VENTURA COUNTY — After more than a century in private ownership and industrial use, 101 acres at Crooked Palm are now permanently protected for public benefit, marking a milestone for community access, regional climate resilience, and habitat restoration in Ventura County.
Located in an area where residents experience some of the highest pollution levels in California, Crooked Palm’s conservation delivers long-overdue access to clean, healthy outdoor space. The protection of this land also secures more than 45 acres of important habitat, strengthens the Ventura River watershed, and advances California’s 30×30 conservation goals.
“Crooked Palm’s transformation from an abandoned industrial site to protected land is a victory for Ventura and all Californians. Restoring this land protects habitat, strengthens regional climate resilience, and opens healthy access to the outdoors in a community where it’s needed most,” said Guillermo Rodriguez, Vice President of the Pacific Region and California State Director for Trust for Public Land. “For the first time in more than a century, this land will increase connection to the Ventura River and provide the public with the physical and mental health benefits that come with close-to-home access to nature.”
For the first time in over 100 years, the former agricultural fertilizer and oil refinery property can no longer be used for industrial or commercial purposes. The site creates a new connection point to the Ventura River/Ojai Valley Trail, a 16-mile regional corridor that links communities to nature, recreation, and non-vehicular transportation options. This new access will reduce reliance on cars, expand opportunities for outdoor activity, and improve close-to-home access to nature’s proven health benefits.
The protection of Crooked Palm is the result of a partnership led by Trust for Public Land, Ventura Land Trust, and the California Natural Resources Agency. The property has been part of regional planning discussions since 2008, and its permanent conservation marks the beginning of a new chapter for the landscape and the community.
“The Ventura region falls within one of a few dozen biodiversity hotspots identified across the globe, making every acre conserved an important one,” said Melissa Baffa, Executive Director of Ventura Land Trust. “This property, along the Ventura River, just a short distance from an urban setting, and with a long history of industrial use, is an especially exciting acquisition for Ventura Land Trust. We are thrilled to have this opportunity to take a bruised and blighted property and restore it to beautiful natural habitat that our human and wildlife neighbors will enjoy for generations. We are very thankful for the support of our conservation partners in this important project.”
“After generations of industrial use and pollution, Crooked Palm now offers safe, welcoming outdoor access in a community long denied it,” said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot. “Through strong collaboration, we secured important habitat, strengthened the Ventura River watershed, and took another meaningful step toward California’s 30×30 conservation goals. This project reflects what partnership delivers when public health, nature, and community come first.”
Following decades of industrial use, the property has undergone extensive environmental cleanup and infrastructure removal. Given this much improved state of the property, Ventura Land Trust now has an opportunity to reenvision this portion of the lower Ventura River with the community. While the protection of the property immediately provides for improved flood protection and habitat restoration, there are also future opportunities to activate the land in a way that reflects local open space and recreational priorities, and the unique ecology of the site.
Habitat restoration at Crooked Palm will support threatened and endangered species, improve floodwater management, and help reduce wildfire risk. In a region facing significant pollution burdens and climate stress, conserving this land brings meaningful and lasting health and environmental benefits.
The project was made possible thanks to the generous support of public and private partners, including Proposition 68 and the California Natural Resources Agency’s Urban Flood Protection Program. California voters passed the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2018 (Proposition 68) on June 5, 2018, which authorized a competitive grant program for the purpose of multi-benefit projects in urbanized areas to address flooding.
About Trust for Public Land
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,500 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit www.tpl.org
About Ventura Land Trust
The mission of Ventura Land Trust is to permanently protect the land, water, wildlife and scenic beauty of the Ventura region for current and future generations. Founded in 2003, Ventura Land Trust believes that preserving open space and providing public access enhances the economy, quality of life, and public well-being of Ventura and surrounding communities. The organization currently owns and manages land along the Ventura River and in the Ventura hillsides, totaling just under 4,000 acres. The two largest, Ventura Hills Nature Preserve and Harmon Canyon Preserve, are open to the public daily from dawn to dusk for free. In addition to these major holdings, the Ventura Land Trust owns and stewards other smaller parcels across Ventura County. Ventura Land Trust received accreditation by the Land Trust Alliance in 2019, and re-accreditation in 2025. Learn more and become a member at www.venturalandtrust.org