Following years of work cleaning up an old oil field, Chevron plans to donate more than 2,700 acres of coastal dunes to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a move that would double the size of the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes National Wildlife Refuge.
The donation agreement, signed on Sept. 16, would expand the current 2,553-acre refuge in northwestern Santa Barbara County and southwestern San Luis Obispo County. The refuge will help protect habitats for 29 special-status species, including the endangered California red-legged frog, western snowy plover and La Graciosa thistle plant.
In a written statement, FWS representatives called the donation agreement a first step in the potential acquisition process and said they look forward to working with Chevron and the community…