Tag: Ventura Land Trust

Public access to Ventura Hills Nature Preserve is under threat due to a lawsuit brought by Chevron and Aera Energy

by Community Contributor • May 5, 2026 • Comments Off

VENTURA — Ventura Land Trust released the following statement on May 4, 20206:

Public access to Ventura Hills Nature Preserve is under threat due to a lawsuit brought by Chevron and Aera Energy.

They claim that allowing the public to use Hall Canyon Road interferes with their asserted legal rights to use the road for oil operations. Chevron and Aera have asked the Court to close Hall Canyon Road and VLT’s trailhead to the public.

Ventura Land Trust is currently in active litigation fighting to keep this vital community asset open to the public. Ventura Hills Nature Preserve is the product of more than 25 years of community effort and public investment. This preserve exists today because people across Ventura came together to ensure it would be preserved and accessible for future generations.

After 100 years of industrial use, Crooked Palm now permanently protected for recreation, ecological restoration

by Community Contributor • January 13, 2026 • Comments Off

“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.”

April 25 — Used outdoor gear to be sold to raise funds for Ventura Land Trust

by Community Contributor • January 1, 2026 • Comments Off

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Ventura Land Trust acquires Welcome Center Building

by Community Contributor • June 19, 2025 • Comments Off

The building, which closed escrow on March 31, will house a Welcome Center open to the public and VLT offices. The Welcome Center will have exhibits and information on VLT preserves and the natural history of the region, as well as meeting and event space. Remodeling and exhibit design for the ground-floor Welcome Center is starting now.

Ventura Land Trust announces name for new preserve

by Community Contributor • March 27, 2025 • Comments Off

Last year, VLT embarked upon a community conversation to engage residents in the search for a name for an area that has held many names throughout history. It was once simply called “the hills” by the Chumash people living in the village known as Shisholop. With the arrival of the Spanish and subsequent colonization of the region, the hillsides were part of the Rancho Ex Mission San Buenaventura land grant. More recently, the hillsides were referred to as Mariano Rancho.

Ventura Land Trust donors, volunteers honored at Supporter Spotlight event

by Community Contributor • November 7, 2023 • Comments Off

VENTURA — Ventura Land Trust (VLT) honored distinguished donors and volunteers at its annual Supporter Spotlight event on Friday, November 3rd. Ventura Land Trust supporters joined the VLT Board of Trustees and staff members for happy hour and dinner while celebrating the 2023 VLT accomplishments and community impact.

Field Truck Purchase Advances Ventura Land Trust’s Land Conservation Efforts

by Community Contributor • September 13, 2022 • Comments Off

Ventura Land Trust purchased a 2019 Toyota Tacoma to replace a field truck lost last year in a traffic collision, bringing the number in the organization’s fleet of field trucks to two. The truck was purchased with support from community donations, corporate support, and a lead gift from Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas).

The four-wheel drive field truck is used daily to transport Ventura Land Trust staff, tools, water tanks, and other gear necessary for conservation work and preserve management. The truck is also used to haul thousands of pounds of trash from the Ventura River.

“This truck replaces a field truck that was 20 years old,” says Ventura Land Trust Executive Director Melissa Baffa. “It feels good to have a vehicle that can safely carry our staff and partners, and that is capable of meeting the demands of land stewardship.”

“We know that people will see this truck driving around town with the water tank we use to care for young plants, or piled high with trash bags from a clean-up. It’s really a moving symbol of the work we do every day to protect and preserve local open spaces. We’re pleased to have the support of the community and partners like SoCalGas, who understood the urgent need to add to our field truck fleet and came through with the support we needed to do so.”

Ventura Land Trust Awarded $7.2 million for Ventura Hillsides Land Conservation

by Community Contributor • July 14, 2022 • Comments Off

Ventura Land Trust has been awarded $7.2 million from the State of California to complete the acquisition and permanent conservation of the 1,645-acre Ventura hillsides property now known as Mariano Rancho Preserve.

Mariano Rancho Preserve provides a dramatic backdrop to historic downtown and midtown Ventura with the most high-profile hills in the region. The eastern edge of Mariano Rancho Preserve contains one of the famous “Two Trees.” The western corner of the property is adjacent to Ventura’s Grant Park, home to the Ventura Botanical Gardens.

With the acquisition of Mariano Rancho Preserve, Ventura Land Trust comes full circle to the reason the organization, originally Ventura Hillsides Conservancy, was established in 2003: to preserve and protect the hills that define Ventura’s landscape.

Ventura Land Trust and Topa Topa Brewing Company Announce $10,000 Match Campaign for Harmon Canyon Preserve

by Community Contributor • December 2, 2021 • Comments Off

Ventura Land Trust and Topa Topa Brewing Company have joined together in the month of December to launch giving campaign Harmon for the Holidays. Topa Topa Brewing Company will match up to $10,000 in donations to Ventura Land Trust (VLT) in support the conservation of Harmon Canyon Preserve. Ventura Land Trust is proud to be one of Topa Topa Brewing Company’s local 1% for the Planet partners.

“We are proud to partner with VLT as one of our 1% for the Planet beneficiaries this year,” says Jack Dyer, founder and CEO of Topa Topa Brewing Company. “As stewards of our community, we are beyond excited about the great work VLT does to protect and steward the open spaces that make Ventura the wonderfully vibrant outdoor community that it is.”

Doug Trapp Joins Ventura Land Trust Board of Trustees

by Community Contributor • September 22, 2021 • Comments Off

Doug Trapp has joined the Board of Trustees for the Ventura Land Trust. Trapp, a Ventura resident, is a Project Manager with Staples Construction.

Doug Trapp grew up in the West San Fernando Valley, where he often explored local hills that had no official public access. That experience fueled his desire to support responsible public access to open spaces.

“The dedication shown by VLT staff and volunteers that I have witnessed since joining the Stewardship Committee in 2019 inspired be to become more involved,” says Trapp. “Ventura is a special place that VLT is working to protect and enhance. I look forward to actively supporting our mission.”

Announcing Melissa Baffa as Ventura Land Trust Executive Director

by Community Contributor • August 12, 2021 • Comments Off

The Ventura Land Trust is pleased to announce that Melissa Baffa has been selected by the Board of Trustees as its new Executive Director. Her appointment comes at a time of historic expansion for Ventura Land Trust, which in the past year has grown to hold nearly 4,000 acres of land designated for conservation and public access in Ventura County.

Ventura Land Trust announces new board leadership

by Community Contributor • March 18, 2021 • Comments Off

The Board of Trustees of Ventura Land Trust elected a new leadership slate to start 2021. Retired Ventura city manager Mark Watkins will serve as Board President, backed by Vice President Jill Shaffer. Sylvia Schnopp steps into the role of treasurer and John Hankins continues as secretary.

Mark Watkins, a registered California Civil Engineer, has enjoyed a long career of public service working for the County of Kern as the Public Works Director, for the City of Thousand Oaks, and most recently as City Manager for the City of Ventura. Mark retired from the City of Ventura in 2017.