Home / Environment / California's Last Wild Oasis Faces Final Development Battle
California's Last Wild Oasis Faces Final Development Battle
5 Sep
Summary
- A 510-acre former oil field faces a crucial conservation deadline.
- Over 75% of funding is secured, but $20 million is still needed.
- The land is vital for threatened California gnatcatchers and other wildlife.
After a 50-year threat of development, West Coyote Hills in Fullerton, California, is in the final stages of preservation. A 25-year community effort has brought the protection of this 510-acre former oil field close to reality. Friends of Coyote Hills reports that over 75% of the $95 million needed for the purchase has been secured, with $20 million still required.
The conservation group aims to permanently protect the land as parkland and a nature preserve. Previous successes include the protection of 200 acres on the eastern side, with milestones like a density shift in 2014 and Fullerton's acquisition of 24 acres in December 2021. Recreational trails opened in the Robert E Ward Nature Preserve in 2023, allowing public access.
The State of California approved the Purchase and Sale Agreement in April 2026, authorizing the Watershed Conservation Authority to acquire the site. This land is critical for biodiversity, supporting 56 pairs of threatened California gnatcatchers and 368 additional species, including endangered ones. Preserving West Coyote Hills also protects a key part of the Lower San Gabriel River Watershed and could mitigate urban stormwater runoff impacts.
The planned acquisition is expected to close between 2026 and 2027. Completing the purchase would bring the total protected acreage to 582 acres, safeguarding this ecological hotspot for over two million residents in park-poor communities.
