Environmental Groups Hail California Victory To Preserve 240,000 Acres As Wilderness

Lebec, CA (AHN) - Environmental groups were celebrating what they called a major victory Thursday in forging a deal with a developer in which environmentalists pledged not to oppose the sprawling Tejon Ranch development in exchange for 375 square miles preserved as wilderness.

The nearly 240,000 acres is home to bears, elks, wild turkeys and eagles and is eight times the area of San Fransisco, or about the size of Los Angeles.

Conservationists say it will probably be the last deal of its size in California.

Under the agreement, the land will be purchased partly with state conservation money and set aside forever as natural wilderness. In exchange, the developer gets to open up 30,000 acres for development at the ranch, an area equal to about one tenth of what is already developed at Tejon Ranch.

Plans call for building three new towns that will have golf courses, hotels, condominiums and an additional 26,000 homes.