Thank you for submitting your suggestions for renaming Mariano!

Name submissions are currently being reviewed, and we will open again for community input on the shortlist of names during the month of December. Please check back then!

Renaming Mariano Rancho preserve

Rationale: Since VLT plans to manage this land in perpetuity, we want to make sure that the decisions we make now ensure long-term sustainability for the preserve and for the land trust.

Through that lens of perpetuity, the name of the preserve has come into focus.

We believe that the name of the preserve should be culturally and historically relevant, inclusive, and deserving of a place in perpetuity. Perhaps the community feels that "Mariano" is that name. Being that we are talking about a name that will be spoken in this community forever, we want to give our friends and neighbors a chance to weigh in on it.

The final say on the name of the preserve goes to the VLT Board of Trustees.

Process:

• This process will take about 6 months total:

• We will launch the effort at the Wild and Scenic Film Festival on August 24th 

• Members of the community will use an online form to suggest names 

  • Valid contact information from the person submitting must be included for the nomination to be counted

  • Each person may complete the form once; the form will allow up to three name suggestions

• The first round of nominations will conclude at the end of October

• The top names will be screened and approved by VLT's Board of Trustees in November

• The top names that pass through internal review will be released and the community will be invited to place a final vote for their favorite (one vote per person). This final round of voting will occur in December

• The final choice will be shared publicly in February, in connection with VLT’s “birthday”