10/26/2012
On November 8th, Placer Land Trust will honor Alex Ferreira with the 2012 Placer Conservator Award at a dinner and ceremony in Lincoln. The dinner will take place at the McBean Pavillion from 6:00-9:00 pm.
Placer Land Trust presents the Placer Conservator Award each year to an individual or organization that enriches the quality of life in Placer County through resource conservation. Alex Ferreira embodies this spirit. He was a farmer before he was a politician – maintaining a dairy, vineyard and winery, and a long-time membership in the Placer County Farm Bureau. But it was through his position as an elected official that he made a significant contribution towards protecting Placer County’s open space – particularly agricultural lands. Alex held his first elected seat on the Nevada Irrigation District Board in the late 1960s. He spent 24 years on the Placer County Board of Supervisors, and currently sits on the Board of the Placer County Water Agency and the Wildlife Heritage Foundation.
According to Tom McMahan who was Director of the Placer County Planning Department during Alex’s tenure on the Board of Supervisors, “a lot of people had given up on Placer County – they assumed we would be just another suburb of Sacramento. Alex had the foresight to realize that agriculture had a place in Placer County’s lifestyle and economy … and he fought for it.”
To this end Ferreira advocated to keep development in the cities and make lot sizes in the County larger. He encouraged farmers to put their lands in the Williamson Act, California’s Agricultural Lands Protection Act. He was among the first in Placer County to take the protection of agriculture a step further and promote farmers markets so producers could keep a larger portion of their profits.
Mr. Ferreira was born in Ophir and is a lifelong resident of Placer County, supporting numerous charities including building support for cancer research. He fought in World War II, and went to Sierra College on the GI Bill.
Please help continue Alex’s legacy and the fight to protect our rural economy and quality of life. Join us for this year’s Placer Conservator Award Ceremony and Dinner.
Placer Land Trust is a private nonprofit dedicated to working with willing landowners and conservation partners to permanently protect natural and agricultural lands in Placer County for future generations. If you need additional information about Placer Land Trust, attending the event, or sponsorship, please contact Karrie Thomas at (530) 887-9222 or karrie@placerlandtrust.org.