Print The dream of turning a 384-acre oil field at the mouth of the Santa Ana River into a public park and nature preserve grows closer to a reality by another $8 million, thanks to a grant from the state’s fish and wildlife department announced earlier this month. The $8-million grant for the purchase of Banning Ranch, given to the Trust for Public Land, is one of 28 projects — and one of three acquisition projects — selected to receive a grant this year. State officials say the total amount given across all projects was $39 million. The grant comes from the Proposition 1 Watershed Restoration Grant program, which finances projects that establish more reliable water supplies; restore species and habitats; and create more resilient, sustainably managed water systems.