Irvine Co. gives 20,000 acres of open space to Orange County

The gift from Irvine Ranch developer Donald Bren, 78, completes the transfer of 50,000 acres into public hands for parks, greenways, and a recreational and wilderness preserve.

A rugged, 20,000-acre parcel of the original Irvine Ranch — a pristine landscape of steep canyons, native grassland and sycamore woodland that is home to golden eagles, mountain lions and dozens of rare and endangered species of plants and animals — became public property Tuesday in a historic deal with the developer who has sculpted the look of modern suburbia in Southern California.