Quick Facts:
- 350 acres along the American River canyon rim near Lake Clementine
- Protected in 2009 in partnership with the Oest family, with primary funding provided by the Emigrant Trails Greenway Trust
Protecting Canyon Lands
Placer Land Trust worked with Daryl Oest and his family to put an agricultural conservation easement on the Oest Ranch – Lake Clementine Preserve. The property is located on the North Fork American River canyon rim above Lake Clementine. The preserve contains beautiful mixed oak conifer woodlands, chaparral and grassland that will be used for seasonal livestock grazing. The Preserve also boasts approximately one mile of riparian habitat along Clipper Creek.
Family Heritage
Placer Land Trust is proud to partner with the Oest family to help allow the Oest Ranch to be sustainable for livestock grazing, beekeeping, and other agricultural productivity. The Oests are a pioneering Placer County family that has been farming and ranching in the Auburn area since 1859. In July 2011 at the California State Fair, Placer Land Trust staff were on hand to join in honoring the Oest family as they were inducted into the California Agricultural Heritage Club for the Oest Ranch’s more than 150 years of farm and ranch productivity.
Local Agriculture
The Lake Clementine Preserve is an important part of Oest Ranch’s beef production, as well as providing a home for bees producing PlacerGROWN honey. In the easement, the Oests reserved two acres for a homesite to help manage the ranch and deter trespassing, but protected the remaining 350 acres forever. Placer Land Trust’s easement prohibits development and other harmful uses but does allow for sustainable agricultural production. The property remains privately held and managed by the Oest family.
Like most working landscapes, the Oest Ranch – Lake Clementine Preserve remains private property and trespassing is prohibited.
Check out our calendar for public access opportunities on Oest Ranch – Lake Clementine Preserve.
