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Crayne Ranch,Tomales The Crayne family has owned this prominent property for several generations. It is part of a historic landscape which has remained virtually unchanged for 150 years. When Bill Crayne died, the ranch passed to his four children and several other heirs. The sale of a conservation easement to MALT enables Crayne’s son and three daughters and their aunt to buy out the other heirs and continue the ranching business which they’ve been involved in since the early 1990s. A former dairy, the Crayne Ranch is now a beef cattle operation. The property is well-suited to grazing because of its productive grasslands which also provide excellent wildlife habitat. Without the sale of an easement, the ranch would have been sold and most likely subdivided. Because of its panoramic ridgetop views and its proximity to Petaluma, the property might have been targeted by a developer for rural estate homes. The conversion of farmland in this way is one of the greatest threats facing the agricultural community in Marin County. The conversions can price out an agricultural buyer and lead to a reduction in total number of agricultural producers. “The Crayne Ranch has been part of the agricultural landscape of Marin County for a very long time,” said Robert Berner, Executive Director of Marin Agricultural Land Trust. “We’re happy that MALT was able to provide the family with a conservation alternative to the sale of the ranch and that it will remain in agricultural use.” MALT paid the appraised value of $1,020,000 for the easement. The Department of Conservation provided a grant to MALT of $800,000 for the project. The remainder of the funds were raised from MALT members and supporters. “We’re very pleased with the completion of this project
and congratulate the Crayne family and MALT,” said Brian Leahy,
head of the Department of Conservation’s Division of Land
Resource Protection. “Conservation easements make great sense
for landowners like the Craynes who are committed to agriculture
and the long-term stewardship of their land. This easement also
helps preserve the history and tradition of agriculture that are
unique to the town of Tomales.” Home | Site Map | Terms of Use |
