Madera Ranch

Madera | California

What We’re Doing
Working to restore the state’s natural beauty and permanently safeguard this land from development.

Our Goal
Build a more climate resilient future for all Californians and create the next generation of conservation champions.

Support Our Work in California

A woman in a red jacket laying on a blanket in a field.

Madera Ranch by the Numbers

10,940

acres

new place for outdoor education

space addressing the depleting groundwater in the Central Valley

Safeguarding Central Valley’s Natural Treasures

Parts of the Central Valley are gradually sinking because agricultural industries have pumped groundwater faster than natural underground aquifers can recover. In parts of the valley, land is sinking as much as one foot each year. Sinking land damages roads, houses, and other infrastructure. Here’s the good news: if aquifers are able to recharge, the sinking can be slowed or even stopped. While governments across the Valley have implemented proactive measures, projects like Madera Ranch can make substantial headway in addressing this issue. Protecting this uncultivated acreage will help to naturally replenish the aquifer over time, which is essential for the region’s long-term sustainability.

We’re working with our partners at the Madera Irrigation District (MID) to protect nearly 11,000 acres in Madera County. Rarely do uncultivated grasslands of this size become available for protection, and TPL is working to restore this natural beauty and permanently safeguard it forever.

And this story has more good news, it’s not just about recovering much needed groundwater. In surrounding cities like Madera and Fresno, far too many children lack access to environmental education or the benefits of nature in their own backyards. Madera Ranch is a crucial habitat for diverse species like the kangaroo mice, Fresno foxes, blunt nose leopard lizards, and burrowing owls, and this space will be the ideal outdoor classroom for school groups and educational organizations to learn about California’s incredible flora and fauna. Environmental education helps create the next generation of conservation champions, meaning a greener future for all Californians.

About This Project

Get Directions

Get in Touch With Our California Team

Los Angeles Office

135 West Green Street
2nd Floor
Pasadena, CA, 91105
(323) 223-0441
california@tpl.org

Sacramento Office

1107 9th Street
Suite 1050
Sacramento, CA, 95814
(916) 557-1673
california@tpl.org

San Francisco Office

23 Geary Street
Suite 1000
San Francisco, CA, 94108
(415) 495-4014
california@tpl.org

Guillermo Rodriguez

Vice President Pacific Region, California State Director

california@tpl.org