That Scenic View You’re Enjoying May Be Courtesy of Your Local Rancher

Author’s note: This is the second in a series about the challenges facing 21st century California ranchers. Part one focused on the challenges California Cattle Ranchers face because of the drought and the misinformation surrounding water use and ranching.

            An impromptu conversation about the environment turned into a teachable moment for Tim Koopmann recently. “Ranchers have been focused on the environment for generations,” he said. “The problem is we haven’t been talking about it.”

            And that’s the thing—ranchers, like all of us, spend their days focusing on the work at hand instead of telling people what they do day in and day out.

            Koopmann is a fourth-generation rancher, and his family’s cow/calf ranch is surrounded by development. The ranch is in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Koopmann land provides a safe haven for wildlife and certain endangered species in northern California; the ranch is also the reason there are beautiful vistas to see along California Highway 680 instead of miles and miles of development.

            But this is about more than a beautiful view. The Koopmann Ranch is a key component in California’s watershed as well as a haven for endangered species like the California tiger salamander and the California red-legged frog. When cattle graze around a pond populated by the tiger salamander, for example, that grazing provides good access to the pond for the salamander, and the cover of grass around the edges provides shade and protection from predators. Escape ramps built into water troughs are another Koopmann Ranch feature. If wildlife pause for a drink at the trough and fall in, the ramps provide a means of escape.

            “Sustainably managing natural resources is part of what ranching is all about,” Koopmann said. And that goes for bird boxes for nesting, escape ramps from water troughs, access to ponds and much more. As Tim Koopmann would say, “Take a look at the ranch…I think you’ll like what you see.”

            To see the ranch and some of the Koopmann family’s sustainability efforts, watch the video; and the next time you’re cruising along Highway 680, enjoy the view.