DeVERE CLARNEAU, Plymouth

The 14,000 acres of privately owned land is home to the following: burrowing owls, long billed curlews, Townsend's ground squirrels, American badger, plus more known and probably some unknown.

That's an OK record for private ownership of the McWhorter Ranch.

Leave the property in private ownership. However, if the state must own it, sell some of the land it already owns to finance the purchase.