Big win for wildlife and Bay Area hikers as The Conservation Fund clinches a deal to acquire and save Richmond Ranch from the jaws of developers. The ranch, a whopping 3,654-acre parcel of pristine Californian landscape, was snatched up for $16 million, a steal considering its hefty $35 million valuation thanks to the seller's generosity, a China-based company going by the name Z&L Properties.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, along with the Wildlife Conservation Network, backrolled the purchases, and policy wonks are now chomping at the bit to transform this land into a public space, which is long overdue because efforts to acquire it have been thrashing around for two decades. "We're thrilled that The Conservation Fund was able to bring together the partners and financing to finally achieve the goal of protecting Richmond Ranch permanently," Dan Medeiros from the Fund cheered about securing this prime piece of land that promises to slap together fragmented habitats, offering an olive branch to wildlife in the area.

According to the organization's statement, slinky pumas, shy American badgers, and hulking Tule elk are among the critters that call the ranch home. It’s a puzzle piece connecting the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Diablo Range, and it could be a shiny new spot on the Bay Area Ridge Trail map. 

The Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency is potentially acquiring a slice of this eco-pie, and they’re not alone, various agencies and funders are already jostling for a piece of the Richmond Ranch action to shield this ecological Eden. "And thanks to the great work of The Conservation Fund and generosity of Z&L Properties, we are able to get a tremendous return on investment for everyone who cares about conservation," beams Dan Winterson of the Moore Foundation.