Placer County partners with Placer Land Trust to preserve 1,169 acres in rural Lincoln

Published Aug. 29, 2023

Placer County will contribute $910,000 toward the preservation of 1,169 acres in rural Lincoln, helping the county meet goals and objectives outlined in the Placer Legacy Open Space and Agricultural Conservation Program and Placer County Conservation Program.

On Tuesday the Board of Supervisors took action to approve use of fund agreements in the amount of $910,000 towards the nonprofit Placer Land Trust’s acquisition of two agricultural easements of 595 acres at Koshman Ranch and 574 acres at Lincoln Ranch. Both properties are active farmland with rice and almond orchards and provide wildlife habitat and open space benefits in important waterways. The acreage used for rice production is also high-quality seasonal habitat for many migratory bird species, and rice farms are an important land use type in the Pacific Flyway.

The Placer Land Trust raised 89% of the $8.23 million purchase price of the land via the California Department of Conservation’s Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program ($6,018,750) and from the landowner, AKT ($1,301,250).

“In this partnership with the Placer Land Trust, I’m excited that Placer County is continuing its commitment to preserving and conserving open space, farmland and wildlife habitat for our future generations,” District 2 Supervisor Shanti Landon said.

The county’s contribution is $483,000, or 12%, for the Koshman Ranch property and $427,000, or 11%, for the Lincoln Ranch property.

Placer County has long been committed to preserving open space and farmland in conjunction with necessary development to accommodate growth. Placer Legacy has acquired nearly 2,727 acres for preservation since its inception in 2000, and contributed to purchases of 6,411 acres by other entities such as the Placer Land Trust.

The Placer County Conservation Program covers approximately 201,000 acres of Western Placer County to help preserve natural habitat and ensure the survival of endangered species with the goal of permanently preserving 47,000 acres of land.

Photos of Koshman Ranch and Lincoln Ranch can be viewed and downloaded by clicking here.