Twining and Oracle Oak Ranches
Oaks and Cattle Ranching are Saved from Sprawl

Olive Twining and her three daughters love their ranch in the oak-covered hills above Ukiah, California. The land has been in the family since Mrs. Twining and her late husband, Howard, bought it in 1957. Cattle graze on the rich grass and wildlife finds refuge in the groves and streams. Eight species of oak grow on the property, including the increasingly rare blue oak and oracle oak, a local sub-species.

Yet vineyards envelop the Twining land on three sides, and residential subdivisions encroach on the property. When the Twinings settled there 45 years ago, there was little to see of the Mendocino County seat a few miles away. Today they have a clear view of Ukiah’s growth as it spreads across the valley.

Now the 1,500-acre Twining ranch has received ermanent protection as open space under a conservation easement signed by the family and the Pacific Forest Trust. Funds to help pay for the easement were granted from the Forest Legacy Program , a cooperative effort of the California Department of Forestry and the USDA Forest Service.

At the signing of the easement, Olive Twining said, "Howard and I always felt strongly that the ranch should be preserved in its natural state. Our children agree wholeheartedly. We know that some day the city of Ukiah will realize the value of such an open natural area and prize it even as we do."

The conservation easement ensures that the Twining and Oracle Oak ranches will continue to be carefully managed to conserve the oak woodlands while maintaining cattle ranching and other compatible uses. The easement also protects the upper half of Howell Creek, an important tributary of the Russian River and home to rainbow trout. Birds include golden eagles and white-tailed kites, animals include the occasional mountain lion or black bear. A rare vernal pool on the property supports uncommon species of plants.

By permanently restricting residential and vineyard development, the conservation easement provides the Twining family with income and estate tax deductions that will help Eloise Twining, and her sisters, Mary and Margery, hold on to the property and continue the family tradition of conservation-based range and woodland management.