H I G H L AN D S R AN C H CO M M U N IT Y AS S O C IATI O N
NEWSLETTER J UNE 2024
15 Years of the Backcountry Wilderness Area Prior to Mission Viejo starting development in Highlands Ranch in 1981, it was decided that twothirds of the new, planned community would be made into homes, businesses and interwoven green spaces. The final third—8,200 acres— would be set aside as a conservation property and called OSCA (Open Space Conservation Area) through the 80s, 90s and 2000s until the Highlands Ranch Community Association (HRCA) renamed the property, the Backcountry Wilderness Area of Highlands Ranch. In the OSCA Plan, the HRCA would assume ownership and management of the Backcountry Wilderness Area once the community reached 90 percent buildout. Officially, that happened in 2009; 15 years ago last month! (Continued on page 11.)
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