Santa Rosa Island

USA / California / Isla Vista /
 park, island
The second largest of the Channel Islands, Santa Rosa is noted for it's archaelogical finds including Arlington Springs Man (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlington_Springs_Man) and a species of Pygmy Mammoth (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmy_mammoth) as well as flightless geese and giant mice.

The island was sold to the Federal Government in 1986 for $30 million. The National Park Service will permit the former landowners to retain non-native Kaibab Mule Deer and Roosevelt Elk on the island until 2011. The previous owners now enjoy the right to charge up to $20,000 per hunter to visit the island and kill some of the available game.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Rosa_Island,_California
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   33°57'56"N   120°6'32"W

Comments

  • According to http://www.scifoundation.org/rosahist.html, this is the last and only remaining Mexican land grant in existence. The cattle ferry the ranch uses (Vaquero II) is also the last one in use on the West Coast.
This article was last modified 14 years ago