A Bold Step in Conservation, a Future Being Built
In 2024, the Gaviota Coast Conservancy took quick and nimble action to secure Rancho Tajiguas — a 3,272 acre historic coastal ranch facing imminent development.
The acquisition was made possible through bridge financing of $35 million — a bold step that secured the land when it was most vulnerable.
Our next chapter is to retire that debt, establish a permanent conservation easement, and ensure this rare coastal landscape is protected forever.
Watershed-Scale Conservation
Located along the Gaviota Coast, the Preserve encompasses nearly the entire Tajiguas Creek watershed—from the crest of the Santa Ynez Mountains to the Pacific Ocean— a continuous corridor of rare habitats and native biodiversity. Its protection safeguards threatened species, supports climate resilience, and prevents development in one of California’s last intact coastal ecosystems.
Education & Public Access
Building on its ecological richness and cultural history, the Preserve offers immersive, place-based learning experiences that connect people to land, water, and stewardship. Our guided hikes, interpretive walks, and educational workshops are opportunities to learn about Gaviota Coast biodiversity, ecological restoration, regenerative agriculture, and local history.
An Historic Working Ranch
Rural, working ranches that embody California's iconic coastal heritage are slowly fading from the landscape, and with them a way of life cherished for its close harmony between land, economy and culture. The Gaviota Coast stands in relative defiance of this trend, with Rancho Tajiguas a foremost example. Intact for over 200 years in its orchard-dotted lowlands, fertile open pasture, and wild, natural canyons and hills, the Ranch sits literally and figuratively in the center of the Gaviota, long predating nearby Refugio State Park and rich with historic connections. Sustained byTajiguas Creek, Rancho Tajiguas has maintained continuous ranching and farming since at least the 1790s, likely the longest continually farmed property in Santa Barbara County.
Rancho Tajiguas Preserve is home to a rich mix of architectural, agricultural, and cultural history, offering meaningful ways to learn about, celebrate, and protect the heritage of coastal California. Today, the Gaviota Coast Conservancy manages the ranch as a working landscape where conservation, agriculture, and education come together to shape a resilient future.
Model for Fire Resilience
Rancho Tajiguas Preserve, with its diverse ecosystems and productive ranchlands, is strategically positioned to enhance fire resilience along the Gaviota Coast. Spanning from the Los Padres National Forest to the coastal plains, the Ranch provides essential natural and managed buffers against wildfire. Through conservation and land management practices, Rancho Tajiguas Preserve supports regional wildfire mitigation, and demonstrates fire-safe land stewardship and the integration of agriculture in fire-resilient landscapes. Blending natural habitats with managed agricultural zones that reduce fire fuels, enhance local firefighting capacity, and protect both communities and ecosystems across the Gaviota Coast, Rancho Tajiguas Preserve serves as a cornerstone of fire resilience.