the Central Coast. Each registered guest will also be eligible to win door prizes, with items donated by local businesses in support of Friends of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve.

The online celebration will be held on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, 4 to 6 p.m.

Registration is free; donations are appreciated. Register to receive information at https://www.bigbigslo.com/ffrp.