The Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks
Nearly 40,000 acres of open space on the historic Irvine Ranch have been designated a Natural Landmark by both the State of California and the U.S. Department of the Interior. This honor recognizes the exceptional value of these lands to California and the entire nation. The open space of the Natural Landmarks is part of the 50,000 acres of land preserved on the historic Irvine Ranch.
The area received national recognition in 2006 when protected land on the Irvine Ranch was singled out for its rare biological and geological features through designation as a National Natural Landmark (NNL). NNLs are designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior for natural areas in both public and private ownership. They are recognized as outstanding examples of the natural heritage of the country alongside national parks, recreation areas and national monuments. Nationwide, fewer than 600 sites have received this designation.
Then, on Earth Day 2008, nearly 40,000 acres was designated the first California Natural Landmark (CNL), under a new state program that officially recognizes and encourages the stewardship of extraordinary examples of natural resources.
The Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks contain important natural habitats and unusual geological formations. The landscape is home to hundreds of species of plants and animals, including eagles, badgers, mountain lions, Tecate cypress trees, and many rare species of birds, reptiles, amphibians and plants. Scientists have identified this region as one of the world's biodiversity "hot spots" -- an area with large concentrations of different species.
Both Natural Landmark designations followed a rigorous, objective scientific evaluation. The evaluation considered the diversity and rarity of the area's biological, geological and paleontological features; its natural communities; the quality of its habitats and the presence of rare, threatened or endangered species - as well as the land's value for science and education.
The open space throughout the Natural Landmarks contains rock formations and fossils that reveal a sequence of events chronicling earth's history dating back nearly 80 million years. This landscape also contains large swaths of coastal sage scrub, a rare habitat found only in coastal Southern California and northern Baja California. The combination of unusual geological and rare biological characteristics is rare even among Natural Landmarks.
The land is protected and maintained by a group of cooperating landowners and managers including the County of Orange, the City of Irvine, the Irvine Company, the City of Newport Beach, and California State Parks. The landscape represents one of the few places in Southern California where habitats have been preserved stretching from the mountains to the sea.
For more information on the National Natural Landmarks program, administered by the National Park Service, click here. The California Natural Landmarks program is overseen by California State Parks.