Banning Ranch Natural Preserve Coming To Pass

December 25th 2022: The Trust for Public Land has closed escrow on the 384 acre Banning Ranch in Newport Beach which borders Costa Mesa. The land which has been a working oilfield since the 1940’s will be cleaned up and be protected as a natural preserve for the publics use.

For years there have been many proposals for the prime land which have included a boutique hotel as well as homes and shopping. The Trust for Public Land and the Banning Ranch Conservancy for years have been trying to save this land from the developers. The two of them were finally able to secure the $97 million funding to purchase the land from the current owners AERA Energy and Cherokee Investment Partners.

The Banning Ranch property apart from the oil production has approximately 100 acres of marshes and 67 acres of costal scrub home to a wide variety of birds included the endangered California gnatchatcher.  The clean up of the property is expected to take about three years after which it can be decided how to open the property to the public.