None The Nature Conservancy in California Press Releases Search All Press Releases Misty Herrin Phone: (213) 327-0405 E-mail: mherrin@tnc.org

Conservancy Receives Stewardship Award from U.S. Department of Interior

Irvine, Calif.—May 27, 2005—The Nature Conservancy has received a 2004 Award of Excellence from the U.S. Department of Interior for its efforts with The Irvine Company to protect more than 34,000 acres of rugged mountains, vast meadows and oak woodlands in the heart of Orange County.

U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton presented the award at a May 26 ceremony to celebrate the opening of a new 22-mile-long, mountains-to-sea trail on the Irvine Ranch Land Reserve. The award comes from the Interior Department’s Joint Venture Partners in Stewardship Program, which encourages public/private cooperation to improve parks and wildlands. The Irvine Company, a real estate investment firm, also received an award.

"We share this award with the numerous others who’ve been instrumental in protecting and restoring the Irvine Ranch Land Reserve for future generations," said Mark Burget, executive director of the Conservancy’s California Program. "Protecting our state’s natural treasures requires the work, commitment and vision of many people and many organizations."

The Irvine Ranch Land Reserve harbors some of the finest coastal sage scrub, oak woodlands and native grasslands remaining in Southern California. Not surprisingly, these diverse habitats serve as home to numerous species of plants and animals, including bobcat, mountain lion, deer, rare Tecate cypress, threatened California gnatcatcher and a diverse community of bats.

The Nature Conservancy began collaborating with The Irvine Company and Irvine Ranch Land Reserve in 1992. Today, the Conservancy manages 34,000 of the reserve’s 50,000 acres. Over the years, the Conservancy has partnered with adjoining landowners, research institutions and public agencies to implement more than 50 studies on the reserve’s native plant and animal communities, while guiding restoration programs to ensure their survival for future generations. The Conservancy also oversees a public access program that has enabled tens of thousands of visitors from all over southern California to enjoy the reserve on foot, horseback, or mountain bike.