The designation would ensure the lands remain free of development, vehicles and commercial activity.
The Banning Ranch project reflects a growing environmental consciousness in Southern California regarding open, natural spaces and what they mean for the health of urban residents and the economy.
Undoing the environmental damage done by what was once a star in Orange County’s oil and gas industry won’t be cheap or easy.
But the currents of change coursing through the seaside property north of Pacific Coast Highway were evident on Tuesday, when Guillermo Rodriguez, the Trust for Public Land’s state director, and Paolo Perrone, its project manager for the Southern California region, led a small group of visitors on a rare tour of the facility.