Placer Conservation Authority secures conservation easements on 4,245 acres
Auburn, Calif. – Approximately 4,245 acres of prime farmland, open space and streams north of Lincoln will now be protected in perpetuity as part of the Placer County Conservation Program.
The Placer Conservation Authority recently recorded conservation easements on the entire Raccoon Creek Ranch, formerly known as the Teichert property.
Large habitat
Raccoon Creek Ranch contains the largest remaining concentration of prime farmland in Placer County and currently has 1,299 acres of active agricultural production including irrigated pasture and grazing.
The property also includes 2,536 acres of vernal pool grassland complex, 283 acres of riverine/riparian complex, 67 acres of aquatic/wetland complex, 3 acres of oak woodland, and 6 miles of stream system with salmon and steelhead spawning, rearing and migration habitat in both Raccoon Creek and Doty Ravine.
By acreage alone, the property is approximately five times the size of New York's Central Park.
"This is a major accomplishment for our program," said PCCP Administrator and PCA Executive Director Gregg McKenzie. "Not only will this likely be our largest acquisition in program history, but it will also connect an additional 3,000 acres of existing conserved land, which creates a large contiguous block of protected land that provides high quality species habitat and ecological value."
Almost a gravel mine
The property was previously permitted in 2003 to be a gravel mine and was known as the Teichert Lincoln Aggregate Facility Project. Teichert did not mine the property, and in 2023 Teichert requested to rescind all mining entitlements, which was approved by the Placer County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 28, 2023.
After the mining entitlements were rescinded, Ecosystem Investment Partners purchased the property from Teichert and has been negotiating conservation easements and habitat restoration projects on the property with the Placer Conservation Authority – a joint powers authority formed to administer the Placer County Conservation Program.
The conservation easements require the entire ranch to be protected from mining and development and to be kept in agriculture, including irrigated pasture and grazing in perpetuity. Restoration projects are also planned to enhance and restore Raccoon Creek, Doty Ravine and the other environmental resources on the ranch.
The property comprises three separate ranches that are anticipated to be separately owned.
The current property owner, Ecosystem Investment Partners, is working to sell the underlying fee title ownership subject to the conservation easement restrictions. This will allow the property to remain in active agricultural production and be conserved and restored.
Conservation, a top community priority
"Open space consistently polls as one of the top priorities for our residents," said PCA Chair and District 2 Placer County Supervisor Shanti Landon. "Conserving the 4,245-acre ranch represents what is likely to be the single most significant investment in western Placer County's quality of life."
On Feb. 6, the PCA Board approved agreements for the acquisition of the conservation easements for approximately $28 million. On July 23, the PCA Board approved a restoration services agreement for the construction of additional habitat and restoration work.
The restoration agreement will be for an amount up to approximately $33 million.
Funding
Funding for the acquisition of conservation easements over the entire 4,245 acres and the restoration work comes from mitigation fees collected from development and public infrastructure projects in western Placer County, and is being paid for over time as fees are collected.
The PCCP plan area covers approximately 260,000 acres of western Placer County. Within the PCCP plan area, 47,300 acres will be acquired and added to the PCCP reserve system for conservation.
With the addition of Raccoon Creek Ranch, approximately 9,100 acres have been added to the PCCP reserve system since the PCCP began implementation in 2021.
For more information visit the Placer County Conservation Program.