Santa Barbara County is beautiful because, throughout history, the stewards of this county have taken care to protect its virtue from those who would exploit this singularly unique paradise. People from all over the world want to live here because of its natural beauty and because that beauty has been courageously protected from being plundered.
Hollister Ranch is among the very last vestiges of the western American wilderness. Because of its geographic isolation, private ownership, lack of public access both along the shore and land, the ranch has passed through time relatively unsullied by the modern world.
The pristine coastline and magnificent geography make the ranch extraordinary. Abundant wildlife, unmolested by mankind, have become accustomed to humans and display tolerance not seen in the rest of the county. Flocks of quail walk peaceful along a trail or road, unfazed by human presence. Wild boar walk along the roads at night undeterred by me as I walk, giving them a broad berth — with them doing likewise.
Cougar, bobcat and bear forage all the way down to the beach. Rattlesnakes are everywhere — even on the beach. With greater public access these animals would have to be “addressed in the interest of public safety.”
The last time I was there I spent a week entranced by the beauty and solitude of the ranch. The land has a palpable spirit and this spirit has a transformative quality. In fact the whole premise of transcendentalism was born of man’s connection to nature. According to transcendentalists nature is God’s real church. Words do not wield the power to describe spiritual experience. But when one has experienced the spiritual, one’s soul resonates at a frequency that is in harmony with the Great Soul.
I do not have access to the ranch anymore, and that is not a problem for me. In the ’60s and early ’70s I was a member of the Santa Barbara County Surf Club and spent a great deal of time there. Aside from that I am not just a native Barbareño Chumash of Santa Barbara but my direct ancestors were Chumash Princess Maria De Los Angeles and Jose Francisco Ortega, who once owned the ranch. I do need to make it clear I do not speak for the Chumash.
The current owners of Hollister Ranch are indeed rich people. They are not only rich in assets, but they are rich in character. They are rich in qualities that have drawn them to the ranch and because of this they are the best stewards of that place. They honor the natural beauty of the ranch and act to preserve it in every way.
Opening the ranch to the general public is not a good idea. There are many arguments that can be made on either side of this issue regarding natural geographic isolation and property rights and conversely the public right to access state beaches. But let me close with an observation.
Upon leaving the ranch after my last weeklong visit a few years ago, I exited the gatehouse and drove along the cliffside road toward Gaviota State Beach. When I neared the area west of Gaviota State Beach where hikers park their cars I saw police cars and chaos. Apparently meth addicts were breaking into the cars of hikers.
I cannot begin to imagine what a mistake it would be to open the ranch to the general public. As a member of the Surf Club I have already seen what some trespassers are capable of: lighting fires, shooting firearms, leaving cattle gates open, littering, and defacing natural rock formations with graffiti.
If access to the ranch is to be granted at all, it should be done in a limited manner consistent with the stewardship of the owners and based upon their approval.
