SACRAMENTO – After more than 25 years of efforts to protect Wild Cherry Canyon, Senator John Laird today celebrated the State Coastal Conservancy’s approval of $40 million to The Wildlands Conservancy to conserve approximately 2,200 acres along the San Luis Obispo County coast.

“This has been 25 years in the making,” said Laird. “I worked to protect Wild Cherry Canyon as California’s Natural Resources Secretary, and many others worked on it before and since. There were plenty of times when it looked like it might not happen, but the Central Coast community never gave up. Today, we can finally celebrate a major victory for this incredible piece of our coastline.”

Wild Cherry Canyon is part of the approximately 12,000 acres surrounding the Diablo Canyon Power Plant that have been the focus of conservation efforts for decades. The property is home to important wildlife habitat and cultural resources and has long been sought for conservation and sustainable public access.

The latest effort grew out of the extension of operations at Diablo Canyon. In 2025, Laird helped negotiate conditions through the California Coastal Commission that created a path toward conservation and public access for the lands surrounding the power plant. Laird and Assemblymember Dawn Addis also worked to ensure $40 million in state funding was available through the Coastal Conservancy for the Wild Cherry Canyon effort.

Laird also secured an additional $2 million in the state budget for the next step: purchasing PG&E’s underlying ownership of Wild Cherry Canyon and adjacent small parcels, helping ensure the land can be protected for the long term.

The Wildlands Conservancy reached an agreement to acquire the long-term leasehold interests in Wild Cherry Canyon for $40 million, matching an appraisal approved by the state. The Coastal Conservancy's action provides the funding needed to move that agreement forward.

The Wildlands Conservancy will conserve the property and work toward sustainable public access, including opportunities for tribal access and shared stewardship with local Indigenous communities, including yak tityu tityu yak tilhini Northern Chumash Tribe of San Luis Obispo County and Region.

“We had the opportunity, we had the funding, and we had the right partners to finally move this forward,” Laird said. “I’m grateful to everyone who stuck with it over the years. Protecting Wild Cherry Canyon is a major step toward preserving the incredible lands surrounding Diablo Canyon for generations to come.”