On Thursday, the California State Coastal Conservancy signed a $42 million agreement to buy both the leasehold and fee title of Wild Cherry Canyon, a 2,060‑acre coastal stretch overlooking Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County.
The move ends a 25‑year battle that began when Senator John Laird, then Natural Resources Secretary, first earmarked the site for protection. “This has been 25 years in the making,” Laird told the press, noting the perseverance of the Central Coast community.
Amy Hutzel, Executive Officer of the Conservancy, said the agency had spent more than two decades negotiating with the private leaseholder and that the grant now secures the canyon’s future. The deal will close in two phases, the first by year’s end and the second by mid‑2027.
Wild Cherry Canyon’s diverse habitats—coastal prairie, oak woodlands, chaparral, and headwater streams—support rare species, according to Frazier Haney, Executive Director of The Wildlands Conservancy. “Conserving an intact coastal landscape at this scale is central to Wildlands’ mission,” Haney added.
Mona Olivas Tucker, Chair of the Northern Chumash Tribe, said the canyon is a spiritual homeland and that the tribe will work with the Conservancy and Wildlands to steward the land. “Our responsibility to care for Wild Cherry Canyon never ends,” Tucker remarked.
The Conservancy plans to develop a five‑mile segment of the California Coastal Trail and low‑impact camping sites, with the first public access expected once the easement is finalized. The project also includes educational programs for schools and youth groups.