North Coast Regional Land Trust (NRLT) closed a 12‑month negotiation that saw a 6,625‑acre easement carved into the Kinsey Ranch, leaving the family in possession while locking out future developers.
Charles and Alice Kinsey first laid claim to the Benbow land in 1914; since then, four generations have kept cattle on 4,500 acres and harvested timber from the remaining forest.
More than five miles of the East Branch of the South Fork Eel River cut through the property, with an additional ten miles of tributaries that serve as spawning grounds for endangered salmon—an environmental clause that anchored the easement.
Zach Wenderott, the NRLT project manager, said the deal ‘keeps the land productive and protects wildlife for generations’—and Marjorie Johnson Yates recalled her late brother’s dream to preserve the property.
The easement also dovetails with NRLT’s nearby Wagner and Sproul Creek projects, creating a wildlife corridor that the trust plans to celebrate at its annual Boots & Birkenstocks event on Oct. 11. The Kinsey family will now focus on sustaining ranch operations under the protective umbrella of the easement.