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    • ABOUT US
      • THE FOUNDATION
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      • PARTNERS & SPONSORS
    • THE RANCH
      • THE LAND
      • RANCH HISTORY
      • IN MEMORIUM
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    • JOIN / DONATE
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      • BANQUET 2023 - FEBRUARY 4
      • 2022 BANQUET PHOTOS
      • 2020 BANQUET PHOTOS
    • CONTACT US

  • Home
  • ABOUT US
    • THE FOUNDATION
    • BOARD OF DIRECTORS
    • ADVISORY BOARD
    • PARTNERS & SPONSORS
  • THE RANCH
    • THE LAND
    • RANCH HISTORY
    • IN MEMORIUM
  • PROJECTS
  • PUBLIC ACCESS
    • GENERAL ACCESS
    • HUNTING ACCESS
  • JOIN / DONATE
  • BANQUET
    • BANQUET 2023 - FEBRUARY 4
    • 2022 BANQUET PHOTOS
    • 2020 BANQUET PHOTOS
  • CONTACT US

2022 PROJECTS

SCOUT CONSERVATION PROJECT - OCT

Six young women with Troop 1602 Scouts BSA out  of Paso Robles completed a conservation service project on the  Chimineas Ranch by replacing an old, galvanized cattle trough riddled  with holes with a trough wildlife can easily access.  They removed the  old trough, dug a trench, set the 2,000 pound concrete trough in the  ground, and connected the plumbing. The scouts worked hard, learned new  skills, and did a great job!.  Retired CDFW Habitat Assistant Joe  Lambirth and the Scoutmasters provided the training. CRF Director Terry  Palmisano was on hand to support the project. 

FENCE REMOVAL - OCT

Unnecessary fencing can be a hazard for wildlife when they get tangled in it.  CRF coordinated a volunteer day with CDFW's Natural Resource Volunteer Program to start removing the wire from a 4-strand barbed wire fence on the North Chimineas Unit.  Wildlife are heavily using the area as evidenced by the well-worn trails going  across the fence.  Now the elk, pigs, and antelope will have clear access.  Work will continue as there are miles more fence to remove.   

JUNIOR ELK HUNT - OCT

Another fantastic weekend for a junior hunter!  Cole, age 13, had never hunted big game before but calmly filled his cow elk tag in the first hour Saturday morning on the Chimineas Ranch.  Looking on proudly are his father (in the black vest), and two uncles who got him interested  in hunting.  The hunt was sponsored by the San Fernando Valley Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation which provided meals, guides, and  help cleaning the animal.  CRF hosted the group at the ranch headquarters. 

JUNIOR DEER HUNT - SEPT

Three  SoCal junior hunters scored big in September at CDFW’s apprentice deer hunt  on the Chimineas! The hunt was sponsored by the A-Z Foundation and  hosted by CRF.  Grace, Jonathon, and Victoria  each took their first ever deer, and they were beauties! Victoria also  took a huge hog and celebrated her 13th birthday while she was there.  The hunters and their families stayed at the ranch HQs and everyone had a great time. Butcher Shop Taxidermy will mount the 3 bucks for the young hunters. Meals and guide  service were provided by A-Z, who also presented camo backpacks with  knives and Vortex binoculars to each hunter.  

BARRETT PIPE REPAIR - SEPT

Water  had to be turned off to one of the troughs in September when it was  discovered a pipe between the tank and the trough was broken. CRF  Directors Don and Terry repaired the pipe and got water  flowing back into the trough.  With the temperature hovering around 105  degrees that day, if the trough had been a little bigger the wildlife  might have come for a drink and found both directors cooling their heels  in the water! 

New John Deere Gator - SEPT

The Chimineas Ranch Foundation got a great deal on a much needed John Deere Gator utility vehicle from Cal Coast Machinery in Santa Maria.  In just the first few weeks it was put to good use for  checking water troughs, doing pipeline repairs, removing fences, and taking junior hunters out on their hunts.  

YELLOW JACKET PUMP REPLACEMENT - AUG

YOUR FUNDRAISING DOLLARS HELPING WILDLIFE!  Funds raised from the Foundation’s February banquet have already proven to be a huge benefit to the wildlife on the Chimineas Ranch. The well pump for one of the troughs on the south end of the property froze up and needed to be replaced. This was especially critical as the south end of the ranch is much drier than the north side, and this trough has been heavily used for years by a wide variety of animals.

YELLOW JACKET (CONTINUED)

Leaving it dry in the middle of the drought would have been a disaster for the wildlife that have come to depend on that water. Your donations and auction bids allowed CRF to purchase a new pump. Directors Don Copeland and John McGray, with CDFW Habitat Assistant Joe Lambirth, installed the pump, filled the tank, and got water flowing into the trough again. 

EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT - JAN

Sam Schley, with Santa Barbara Boy Scout Troop 26, completed his Eagle Scout project by designing, constructing, and fund raising for a wildlife guzzler on the Chimineas Ranch.  A guzzler is a water catchment system that collects rainfall, directs it into a storage tank, and then meters the water out into a trough so water is available to wildlife throughout the year.  He requested and received funding from the Chimineas Ranch Foundation, Santa Barbara County Fish and Wildlife Committee, and San Luis Obispo County Fish and Game Fines Committee.  CDFW provided the tank and trough.

Sam let a group of Boy Scouts and family members in the construction work.   CDFW staff Joe Lambirth and Warden Kevin Hare provided expertise and encouragement.  After working onsite two weekends in January the project is complete, the wildlife have another source of water on the ranch, and Sam completed the fieldwork required to become an Eagle Scout.  Congratulations Sam!

COME BACK AND SEE OUR NEXT PROJECT!

2021 PROJECTS

NEW PUBLIC KIOSK AND TABLE

The Hwy 166 entrance to the Chimineas Ranch got a new kiosk in September to welcome visitors and provide information about the property.  Two boxes attached to the kiosk hold the access permits visitors need to fill out before they enter the property. There is also a new picnic table so there is a place to sit to fill out those access forms. 

KIOSK (CONTINUED)

This project was completed through a public-private partnership between the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Chimineas Ranch Foundation and was funded by a grant from the San Fernando Valley Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation with additional funding from Mike and Kathleen Post. Thanks to everyone who helped to make this great addition for public access possible!

MAINTAINING SECURITY

It takes a variety of skills to maintain a large working ranch and March has been busy! Here CRF Director Don Copeland welds a gate to repair it. The locked gate off Hwy 166 provides security for the property.

JOHNSON FLAT ROAD WORK

Johnson Flat Phase 1: The Foundation worked with Potter Enterprises in March to grade the road from the corrals to Johnson Flat on the South Chimineas Unit. The reopened road will provide better access to this popular hunting area during drive-on hunts.  It also will allow for Phase 2 of the project to upgrade the tanks and put a timer on the well to ensure wildlife have a stable water supply. 

2020 PROJECTS

AVESOME JUNIOR ELK HUNT

The Apprentice Tule Elk Hunt was a huge success!  Apprentice hunter Wyatt got a nice cow elk after an early stalk on Saturday and followed up with a bonus monster hog on Sunday!  The Chimineas Ranch Foundation and members of the San Fernando Valley Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation sponsored this hunt. Wyatt is shown with his proud father and grandfather.


NEW DUMP TRAILER

Director Mike Post with the new Foundation dump trailer purchased in August. The 7' x 15' trailer is perfect for hauling the CRF tractor and materials such as tanks, troughs, and fencing to project sites.  The hydraulic system will lift the bed to dump gravel right where it is needed.   Funding was provided by CRF (50%), the SLO County Fines Committee (45%), and a donation from the Posts (5%).

prior year projects

Under construction - We'll be putting up photos OF PRIOR YEAR PROJECTS

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