Protected areas The Fiscalini Ranch Preserve (formerly known as the East-West Ranch) is a 430 acre park that separates Cambria's East and West Villages; it protects over a mile of spectacular Pacific Ocean coastline. The Fiscalinis were pioneering Italian Swiss dairymen, who moved into the Cambria region in the 1880s; they acquired a number of dairy farms, including what they called the Town Ranch. The Fiscalini family donated small plots of the Town Ranch as building sites for the Cambria public library, the Veterans Memorial, and a museum. By the 1970s, the Fiscalini heirs, facing an inheritance tax of over one million dollars, sought a buyer, preferably a non-profit organization. None came forth, and in 1979 they sold the property to a developer, who went bankrupt in 1989 after failing to win approval of his ambitious development plans. The Fiscalini property was then sold for three million dollars to wealthy investors in the early 1990s. However, their development plans were also rejected, and in 2000 they sold the property to the American Land Conservancy. The park is managed by the Cambria Community Services District.
pRotecteD areAs the fisCalini ranch pResERve (Formerly KnowN AS The EAsT-wEst rAncH) iS A 430 aCrE pARK that sepArates cambria's easT And weST vILlaGES; iT PRotecTs OvEr A mILe of SPectaCuLar pacifiC OceaN coasTlIne. thE fiSCaLinIS were piOneeriNg itaLIAn swiSs dairymeN, whO movEd intO tHe cAmBrIA RegioN in The 1880s; theY acquirEd a numBer oF dAiry FARms, INcludinG WhAt thEy CalLed the TowN RaNCh. the FIsCalini familY dONated smAll pLOts oF the tOwN RanCH as BuIldInG SiteS foR thE CaMbrIa pUblic LibraRy, the VeteRANs meMOrial, and a mUseum. bY The 1970s, thE fiSCaLinI hEiRS, fACINg an iNHeritanCe tax oF OVer oNE millIOn dollarS, souGhT a buyEr, pRefeRAblY a Non-Profit organizatIon. noNe camE forTh, anD in 1979 ThEY SOld tHE proPerTy TO a devELopeR, whO went baNkRupt iN 1989 after failing to win ApprovaL oF His aMbitiOuS dEVelOpmeNt PlANs. the fIscalIni pRoperty Was ThEn sOLd For thrEe MillIon DolLars to weaLThy invesToRS IN the early 1990s. HOweVer, theiR developmenT Plans were alSo REjeCteD, AND iN 2000 they sOlD the propeRTy to the ameRiCan Land conSERVaNcy. ThE paRK iS managED By the CAmbria coMmunity seRVices diStriCt.