Here are some of our accomplishments and policies that support our commitment to our environment:
- 17,500 acres of El Dorado Ranch's 35,000 acre development are designated "Green Space" to preserve the integrity of the surrounding environment.
- We have the largest solar community in North America at El Dorado Ranch. With approximately 3,000 solar lots, we have attracted the attention of many solar lobbyists, environmentalists and solar engineers. We have become a model for solar energy.
- We have pioneered the development of Straw Bale construction in Baja. Not only have we constructed the first straw bale home in Baja, but we have actively promoted this environmentally friendly construction method. At El Dorado Ranch, we also boast the largest Straw Bale home community in North America as well.
- El Dorado Ranch and La Ventana del Mar are in full compliance with Profepa (Mexican Government's Environmental Protection Agency). We have a full time Ecology Department managed by Miguel Garcia. This department is responsible for the following for both El Dorado Ranch and La Ventana del Mar:
1. Follow up and coordinate conditions given by the environmental authorities.
2. Follow up and coordinate the environmental administration plans.
3. Supervise and control all ecological aspects of El Dorado Ranch and La Ventana del Mar.
4. Legal representative of the environmental issues with environmental authorities.
5. Study, investigation, taxonomy and life cycle of native species of wildlife.
6. Keep ecology file updated and in order.
WSJ.com - Will Insulating With Straw Catch Fire?*
La Ventana del Mar features San Felipe's first golf course.
When developing this golf course, we had to deal with very unique environmental factors and strict regulations. First of all, San Felipe averages less than 3 inches of rain per year. Secondly, the climate can be quite warm and since we are located right on the coast of the Sea of Cortez, we have the issue of salt. To further complicate matters, a golf course requires a great deal of water. So, how did we pull this off?
To start, we used a salt tolerant hybrid of grass. We actually grew our own sod in the San Felipe area to accomplish this. This hybrid consists of crossing existing species of grass that naturally occur in coastal areas and combining it with grass species found on traditional golf courses. The end result is a salt tolerant grass that has no noticeable difference from the grass found on high end golf courses.
By using a salt tolerant grass, we were able to utilize previously "unusable" water. Much of San Felipe's water comes from natural underground wells. In efforts to avoid depleting the existing "usable" water wells, we were able to utilize the water from wells that were too high in salt content for agricultural or human use.
In developing the golf course, we took extraordinary measures to leave the existing terrain in its natural state as possible. Plants that had to be removed weren't trampled by a bulldozer, but instead, dug out and transferred to a nursery. Additionally, we were highly selective in introducing non indigenous plants that we did bring in. Many a development or country for that matter has been overrun by newly introduced species of plants, animals, diseases, etc. and we did our part to prevent this from happening. Furthermore, we followed strict population density guidelines to ensure that the environment can tolerate the amount of human activity that we place on it.
While this may sound quite extensive, we are confident the long term result will be a golf course that not only plays well, but lends itself to the beauty of the natural environment. It is this type of atmosphere that we believe will be attractive to residents and guests and help create a very desirable vacation and retirement resort.
View the La Ventana del Mar Map for Real Estate
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