Size:
710 acres
Location: San Miguel County
Eco-region: Southern Rock
ies
Conservation Values: Wildlife Habitat & Scenic
Open Space
Type of Project: Donated Conservation Easement
Date Completed: December 2009
Property Description:Many longtime residents of the Santa Fe and Las Vegas area will be familiar with the famous Forked Lightning Ranch located in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains between the villages of Pecos and Rowe. Texas oilman Buddy Fogelson purchased the ranch in 1941 and ran a small cattle operation. In 1949 Mr. Fogelson married the actress Greer Garson, and the ranch house soon became a center for gracious entertaining.
After Mr. Fogelson’s death in 1987, Ms. Garson inherited the “old” portion of the Forked Lightning Ranch and subsequently donated a portion to the National Park Service to form part of the Pecos National Historical Park. In 2000, actress Jane Fonda purchased what was left of the original ranch after a series of subdivisions and sales over the years. Since then, Ms. Fonda has been working diligently to conserve and improve the unique natural communities on the ranch.
Today, the Forked Lightning Ranch comprises 2,300 acres south of the Pecos National Historic Park and east of the Santa Fe National Forest, and includes over three miles of the Pecos River. The spectacular setting of the ranch is unmatched. The Pecos River meanders through the center of the property and, over millennia, has exposed large rock outcroppings. While piñon-juniper savannas and woodlands predominate throughout most of the ranch, patches of cottonwood and willows define the riparian corridor along the river. These vegetative communities and the river provide excellent natural habitat for a host of native species of fish and wildlife, including elk, mule deer, black bear, mountain lion, beaver, bald eagle, peregrine falcon, and rainbow trout.
In early 2009, Ms. Fonda approached NMLC with the intent of conserving the ranch. The Pecos River Easement is the first phase of a two-phase project through which Ms. Fonda has committed to place more than three-quarters of the ranch under permanent protection.
We are extremely excited and honored to have the opportunity to work with Ms. Fonda to protect this unique property, not only for its high conservation value but due to its historical significance for the area as well. We will complete the second phase of this very important conservation effort in 2010.
Property Photos:
