In 2006, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Park Service designated much of The Irvine Ranch open space, permanently preserved by Irvine Company, as a National Natural Landmark. That was 20 years ago – a great anniversary to celebrate, says Michael O’Connell, president and CEO of Irvine Ranch Conservancy (IRC), who notes that more than 5 million people visit all the lands included in the Irvine Ranch National Natural Landmark every year, which is a similar attendance number to national parks such as Yellowstone, Yosemite and Grand Canyon.
As the National Park Service director said during the designation ceremony, “The Irvine Ranch National Natural Landmark is so valuable because you don’t have to buy a plane ticket, rent a car and stay in a hotel to have a national park-quality experience. It’s right in our backyard.”
What’s the best way to experience these lands?
Most of the land is open for daily self-guided access. Amazing areas like Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Bommer Canyon, Crystal Cove State Park and Irvine Regional Park receive millions of visitors a year.
Daily visitation is more restricted in other areas – for people’s safety and to protect sensitive resources. IRC has free guided programs almost every day, but self-guided access is more limited. Nevertheless, we want people to experience those areas in special ways and at their own pace.
Once a month, these special areas are open to the public. People constantly tell us how they love that some areas feel more pristine and immersive when they visit them rather than being overwhelmed by visitors every day. Too much public access in certain areas can easily and quickly degrade the reasons they are so special.
What is your vision for this landmark going forward?
That the wildlands we care about are healthy and resilient forever. We want the conservation and recreation successes of IRC and our partners to be a model of how urban wildland landscapes can be protected and managed through public/private partnerships. We hope that IRC’s programs inspire increasing active public support for the land in neighboring communities.
Our vision is for IRC to be an organization synonymous with excellence and innovation in urban wildland management, and the organization to be broadly known for industry-leading expertise in the highest-quality, most cost-effective services and programs.
We are fortunate to have a vibrant, active volunteer corps of more than 500 people who dedicate tens of thousands of hours of service each year to the land and the community.
