On May 27, 2004, Sequoia Riverlands Trust purchased and permanently
protected the 1,837-acre Homer Ranch, acquired from Richard and
Stephanie Homer. Located west of the entrance to Sequoia and
Kings Canyon National Parks near the town of Lemon Cove, the
preserve includes portions of Dry Creek, unique sycamore alluvial
woodlands and blue oak woodland habitat.
“This ranch provides a unique opportunity for SRT to maintain
a working cattle ranch and our rural way of life,” said
Sopac McCarthy Mulholland, executive director of SRT. “We
plan to provide guided tours about the importance of agriculture
and rare habitat conservation by next spring, building on the
public education program already in place at our Kaweah Oaks
Preserve. We also look forward to working with a local grazer
who will help manage the special conservation values of this
area.”
The Dry Creek area is widely popular for its spring wildflower
shows and is home to one of the largest remaining sycamore alluvial
woodland communities in the world. This unusual woodland provides
critical habitat for resident and migratory birds, and the Dry
Creek landscape supports native species such as great blue heron,
bald eagle, western pond turtle and herds of mule deer. The conservation
of Homer Ranch maintains the connection between Dry Creek and
5,000 acres of blue oak woodland already conserved on adjoining
public and private property.
“My wife, Stephanie, and I decided to approach Sequoia
Riverlands Trust about buying our ranch after a visit to their
Kaweah Oaks Preserve,” said Richard Homer, whose great,
great grandparents homesteaded the area in the late 1800’s. “We’ve
always thought our ranch would be the perfect place for people
to enjoy the beauty of this area and learn about a working cattle
ranch. We’re proud to help future generations experience
an important part of California’s history.”
SRT, working with their partner The Nature
Conservancy, will use this opportunity to study the intact
sycamore alluvial woodland on the Homer Preserve. “We’re excited to bring the
scientific expertise of The Nature Conservancy to help research
and study this unique plant community,” said Alex Mas,
TNC project manager. “Very little is known about how sycamore
woodlands naturally regenerate, so research at the Homer Ranch
will help guide SRT’s efforts to restore sycamores at the
former Dry Creek Quarry.”
The combination of biological and environmental conditions that
give rise to this community occurs only rarely. Thus, while the
California sycamore is not an uncommon species, the sycamore
alluvial woodland community type is found in just 17 stands scattered
across central California on floodplain terraces alongside intermittent
rocky and braided streams. Many of the remaining stands of sycamore
alluvial woodland are threatened or impaired by land use changes
including dams, gravel mining and overgrazing.
Funding for the purchase of the $1.5 million dollar preserve
came from the River Parkways program of the California Resources Agency, as well as The David and Lucile Packard
Foundation through the Sierra Business Council. Barakat, Inc., provided additional funding. The Homer Ranch
is the fifth preserve owned and managed by SRT in Tulare County,
bringing the total of land conserved under fee title to 3,148
acres. SRT supports local economic prosperity by keeping preserves
owned and managed by the organization on the tax rolls.
Click
here to view Homer Ranch Preserve Photos
