Who We Are

How We Work

The Coastal Ranches Conservancy was formed in 2003 by a small group of Gaviota ranch owners who had worked for many years to protect and improve natural resources on the Gaviota Coast. Many of the Coastal Ranches Conservancy board members are property owners and/or managers of Gaviota Coast ranchlands. This gives us a unique perspective on how land owners can play a positive role in conservation and restoration of the private lands they steward. We leave it to others to fight the battles over development of lands at the urban boundary. Our role is to work in collaboration with both private and public property owners to help them protect and restore the animal and plant life that makes the Gaviota Coast so unique.

Board of Directors

Kim Kimbell – President

Kim has long been an advocate for the Gaviota Coast, most recently as chair of the GAVPAC. As a member of the Dean’s Counsel at the Bren School, UCSB, a member of the Board of Directors of the Community Environmental Council since 1992, former Chairman of the Gaviota Study Group, and Chair of the Hollister Ranch Conservancy for many years, Kim is deeply involved in a wide range of conservation efforts focusing on the Gaviota Coast. Kim is a founding partner in the law firm of Allen and Kimbell.

Adam Rhodes – Vice President

As a long time property owner on the Gaviota Coast, Adam has been involved in the Hollister Ranch Cattle Cooperative, served on the Hollister Ranch Owners Association Board, and is an avid horseman. Adam has been willing to step into leadership positions when others hesitated.

Doug Campbell – Executive Director & Treasurer

Doug has served on the Coastal Ranches Conservancy board since 2007 and has been working to implement more sustainable cattle grazing on local ranches. Doug has been a property owner on the Gaviota Coast for 45 years and helped start the Carrizo Plain Conservancy.

Mark Chaconas – Secretary

Mark is a 30-year resident of the community and over this time period he has worked closely with local, state and federal agencies. He has also managed operations for one of the largest cattle ranches on the Gaviota Coast.

David Hill

David was a property owner on the Gaviota Coast for almost 30 years. He has been a board member of the Coastal Ranches Conservancy since 2004. He has degrees in biology, ocean technology, and medicine. He retired in 2007 from practicing Podiatric Medicine with Sansum Clinic.

Meighan Dietenhofer

Meighan is a biologist who has worked in private environmental consulting and county government for over 20 years. She holds a degree in biology and attended the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at UCSB, obtaining a Master’s Degree in Water Resources Management. Meighan was born and raised in the Santa Ynez Valley and is familiar with conservation issues throughout the Santa Barbara area.

John Deily

John is the founder of Deily Law Firm APLC, and has a busy law practice specializing in trust and estate litigation, administration, and planning. John has owned property on the Gaviota Coast since the late 1970’s and is very interested in environmental and conservation issues.

Lisa Stratton

Lisa Stratton has been the Director of Ecosystem Management for UCSB’s Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration (CCBER) since 2005. As the manager of the campus lagoon and other open space areas on campus, she has been active in pursuing opportunities to improve water quality and provide habitat through bioswales and treatment wetlands. She received her PhD at University of Hawaii-Manoa, her Masters from University of Wisconsin-Madison and her undergraduate degree at Stanford. She has been a change agent on the landscape committee since the inception of UCSB’s sustainability commitment and worked towards promoting sustainable, non-invasive, low water landscapes that celebrate UCSB’s unique location within a matrix of natural habitats and wetlands.

Candice Meneghin

Candice has experience with steelhead restoration working for both CalTrout and Coastal Ranches Conservancy, where she handled our stakeholder engagement process for Gaviota Creek. More recently she was a senior advisor to Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks. She currently sits on board for the Friends of the Santa Clara River and is a director at the Fillmore and Piru Basins Groundwater Sustainability Agency. She is studying for her JD in environmental law.

Emeritus Directors

Andy Mills – Emeritus

Andy has been until recently the California Rangeland Trust’s Stewardship Director; helping ranchers throughout the state establish conservation easements on their ranches. Andy is a past trustee for the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County and a long time director of the Santa Barbara County Cattlemen’s Association.

Michael Benedict – Emeritus

Michael has been involved in ranching and land use issues in SB County for over 50 years. He was a pioneer in developing vineyards and producing wines in the Santa Ynez Valley. He is a former 4th district SB County Planning Commissioner, a botanist, and an agricultural management advisor.

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Coastal Ranches Conservancy

Mailing Address:
68 Hollister Ranch Rd., Gaviota, CA 93117

info@coastalranchesconservancy.org
805-567-5957

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The Coastal Ranches Conservancy is a California 501(c)(3) non-profit public benefit corporation. Tax ID: 68-0554135.
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