Redlands Conservancy

PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC STRUCTURES AND LAND CONSERVATION.

PROPERTY/LAND MANAGEMENT - REDLANDS GATEWAY RANCH IS 167 ACRES AND A HOME THAT WILL SERVE AS A HUB OF HIKING TRAILS IN LIVE OAK CANYON. THIS PROJECT INCLUDES CREATING THE STAGING AREA, ESTABLISHING THE NATIVE PLANT NURSERY, RESTORING THE HOUSE FOR A PERMANENT CARETAKER, DEVELOPING THE OUTBUILDINGS INTO EXPLORATION STATIONS, AND CONSTRUCTING ADA TRAILS AND FACILITIES. IN 2018 WE RECEIVED FEE TITLE TO THE ASISTENCIA, A ONE-ACRE SITE WITH 8,000 SQUARE FEET OF BUILDING SPACE AS A RE-CREATION OF AN 1830'S ESTANCIA LOCATED ON THE SITE.

PRESERVATION OF OPEN SPACE IN AND SURROUNDING REDLANDS KNOWN AS THE EMERALD NECKLACE TRAIL. TOURS AND EDUCATION OF WILDLANDS INCLUDING CITRUS GROVES AND ZANJA GREENWAY TRAIL PARK. INCLUDED IN THIS PROGRAM ARE LAND AND EASEMENT ACQUISITION PROGRAMS TO ADD MORE CONSERVED LAND TO REDLANDS CONSERVANCY MANAGEMENT. CONSERVATION EASEMENT MANAGEMENT, INCLUDING PROPERTY MAINTENANCE, MONITORING, AND ENHANCEMENT; AND LAND MANAGEMENT, INCLUDING PROTECTION OF NATURAL HISTORIC RESOURCES. A DESIGNATION OF THE "OFFICIAL" ROUTE FOR CYCLING AND DRIVING TO REACH ALL OF THE HISTORIC, CULTURAL, AND OPEN SPACE SITES ON THE DEFINED EMERALD NECKLACE TRAIL AND SCENIC ROUTE; INCLUDES STOPS AT DESIGNATED "GEM SITES," WITH ACCESS TO INTERPRETIVE MESSAGES. ALSO, INCLUDES AN ANNUAL EMERALD NECKLACE GRAND TOUR FOR 300 CYCLISTS, DRIVERS AND BUS RIDERS TO LEARN ABOUT AND CELEBRATE THE REDLANDS' EMERALD NECKLACE. ADDITIONALLY, THE ZANJA TRAIL AND GREENWAY PARK IS A MULTI-YEAR PROJECT TO DEVELOP A NATURAL SURFACE TRAIL AND LINEAR PARK ALONG OR NEAR THE HISTORIC MILL CREEK ZANJA, A 198-YEAR-OLD IRRIGATION CHANNEL CONSTRUCTED BY REGIONAL SERRANO AND CAHUILLA INDIANS. HALF OF THE ORIGINAL ZANJA STILL EXISTS. THE (ULTIMATELY) 5-MILE TRAIL WILL INCLUDE INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE, EXERCISE NODES, POCKET PARKS, AND NATIVE VEGETATION. FIRST ONE-MILE REACH OPENED IN LATE 2017.

DURING 2022, THE ORGANIZATION ACQUIRED 70 ACRES OF OPEN SPACE IN LIVE OAK CANYON KNOWN AS THE QUAIL CANYON PRESERVE. THE LAND IS CONNECTED TO THE WEST SIDE OF HERNGT 'AKI' PRESERVE BY A HISTORIC TRAIL THAT RUNS THROUGH THE CANYON. THE TRAIL WILL CONNECT HIKERS, CYCLISTS, AND HORSEBACK RIDERS TO TEDDY'S TRAIL ON THE NORTH END AND TO HERNGT 'AKI' PRESERVE ON THE SOUTH. REDLANDS CONSERVANCY WILL MANAGE THIS PROPERTY TO CONSERVE AND RESTORE THE NATIVE VEGETATION, TO MAINTAIN THE HISTORIC TRAIL THROUGH THE SITE, AND TO PROTECT THE WILDLIFE. PLANS INCLUDE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SMALL REST STATION FOR EQUESTRIANS WITH ACCESS TO WATER FOR HORSES, AND THE INSTALLATION OF AN ATTRACTIVE TWO-STRAND CABLE FENCE TO EXTEND FROM THE WEST END OF THE FENCE ALONG LIVE OAK CANYON ROAD IN FRONT OF HERNGT 'AKI' PRESERVE.