Nature
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The Hearst Ranch began in 1865, when George Hearst bought nearly 50,000 acres of the Piedra Blanca Rancho, named by Spanish explorers for its “white rocks,” from Jose de Jesus Pico, who had been granted the land in 1840 by Mexican Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado. It has operated as a cattle ranch ever since. Over the years, the family expanded and contracted adjoining properties, bringing the ranch to about 83,000 acres. Stretching from the inland mountains to the ocean along 18 miles of scenic, pristine coastline, this 130-square-mile property contains most California ecosystems and is home to more than one thousand plant and animal species. A conservation agreement with the American Land Conservancy, the California Range Land Trust, and the State of California on February 18, 2005, ensured that the ranch’s agricultural productivity, biodiversity, scenic vistas, and coastlines would be perpetually conserved.
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