A beautiful piece of land in Ventura County with sweeping views of the coast has been a nature preserve for five years. Up until now, it didn't officially have a name.
The 1600 acres of land in the hills north of Ventura will be called the Ventura Hills Nature Preserve. The community has known the land as Mariano Rancho.
There have been proposals over the years to develop housing on the land. But in 2020, the Ventura Land Trust put together a $4 million deal to buy and preserve the property.
The Trust has been holding community meetings on what types of activities and access should be allowed on the property. Plans call for it to be opened to the public later this year.
The Trust also sought community input on the name, receiving a number of suggestions. Board members decided the Ventura Hills Nature Preserve would be a simple name that would clearly describe the property.
