Actress Jane Fonda purchased the ranch in 2000 and worked to conserve and enhance its natural communities until she sold it in 2015, according to the New Mexico Land Conservancy . The group completed a new easement in October 2018 that provides protection for the entire 2,229-acre ranch. Forked Lightning Ranch in New Mexico is a good example of how land can remain protected long after an owner moves on. Conservation values of the conservancy include agriculture, scenic open space, and wildlife habitat. The Pecos River runs through nearly four miles of the ranch.
The ranch was purchased in 1941 by Texas oilman Buddy Fogelson, who operated a small cattle operation, the conservancy noted. Fonda bought the remainder in 2000 and worked to protect and improve the ranch until she sold it in 2015. Still, 85% allowed some residential or commercial use, new structures, or subdivision.
They also found a wide variety of private uses across easements, and the rules written into each easement can therefore vary quite a bit. Later, the older part of the ranch was inherited by actress Greer Garson. She gave part of it to the National Park Service, which became Pecos National Historical Park. The original ranch was subdivided and sold several times over the years. Selling a ranch in pieces may seem minor, but the study suggests it matters. Eighty percent of the easements it reviewed were to protect core habitat on the site, and nearly all were to reduce development.
The authors said easements should include clear restrictions on building and subdivision.
