Here's how you can weigh in on plans for OC’s newest coastal nature preserve

Officials behind Orange County’s newest conservation area, the nearly 400-acre Randall Preserve, are seeking input as they plan for future public access and preservation in the face of climate change.

Conservation groups purchased the land, formerly known as Banning Ranch, in late 2022. It’s considered the biggest undeveloped expanse of private land along the Southern California coast.

Coastal Corridor Alliance, in partnership with the land manager Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, held a series of public events in recent months to share draft plans for public access, resource management and a coastal resilience strategy. Coastal Corridor Alliance is accepting public feedback on plans for the Randall Preserve through July 14.

Where is the preserve?

The land is at the mouth of the Santa Ana River between the cities of Costa Mesa, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach. It includes coastal wetlands and a higher elevation coastal mesa.

The view across the preserve, in an image taken earlier this year.

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Melanie Schlotterbeck

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What’s on it now?

The expanse has operated as an oilfield since the 1940s, and survived several attempts to develop it for housing and commercial purposes in recent decades.

The land has rare vernal pools with endangered fairy shrimp and is also home to more than a dozen other sensitive species. It’s also littered with oil drilling infrastructure that has to be cleaned up before it can be opened to the public.

The earliest that might happen is in the fall of 2027, according to Melanie Schlotterbeck,  project manager for the Randall Preserve planning process.

What public amenities will it have?

At a recent public meeting at Newport Beach City Hall, maps and diagrams of what the preserve actually looks like, and could look like in the future, lined the walls of a meeting room and spilled out onto the patio.

The draft plan for public access includes a series of trails for walkers and possibly cyclists, with the main entrance and parking lot planned for the west end of 17th Street in Costa Mesa, where there’s already a dirt road leading into the property and a large dirt lot.

TBD on whether dogs will be allowed on trails.

“We've got 18 sensitive, threatened and endangered species on the property,” Schlotterbeck said. “And so having people and having dogs and having endangered species could really cause an impact.”

Things that definitely won’t be on the property: “ We're not gonna be putting in a golf course, we're not gonna be putting in a dog park,” Schlotterbeck said. “There are restrictions related to the acquisition of the property that limit what is and isn't allowed.”

Leslie Crossett, a Newport Beach resident, was among some 50 people who showed up to the public meeting to learn about plans for the property and to weigh in.  

“ I don't want dirt bikes or anything loud and crazy,” she said. “Just maybe an open space that can be quiet and natural and a place where people can go to enjoy what Southern California used to look like.”

Tell me about the restoration effort

The new preserve, in its current state, is far from pristine. Dirt roads crisscross the property; levees, concrete channels, and tide gates control the natural oscillations of the Santa Ana River and the Pacific Ocean.

Watch an aerial tour of the property:

Oil rigs and buildings on the property are already being removed. But the public is invited to weigh in on how much conservationists should try to restore the land to its pre-development state. For example: Should they try to yank out all of the invasive species? Knock down the levies?

Craig Frampton, a coastal scientist and consultant on wetlands restoration for the Randall Preserve, said full restoration would be very difficult “because there's so much development and the population has grown so much,” he said.

Plus, he said, there’s a whole slew of local, state and federal agencies with jurisdiction over all or parts of the preserve, especially when it comes to water. “ It would take a lot of money and a lot of federal regulation to modify it,” he said of the flood protection infrastructure around the Santa Ana River.

Instead, Frampton said, they’ll likely have to strike a balance between the environment and protecting nearby neighborhoods from sea level rise and coastal flooding.

How can I weigh in on the plans?

The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority is accepting public feedback on plans for the Randall Preserve through July 14. There are three ways to submit a comment:

• Fill out the form on the preserve’s website
• Email your comments to Hello@RandallPreserve.org
• Send a letter to:

Randall Preserve Planning Team
c/o Coastal Corridor Alliance
P.O. Box 15333
Newport Beach, CA 92659