James Cagney and brother bought California grassland in the 1940s; after parts were sold, six decades later the remaining 417 acres became a wildlife haven

For decades, a stretch of open land near Ramona, California, had a surprising connection to Hollywood. Actor James Cagney and his brother William acquired hundreds of acres there in the 1940s, when the area was still largely rural and livestock grazed across its grasslands. But the property's story eventually moved far beyond its connection to one of Hollywood's biggest stars.

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After parts of the original holding were sold, 417 acres remained under the William J. Cagney Trust. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, conservationists were increasingly focused on the land because of what it contained: native grasslands, seasonal vernal pools and habitat for several threatened species.


In 2003, the Nature Conservancy completed a $2.7 million purchase of the former Cagney property. The deal turned a piece of land once associated with a famous film family into part of a long-term effort to protect one of the remaining large grassland landscapes in coastal Southern California.

Why James Cagney bought land in Ramona

The Ramona of the 1940s was far removed from the developed communities seen across parts of Southern California today. The valley had broad stretches of open country, native vegetation and seasonal wetlands. Grazing was common, and large undeveloped parcels were still available.

James Cagney was already a well-known Hollywood actor by then, with films including The Public Enemy and Yankee Doodle Dandy among his best-known works. His brother William was also connected to the Ramona property, which later became known as Cagney Ranch.

The brothers' original acquisition is believed to have covered more than 500 acres. It did not stay together permanently. Land was gradually sold off, leaving a 417-acre portion in the family trust. That remaining parcel would eventually become the focus of a very different kind of investment.

Why conservationists wanted to protect the land

Size was only part of the story. The Ramona grasslands represented one of the few remaining substantial grassland habitats in coastal Southern California. The wider landscape covered thousands of acres and included grasslands, vernal pools and other natural habitats.

For conservation groups, keeping such areas intact was important because development can divide large habitats into isolated pieces.

The former Cagney property was particularly useful because of where it sat within the larger landscape. Protecting it could help maintain links between other conservation areas instead of allowing development to gradually close the gaps between them. That made the 417 acres valuable beyond their boundaries.

Rare species made the property even more important

The grasslands were home to wildlife that has become increasingly difficult to find. Among the threatened or endangered species associated with the area were the Stephens' kangaroo rat, San Diego fairy shrimp and arroyo southwestern toad.

The property also contained seasonal vernal pools where three rare plant species had been recorded.

These pools are unusual ecosystems. They temporarily fill with water during the rainy season and later dry out. That cycle creates conditions for plants and small aquatic species that are specially adapted to living in temporary wetlands. Protecting the pools alone, however, would not have been enough.

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The surrounding grassland provided the wider habitat needed by species moving through the landscape. For conservationists, keeping the open spaces connected was therefore almost as important as protecting individual habitats.

The purchase took years to come together

The eventual sale was the result of a process that stretched across several years. Dave Bittner, executive director of the Wildlife Research Institute in Ramona, first approached the Nature Conservancy about the property in 1997. Conversations continued before the proposed acquisition began to take more concrete shape around 2000.

A purchase of this scale required more than an agreement with the landowner. Funding had to be secured and several organisations had to coordinate their contributions. Federal and state money helped make the transaction possible.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service contributed $660,000, while California provided $165,000. Another $1.236 million came through California's Wildlife Conservation Board, using money from a statewide bond approved by voters in 2002.

The Nature Conservancy contributed a further $639,000. After years of discussions and fundraising, escrow closed on June 30, 2003. The final price was $2.7 million.

Why 417 acres mattered to a much larger conservation plan

The purchase did not solve the conservation challenge facing Ramona's grasslands. It was one important piece of a much bigger puzzle.

At the time, the broader Ramona grassland landscape was estimated at about 8,000 acres. Several large parcels were still privately owned, leaving open the possibility that additional land could eventually be protected.

The new preserve also sat near other conservation interests.

The Wildlife Research Institute owned 10 acres close to the property's southwestern corner and had already been studying wildlife and habitat in the region. Researchers hoped the Cagney acquisition would help support efforts to preserve more of the surrounding landscape.

The broader objective was not necessarily to prevent all development in the region. Instead, conservationists wanted to ensure that important stretches of natural habitat remained intact while development took place in other areas.

That balance was particularly significant in San Diego County, where coastal, mountain and desert environments create a remarkably varied natural landscape.

What happened to the Cagney legacy

The 417 acres eventually became known less for the famous name attached to them and more for the ecosystem they helped preserve. The original Cagney property had gradually become smaller as pieces were sold over the decades. But the remaining tract still had the potential to protect an important part of the Ramona landscape.

When the Nature Conservancy bought it in 2003, nothing dramatic happened on the ground. There was no sudden transformation of the grasslands. The change was in ownership and, more importantly, in the property's future.

Instead of becoming another piece of open land vulnerable to development, the former Cagney ranch became part of a conservation effort aimed at protecting grasslands, seasonal wetlands and rare species.

A property once acquired by a Hollywood star and his brother in the 1940s had, six decades later, found a new purpose.

James Cagney's name may have given the land its Hollywood connection, but its lasting legacy became the wildlife and grassland habitat that conservationists fought to keep alive.