SunCal’s commitment to the environment is shared by numerous local organizations, many of whom we have partnered with to maximize the natural resources within and around our communities.
Ritter Ranch and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
The plan for the Ritter Ranch community in Palmdale, California, calls for the preservation of more than 60 percent of the site (nearly 6,500 acres) as natural open space, of which 4,200 acres have been donated to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. This represents a total of six and a half square miles of land. Included in the Ritter Ranch open space is a wildlife corridor that provides for potential animal movement between the high desert and the Angeles National Forest.
Sensitive Solutions
Westport at Mandalay Bay Wetlands Restoration
When we built the 306-home harborside community of Westport at Mandalay Bay in Oxnard, California, SunCal worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to construct one-half acre of intertidal mud flat habitat and one-half acre of salt marsh habitat for several shoreline birds. In addition to what was required, SunCal also constructed two acres of adjoining upland habitat, which will encourage wildlife to return to the newly re-vegetated site.
Constructing wetlands on land formally used for farming required some highly sophisticated engineering to achieve a stable and sustainable habitat, but SunCal went the extra mile because it made good environmental sense.
SunCal will monitor the success of the plant growth over the next several years, but initial indications show the site is establishing quickly and animal life is increasing along the shoreline.