California approves $42m to protect 2,060-acre Wild Cherry Canyon from development

After more than two decades of efforts, California approved a $42 million grant to permanently conserve Wild Cherry Canyon, a 2,060-acre stretch of coastal hills in San Luis Obispo County. The California State Coastal Conservancy has authorised the grant to acquire both the property’s leasehold interest and underlying fee title in two transactions, with the first closing by year’s end and the second anticipated by mid-2027.The land, which overlooks Avila Beach and sits within the broader 12,000-acre Diablo Canyon Lands, had remained vulnerable for decades under a long-term private lease, with the risk of residential development. The grant will help remove the threat of future development and eventually turn the property into a permanently protected nature preserve.“This has been 25 years in the making,” Senator John Laird said in a release.