Feather River Bulletin January 14, 2004 Sierra Valley Ranch protected for wildlife The Feather River Land Trust, the Sierra Business Council, and landowner Fred Balderston announced that they have completed a conservation easement on the 1,360-acre Balderston Ranch in the Sierra Valley, the largest alpine valley in California.   The group said the conservation easement will protect the Balderston Ranch from development. and help maintain property, as  a working cattle ranch, while protecting wildlife habitat, scenic vistas, and water quality in the Middle Fork of the Feather River.   The diverse habitats found on the Balderston Ranch are home to more than 130 bird  species and the property provides key wintering and migratory habitat for  the Loyalton-Truckee deer herd.   The purchase also protects vistas along Highway 49, a state scenic highway. "Sierra Valley is a very social place," said Fred Balderston, "The ranch is an old friend to me and protecting its land, wildlife, and scenery, while ensuring that the property remains a working ranch, is a legacy my family is very proud to pass on."  "When ranchers and private organizations can work together to protect agricultural land, wildlife habitat, and other important natural resources while helping to maintain ranching as an integral part of Sierra Valley, everybody wins," said Paul Hardy, executive director of the Feather River Land Trust.   The purchase was negotiated by the Quincy-based Feather River Land Trust. Funding for the project was provided through the Sierra Business Council (SBC) with generous grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The landowner donated one-third of the value of the conservation easement.   "We are pleased to see the growing local support, especially among ranchers, for preserving the Sierra Valleys agricultural lands and spectacular environmental values," said Steve Frisch, the SBC's Director of Natural sources. "We have been contacted by dozens of other owners who are interested in the win-win solution provided by agricultural easements."   The Feather River Land Trust, which was formed four years ago by local residents, has now helped protect five properties, totaling more than 15,000 acres, in and around Sierra Valley. The mission of the land trust is to conserve, restore and manage land in the Feather River region in cooperation  with  willing landowners for the benefit of current and future generations. The land trust is supported by a membership of more than 600 local residents and property owners. The Balderston Ranch Conservation Easement marks the fourth project of the Working Landscapes Initiative, a program of the Sierra Business Council designed to provide tools to landowners for protecting productive agricultural lands while adopting good stewardship practices. Among the other projects are easements on the Bar One Ranch (13,100 acres), the valley's largest ranch, and the Strang/Sanford Ranch in the southwestern corner of the valley.   back to in the News

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