Conaway Preservation Group officials told the public Tuesday at the Yolo County Farm Bureau in Woodland what the group does at the 17,300 acres of open-space east of Woodland.

CPG, a group of developers, is fighting to keep the estimated $60-million ranch, housing one of the state's richest concentrations of birds and waterfowl. Yolo County started proceedings last July to condemn the ranch, claiming that the open space is better preserved under public ownership. The Yolo County Board of Supervisors say private ownership - CPG - cannot be trusted. They say CPG has in the past initiated developing homes on open space.

"In 1990, Steve Gidaro made a proposal to the city of Woodland to develop 4,400 homes," said Supervisor Helen Thomson, in a separate interview, referring to a CPG partner. "Except for the fact that the City Council turned him down, Conaway Ranch would look just like Natomas now."

Supervisor Mariko Yamada agreed. "Who are you going to trust with the jewel of Yolo County?" she asked, in a separate interview. "Are you going to trust duly elected Yolo County officials or outside developers?" She added, "Developers don't just plunk down $60 million without some thought of return on investment."

But CPG officials explained at the meeting that they have taken measures to preserve the ranch. "We have some of the best wildlife plans in the state," said Mike Hall, CPG's wildlife manager.

CPG officials have turned parts of the ranch into "beautiful wetlands," Hall said. They have provided birds a "safe nesting" area, he said. There is a "89 percent success rate" for nesting.

"We flood up fields not to farm but for the early migration of birds," he added. "We flood 5,000 to 10,000 acres on the ranch."

Hall continued, "We would love to have people come out to the ranch...Nobody is more passionate on the ranch than Steve (Gidaro)."

The ranch has 350 acres of brood ponds, which are small pools of water where habitat can grow, he said. "That's done at our own expense," he said.

CPG officials have worked with UC Davis officials to place "wood duck boxes" on the ranch, he said. The boxes allow ducks to nest inside.

Conaway Ranch is one of the few privately owned open spaces in the fast-growing Sacramento metro region. At stake are farmland and water, mineral and gas rights, all of which could be sold for profit, experts say. Water, mineral and gas are known as "subsurface" materials that could be "turned into a revenue source," said George Phillips, CPG's attorney, at the meeting.

Some Yolo County residents fear Conaway Ranch could turn into another commercial development.

"Conaway Ranch is on both sides of Interstate 5. I would think the Indian tribe would be delighted to have highway-frontage property for a mega casino," said Dudley Holman, former Woodland mayor, in a separate interview. Holman, who attended the meeting, was referring to a possible Rumsey Band of Wintun Indian's membership in the Conaway Ranch Joint Powers Authority - representatives of local governments including Yolo County entrusted to manage the ranch, should the county have authorization to condemn the land.

The Yolo County Superior Court is scheduled Aug. 23 to hold a trial determining if the county can legally use eminent domain to acquire the ranch. The action allows a government entity to acquire private land for public use. Eminent domain was filed before CPG bought the ranch last December for a reported $60 million.

At Tuesday's meeting, free beef sandwiches, potato salad and beans were served from Buckhorn Steak and Roadhouse in Winters. About 130 people attended the meeting. CPG officials held ads in local newspapers telling the public about it. CPG officials spent $2,000 putting up the ads, said Tovey Giezentannerm, the group's spokesperson, in a separate interview. And they also sent 12,000 pieces of mail countywide and e-mails to elected officials.

"This is not the usual behavior of a group interested in conservation of 17,300 acres of land," Thomson said. "This is part of a public relations strategy on the part of the developers to attempt to convince the people of Yolo County that they can manage the ranch better than the county."

Yamada agreed.

"We don't have deep pockets to wine and dine the community," she said.

But Giezentannerm said after the meeting, "We're willing to take steps necessary within law to protect our property. What's unusual about telling people we want to preserve the ranch and be wildlife friendly?"

CPG officials said at the meeting that it has a 15-year history of preserving Conaway Ranch. Although CPG did not buy the ranch until last December, its key partners, Steve Gidaro and John Reynen, had a percentage of ownership in 1990, Giezentannerm said.

"Our track record speaks for itself," he said in a separate interview, referring to CPG programs like the creation of safe nesting areas.

The county, however, has a "20-year" history of recognizing that Conaway Ranch should be preserved, Thomson said.

Supervisor Mike McGowan said last week that the county has more credibility than CPG. He said 75 percent of Yolo County's land is protected as farmland, one of the highest percentages of open space in California. CPG officials are "dirt merchants," he said. "They go in and buy land for public use at cheap prices and they try to pull in a few fast shenanigans and run land prices up."

But some guests questioned whether the government can manage CPG.

"The county has never done a cracker jack job of managing anything," said Lawrence Germeshausen, 76, of Woodland, in response to the meeting.

He said the county general plan, which helps regulate development, could change. He said the supervisors have control over the general plan.

Others said CPG has questionable motives.

The guests at the meeting asked CPG officials whether Conaway Ranch would remain "development free," said Woodlander Shelley Duteaux, 39, a toxicologist, in a separate interview. "But CPG officials skirted the question four times. They are presenting a facade that they are completely honest."

But CPG's attorney Phillips said in the meeting, "development is not what drove" CPG to acquire Conaway Ranch.

Any development on the ranch would "have to go through the supervisors," he said, referring to the county general plan. Now CPG is "pursuing" conservation easements on a "portion" of the ranch, he said.

He explained that counties can preserve open space in a friendly way. He said, for example, that Placer County's reputation for preserving open space involves "willing sellers," not unwilling sellers like CPG.

But Supervisor Frank Sieferman Jr., who attended the meeting, said in a separate interview that the county pursued eminent domain last July at a time when the ranch's former ownership group, National Energy & Gas Transmission Inc., listed itself as a "willing seller." He said the county pursued eminent domain to buy time to find land-acquisition funds. The Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians last month have made a verbal "promise," saying they are "willing" to help finance the county to condemn the ranch, Sieferman said.

CPG bought Conaway Ranch last December "at a risk, knowing that it could lose the land through eminent domain," Sieferman said.

But Giezentannerm said after the meeting, "Life is a risk. Driving a car is a risk. But that does not make it right for the county to take over land against our wishes."