December 30, 2020 – As 2020 comes to a close, we have one more piece of great news — Placer Land Trust has permanently protected the Gerjuoy North Fork Preserve!
This 40-acre property is in the Moody Ridge area, near Alta, and represents a key piece within a large block of conserved lands. The section of the North Fork American River below the preserve is federally-designated “Wild and Scenic” – the top designation reserved for the highest quality, undammed rivers in the US.
“Ridgetop residential development continues to expand in this area due to its proximity to Interstate 80,” says Placer Land Trust Executive Director Jeff Darlington, “and that disrupts the day-to-day movement and seasonal migration of wildlife in the American River canyon and along the canyon rim. Our acquisition and management of this forested preserve helps protect the river canyon and provide permanent corridors for plant and animal species to thrive and adapt to climate change.”
The preserve hosts a bubbling spring, small waterfall, oak and conifer woodlands, and several large rock outcrops, all of which provide wildlife habitat. This area is home to an incredible diversity of wildlife, and several special-status plant and animal species live within a five-mile radius of the preserve.
This project happened thanks to the collaboration and generosity of landowner Neil Gerjuoy, who passed up other sale opportunities in order to work with Placer Land Trust to protect the property. To learn more about this collaboration, and about the preserve, click here.
Placer Land Trust members have helped us turn a challenging year into a fruitful one — thank you!
Member support has kept our mission moving forward despite the pandemic, and as a result, in 2020 we established three new preserves and one expanded preserve. These permanently protected lands will help us protect our waterways, local agriculture, wildlife habitat, and more… forever!
Our members have shown that we may not be able to control what happens in our world, but we can control what we do about it. As we look ahead to 2021, we hope you’re thinking about doing something now that will make your “future self” proud, and to help build the kind of world you want to be a part of. That world can include the permanent protection of five more land conservation projects that we’re working on right now.
If you’re able, please give today to ensure a promising 2021 and beyond! And THANK YOU to all who have supported Placer Land Trust’s mission in whatever way you were able this year.
We wish you ALL a very Happy New Year and bright future!