A land conservancy on the Central Coast has worked out deals to add more than 450 acres of land to a National Monument in the region. The Carrizo Plain Conservancy is trying to add to the nearly 250,000 acre Carrizo Plain National Monument, east of San Luis Obispo.
In one of the two just announced deals, the conservancy purchased 320 acres of land in the Northern Carrizo Plain area, near Highway 58 between San Luis Obispo and Bakersfield.
The nearly $450,000 purchase almost didn’t happen. The conservancy was initially outbid for what is known as the Haynes propert. But, when the top bid didn’t go through, the conservancy was able to work out an agreement.
While the 320 acre purchase is the big announcement, the Conservancy has also worked out another deal. It’s pieced together 17 pieces of land in the Monument which were privately owned, and is offering to donate them to the monument.
The national monument in San Luis Obispo, and Kern County has been in the news during the last year. The Trump Administration wanted its protected status reviewed. The Secretary of the Interior completed the report months ago, and sent it to the White House, but officials have refused to talk about recommendations for Carrizo’s future.
But, Havlik thinks it will be okay. Much of the land for the monument, which was created in 2001, was purchased and donated by the Nature Conservancy, with the understanding it would remain protected forever. On top of that, while the land is important habitat, it doesn’t have any special, in demand natural resources like oil or gas.
The conservancy is hoping the new additions will help send a message to Washington, D.C. that people think the national monument in California is so important they not only do they want to protect it, but to expand it.
