"Open space is freedom," says Donald Bren, who has permanently preserved tens of thousands of acres of some of California's most beautiful wilderness.
"My dream is that The Irvine Ranch will be known and celebrated as much for what is not developed here — the sweeping expanse of beautiful and valuable open space — as it is for the outstanding communities we have planned and built offering an unparalleled quality of life."
— Donald Bren
As a direct result of Donald Bren’s decades-long commitment to conservation, The Irvine Ranch® today encompasses one of the nation's largest and most extraordinary expanses of open space and parklands. Located within minutes of millions of residents in central Orange County, this area contains some of the most biologically important land in California and the nation.
Known for his master planning foresight and design of the Irvine Ranch’s 93,000 acres, Mr. Bren’s stewardship and passion for preservation and conservation have resulted in the following open space and parklands conservation:
- Irvine Ranch Preservation: As a steward of some of America’s most beautiful and scientifically important open space and parklands, he has donated to Orange County more than half of the historic 93,000-acre Irvine Ranch — 50,000 acres — to be permanently preserved. The completion of a 30-year preservation pledge occurred in June 2010 marking a historic moment in the County’s history.
- Planning For the Future: Focusing on the importance of environmental preservation long-term, Mr. Bren committed $50 million to create the Irvine Ranch Conservancy as part of his comprehensive efforts to protect, enhance, manage and increase public access to land. In addition, his interest in protecting and preserving hundreds of plant and animal species present on these lands, and to restoring natural resources that have been impacted due to time or human influence fueled his commitment.
- United States and California Natural Landmarks: The U.S. Department of Interior and the State of California have designated these parklands as “Natural Landmarks,” one of the most prestigious land preservation designations, rivaling that of the U.S. National Park system.
