Quick Facts:
- 137-acre historic working ranch in North Auburn
- Protected in 2020 by Agricultural Conservation Easement, which allows the current or future landowner to continue ranching or farming
- Mixture of irrigated pasture, annual grasslands, blue oak woodlands, and remnant fruit trees from the 1920s, when the property produced plums, pears, and grapes
- Ranch and surrounding area is designated by Placer County as “Farmland of Local Importance”
- Funding was provided by California Climate Investments (CCI) via the Strategic Growth Council’s “Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program,” by grants from California Farmland Conservation Program and Placer County, by a generous contribution from Patti Beard, and by Placer Land Trust members who made donations at the 2018 Placer Conservator event
About the Preserve
The Beard family bought the ranch in 1955 and operated it as a dairy until 1982, when current owner Patti Beard took ownership and began running it as a beef cattle (cow/calf) operation. Beard Ranch Preserve features a mixture of irrigated pasture, annual grasslands, blue oak woodlands, and some remnant fruit trees from the 1920s, when the property produced plums, pears, and grapes. It supports a diverse range of plants and wildlife in addition to pastured cattle. The Agricultural Conservation Easement allows Beard or any future landowner to continue ranching or transition to another agricultural use if so desired.
Conservation Values
The ranch and surrounding area north of Auburn is designated by Placer County as “Farmland of Local Importance” based on soil quality and land use. But despite its value as farmland and rangeland, this area has seen escalated subdivision and residential development over the past several decades. Beard Ranch Preserve, which remains privately owned and is not open to the public, is adjacent to a large block of almost 5,000 acres of connected and permanently protected land across the Raccoon Creek and Bear River watersheds.
Protecting Farmland in Rural Placer County
The Agricultural Conservation Easement runs with title to the land, meaning all future landowners will be prohibited from subdividing and developing the property. The permanent nature of the conservation provides benefits not only to the property itself, but to neighbors who should enjoy seeing less growth and greater property values, to our community that benefits from our continued agricultural economy, and to everyone who values the natural beauty and quality of life in rural Placer County.
“I’m so happy that Placer Land Trust took the lead many years ago to preserve land in Placer County. When I’m no longer working the ranch, I would like to see it operated by a young farmer or rancher with values similar to mine, and the Agricultural Conservation Easement will ensure that can happen by protecting the land for active farming.”
Patti Beard, landowner
Funds for Beard Ranch Preserve were made available through the California Strategic Growth Council’s Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALC) in collaboration with the Department of Conservation. SALC is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities.
Beard Ranch Preserve is not open to the public. For a list of our properties that have public trails, visit our Trails page.
