Autumn Arrives at Hollister Ranch: A Season of Renewal and Stewardship

Summer is over and autumn has come in with a calm, yet moist, entrance. We’ve already had some measurable rainfall, and shoots of green grass are sprouting along the roadside.

Hollister Ranch is the only remaining place where one can live and experience the Southern California coast as it was over 100 years ago. Only the adjacent Dangemond Preserve is as well preserved and protected, and property there isn’t for sale. 

The perennial ambient (and noisier) sound encountered on the other side of the Hollister Ranch entrance is completely absent here at the Ranch. For instance, the songs, tweets and calls of native songbirds that are drowned out in urban and suburban environments, vibrate through the air at full volume without the cacophony noise interference from the developed world. 

The resurfacing of the main Hollister Ranch road, Rancho Real, has been completed. Only the striping has yet to be done. This project is a fine example of how we protect Hollister Ranch. The staff (the best the Ranch has enjoyed since its beginning in 1971) has done an exceptional job maintaining and enhancing our infrastructure.

When I say” exceptional,” all one has to do is to see how the state of California treats our adjacent neighbor, Gaviota State Park, while approaching the Hollister Ranch entrance gate. 

The vast number of potholes and deteriorating road surface is all too obvious from the Hollister Ranch boundary all the way back to a few feet from U.S. 101 where some cosmetic paving has been done to make the road appear in perfect condition from the highway.

The very dangerous creek crossing during storms remains unaddressed as it has been for decades. 

The condition of the vegetation along the park road is in violation of state law as too proximate to the roadway. Furthermore, the vegetation is so overgrown that it presents an extremely significant danger to park visitors should there be a fire in Gaviota Canyon. The notorious violent winds that blow toward the park down Gaviota Pass would vaporize the park grounds, and everything present, in a 65 MPH wind-driven fire.

That is not to mention the millions the state provided to restore the creek wetlands. The money for the wetlands “disappeared” to somewhere (?). The boat launch that provided public access to the state tidelands all the way to Point Conception (including Hollister Ranch) remains inoperative after damage to another part of the pier well over 10 years ago.

Politician’s pet projects designed to pave their way up the political ladder seem to always take precedence over maintaining state assets. After all, maintenance never got anyone elected. Maintenance at Hollister Ranch, indeed enhancement, is what the HR owners have provided this natural wonderland for over 50 years. It’s some to be proud of.