๐๏ธ Santa Rosa Island sold to US government in 1986
The US federal government bought Santa Rosa Island for $29.5 million in December 1986. The purchase involved the 53,000-acre island off Santa Barbara, California, from the Vail & Vickers ranching partnership. This deal allowed the family to keep a 7-acre area for 25 years, permitting ranching and hunting. The sale ensured the island became public wilderness within Channel Islands National Park. All cattle were removed by 1998, leading to environmental recovery.