Lincoln 1079 Ranch preserved for working organic almond and rice ranch, agricultural land, and wetland habitat
We are so pleased to announce that Placer Land Trust and our partners have permanently protected Lincoln 1079 Ranch! This 581-acre working organic almond orchard and rice ranch is now protected as farmland forever.
Placer Land Trust purchased and recorded an Agricultural Conservation Easement from the landowners, AKT Investments Inc. The conservation easement permanently protects the land from subdivision and development while allowing the landowners to continue their agricultural operations.
“As farmers in the Sacramento Valley, we are pleased to partner with Placer Land Trust and the State of California to ensure this property is farmed into the future,” said Angelo Tsakopoulos, President and CEO of AKT Investments, Inc.
The landowners farm several thousand acres in Placer County, including rice, almonds, walnuts, and cattle. Lincoln 1079 Ranch is leased by farmers who grow organic almonds and rice on the property.
“We are excited to work with Placer Land Trust in placing the Lincoln 1079 Ranch into an agricultural conservation easement,” said representatives from Gold Leaf Farming, which manages the organic almond orchard on the property. “We believe in looking after our people and the planet to ensure that our farmland investments perform over the long term.”
Placer County remains one of the fastest-growing counties in California, and the growth in and around the City of Lincoln has been particularly explosive, with hundreds of acres of farmland being converted to development every year. An agricultural conservation easement allows the landowners to realize some of the value that would have come from selling for development, while keeping their land in agricultural production.
“Our agricultural lands are very attractive from a development standpoint, but the real value of these lands is food production by local farmers and ranchers,” said Placer Land Trust Executive Director Jeff Darlington. “It’s great when we can provide conservation funding to local landowners who are willing to permanently protect their productive agricultural lands.”
Lincoln 1079 Ranch also includes important wildlife habitat. The easement area is adjacent to land that is already protected for the Swainson’s Hawk, listed as a threatened species. The Auburn Ravine flows along one edge of the ranch, and migratory birds use the seasonally flooded rice fields along with nearby wetlands as critical feeding and breeding areas.
The majority of the funds for the Lincoln 1079 Ranch project were made available through the State of 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.
The State funds were supplemented by funding from Placer County’s Placer Legacy Open Space and Agricultural Conservation Program. Placer Land Trust and the Placer Legacy program have a long history of successfully partnering to conserve thousands of acres of open space and agricultural lands to the benefit of current and future generations. The landowners also generously discounted the sales price and contributed a significant donation to Placer Land Trust to complete the project and ensure the permanent protection of the property.
The agricultural conservation easement has been recorded on title in the official records of Placer County. The conservation easement is permanent and runs with title to the land, meaning that any future landowners will be prohibited from subdividing and developing the property, with limited exceptions supporting agricultural use. The protection of the ranch provides benefits not only to the land itself, but also to the neighbors who should enjoy seeing less sprawl and greater property values, to our community that benefits from our continued agricultural economy, and to everyone who values the beauty, bounty, and quality of life of rural Placer County.
