 The rules have grown into a set of "Traditional Guidelines" which try to ensure "the continued existence of Black Bear Ranch and its tradition of communal living in a way that cares for and nourishes each other and the environment".Decision making by the group is managed through weekly 'Circles'.In April 2017, the ranch made news when 15-year-old Tennessee student Elizabeth Thomas and her alleged kidnapper and former teacher Tad Cummins were found in a cabin in Cecilville, CA near the ranch after a month-long interstate manhunt.