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Unusually-shaped sandstone formations stand out in the landscape of Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, part of a nearly 40,000-acre swath of Orange County open space that has been designated as the first California Natural Landmark (CNL) this week, on April 23, 2008 south of Irvine, California. The CNL-designated parklands stretching from the Pacific coast to the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains were once part of the historic Irvine Ranch. They were chosen for their diversity and rarity of the area's geological and paleontological features, the presence of rare, threatened or endangered species, and the land?s value for science and education. The designation does not require the land to be permanently protected or opened to the public but officials hope it will generate attention and encourage long-term preservation. Scientists consider the region one of the world's ecological "hot spots" of large concentrations of species found nowhere else.

| Apr 24th 2008 5:30PM

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