11,000 More Acres Added to Irvine Ranch Open Space

Irvine Co. Chairman Donald Bren announced Wednesday he will set aside more than 11,000 additional acres of his ranch as permanent open space, including a key parcel in Laguna Canyon and a swath of the rugged Santa Ana Mountains.

Added to parks and open space set aside in the past, Wednesday’s land deal means that more than half of the Irvine Ranch, 50,000 acres in all, will never be developed.

“My dream is that the Irvine Ranch will be known and celebrated as much for what is not developed here . . . as it is for the outstanding communities we’ve planned and built,” Bren said.

The announcement was made at a press briefing followed by a company-hosted celebration at the Four Seasons hotel where about 200 conservationists and public officials heard the news.

The Irvine Co. will sign irrevocable conservation easements with the Nature Conservancy, which will manage the land for 10 years. Within that time, the company promised to transfer title of the land to various cities, the county and nonprofit groups.

In addition, Bren said he was adding $10 million to a $20-million fund established last year to support management and restoration of natural habitats on the land and to improve public access.

“To say that we’re delighted would be an understatement,” said Graham Chisholm, executive director of the Nature Conservancy of California. “It is a tremendously bold statement on the part of Donald Bren and the Irvine Co.

“These lands will not just remain undeveloped, but they will benefit from active stewardship.”

Irvine Co. Executive Vice President Larry Thomas stressed that the company’s actions were not connected to any development proposal, including an expected acceleration of controversial plans to develop homes and a shopping district in East Orange.

“Nothing is being done as a quid pro quo,” Thomas said.

Chisholm described the “North Ranch,” which makes up the bulk of the area set aside Wednesday, as one of the most ecologically important undeveloped stretches of land in Southern California.

The area will link Fremont Canyon and parts of four canyons to the Cleveland National Forest. The terrain is full of native plant and animal species, some endangered, and is an important wildlife corridor.

The 173 acres in Laguna Canyon have been sought by conservationists for more than a decade. Valued at more than $30 million 12 years ago, the parcel once accounted for half of the Irvine Co.’s development rights in the canyon, said Michael Pinto, founder and president of the Laguna Canyon Foundation.

“This for me is a very emotional moment,” Pinto said. “Nobody ever dreamed that the company would come to us and say, ‘It’s yours,’ and ask nothing in return. It is truly beyond belief.”

Company executives said the deal evolved from a two-year review of the Irvine Ranch’s master plan. Few, including Pinto and the Nature Conservancy, knew the details until just before the announcement.

“Our vision has been to leave more than half of the Irvine Ranch in permanent open space,” Bren said. “We will accomplish that with this historic action.”

Bren’s speech at the Four Seasons was punctuated by applause. “Open space is freedom,” Bren, 69, told the crowd.

Many who attended said they were stunned by the size of the set-aside and said that it--even more so than the huge sprawling developments Bren has built on the ranch--would be his legacy.

“I equal it to the Irvine Co. giving the city of Orange a national park. It’s a bold move,” said Orange City Councilman Mike Alvarez. “He’s established this as a milestone for our generation.”

Shirley Grindle, a longtime activist, said Bren’s action would preserve the character of some of Orange County’s most prized places. Roads planned for the North Ranch will probably not be built, and 1,200 acres in Silverado and Modjeska canyons that she said were slated for development will remain open.

“I was in tears for the first 20 minutes” of Bren’s talk, Grindle said. “It far surpassed all my expectations. Since 1957, I’ve been driving down Santiago Canyon Road fearing the day they would develop it. Now I can die happy.”

On Wednesday, Joan Irvine Smith, the founder’s great-granddaughter, said Bren’s action should set a precedent for large landowners nationwide.

As Bren spoke to the crowd, Smith walked up to him. “I couldn’t be more pleased,” she said. “I’m almost moved to tears. I’m so impressed by what you’ve done here. In all honesty, I could not have done it better myself.”

Times staff writers Seema Mehta and Jean O. Pasco contributed to this report.