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Cagney Property

Cagney Grasslands
Cagney Property
© Richard Herrmann

On June 30, 2003, The Conservancy took its first step toward protecting one of the last remnants of extensive grassland habitat in coastal Southern California by purchasing 417 acres in the Ramona Grasslands. Just a half-hour from downtown San Diego, the Cagney property is a peaceful expanse of rock outcroppings, riparian forest, chaparral, and nearly 50 vernal pools harboring endangered species such as San Diego fairy shrimp and Parish's brittlescale, a plant thought to be extinct until its recent discovery here. The Cagney property is a small part of the 8,000-acre Ramona Grasslands area the Conservancy is striving to protect.

Location
In San Diego County, less than 10 miles outside of Ramona, west of Highway 78.

Plants
These plants are rare in San Diego County:

  • Dwarf pepper grass
  • Southern tarplant
  • San Jacinto Valley crownscale
  • Parish's brittlescale

Animals
These animals are considered rare or endangered in California:

  • Stephen's kangaroo rat
  • San Diego fairy shrimp
  • Arroyo southwestern toad
  • California gnatcatcher

Other animals you might see are bobcats, golden eagles, hawks, egret, songbirds, and deer.

History
The property was owned by William J. Cagney, brother of the late movie star James Cagney. The brothers often visited the property, which was used to raise cattle. Many Native American artifacts are also found on the land.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
Grasslands are important not only because of the native species they support. Stretches of grasslands create linkages, wildlife corridors, and breeding grounds for many migratory animals. Bobcats and deer travel between Poway and the Palomar Mountains, and golden eagles forage and breed in the grasslands. Santa Maria Creek, which runs through the Cagney land, is home to endangered arroyo southwestern toads, and the forest canopy over the stream provides a breeding habitat for neotropcial songbirds.

The Threat
Typically flat and treeless, native grasslands have largely disappeared from the Southern California landscape. As a result of urban growth, agricultural development, and the spread of invasive non-native grasses, less than 10 percent of the historic native grasslands of San Diego County remain. With San Diego's rural population expected to grow by 80% in the next 15 years, the pressure to sell, subdivide, or develop ranches is rapidly mounting.

What the Conservancy Is Doing
The Conservancy hopes to protect the entire 8,000-acre Ramona Grasslands, creating a natural habitat linkage with partner conservation lands to the south and north. Collaborating with state and local partners, The Nature Conservancy is working to develop and implement a conservation plan that will achieve sustainable conservation and compatible development in the area. The Ramona Grasslands also present a unique opportunity to reestablish, with help from the San Diego Zoological Society, a population of pronghorn. Many grassland plants native to southern California co-evolved with pronghorn and are likely adapted to its particular grazing regime.

Partners
County of San Diego, California State Parks, the California State Water Resources Control Board, the State of California Resources Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Wildlife Conservation Board, the Ramona Community Planning Group, the Conservation Biology Institute, and the Wildlife Research Institute.