Conservation Easement: James Ranch
MLT is working to conserve the unique and picturesque James Ranch in Sherwood Valley near Willits. Since the 1800s the 1,300-acre ranch has been in agricultural production. The ranch is comprised of mixed Douglas fir and redwood forests, oak woodlands, annual grassland, and mixed chaparral. The ranch was also once the location of Sherwood, a small town along the railway. Sherwood boasted a hardware store and general store.
Much of the history of this ranch is known through the stories told by the late Stella (Steen) James, an independent frontierswoman who owned and worked the ranch for decades alongside her husband, Edgar.