Conservationists score big win in California
Good news, a huge chunk of California is now protected from becoming suburban sprawl. Conservationists and developers finally came to an agreement this week after a long running standoff over what to do with 265,000 acre ranch north of Los Angeles. As the largest contiguous stretch of privately owned-land in California, the ranch has been highly sought after by developers and conservationists alike for its rich biodiversity and its proximity to LA. Thursday, the Tejon Ranch Co. agreed to protect 90% -- or about 240,000 acres -- of its ranch land from future development. In return, developers get to build their precious condo high-rises and strip malls on the remaining 10% without facing opposition from the Sierra Club or the Natural Resources Defense Council -- and you know that no developer wants to mess with those guys. The 165 year-old ranch covers a lot of prime habitat for the endangered California Condor.













