Guejito Ranch

[Bob Dunbar]

The  Guejito Ranch is a 23,000 acre property which stretches from East Escondido all the way into the mountains of East County.  Still in pristine natural condition, the Guejito Ranch has long been regarded as one of the most important ecological areas in all of Southern California. Pronounced (wah-hee-to) meaning pebbles or small stream probably coming from the word aguajito.
 
One of the original Spanish Land Grants, the Guejito Ranch was owned by Russell Coates, who died last year.  The State of California has done extensive feasibility studies on incorporating the Ranch into the State Parks system.  At the same time, though, developers wish to use the land to expand the area's population.
 
The Coates family has stated its intentions to continue to preserve the Ranch for now.  This is sure to be a topic in the future.

http://www.escondidoecology.com/id29.html
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/03/25//news/inland/escondido/15_05_113_24_08.txt
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/03/31//news/inland/escondido/893b94bf407585628825741d0075b93b.txt

[Bob Dunbar]

You can listen to San Diego Supervisor Bill Horn within this KPBS report by Alison St John:
http://www.kpbs.org/media/assets/AUDIO/News/2008/03/080321-ASJ-RANCHO%202.mp3

[Bob Dunbar]

A look at the ranch from the air; provided by the LA Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/columnone/la-me-rancho24may24,1,5236330.story

[Bob Dunbar]

Another nice link that goes into a brief history of Guejito Ranch
http://sohosandiego.org/reflections/2007-1/guejito_history.htm