August 25, 2026 — The Land Trust of Napa County has finalized a landmark conservation partnership with the di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art and the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District, securing a permanent easement on 162 acres of the historic estate. By moving this deal forward, the Land Trust is not only protecting a vital ecological corridor but also injecting crucial funding to support the long-term sustainability of Napa’s premier contemporary art destination.
The joint venture permanently protects roughly 75% of the 217-acre di Rosa estate from private development, safeguarding the iconic 732-foot Milliken Peak, local watersheds and native wildlife habitats. Under the terms orchestrated by the Land Trust, an initial $500,000 funding allocation is secured for di Rosa, with the remaining $1.35 million balance linked to the passage of Measure B on the upcoming November ballot.
This strategic alliance allows the di Rosa Center to maintain full ownership and programming on its remaining 53.5-acre main cultural campus, transforming the surrounding hillsides into a future public parkland. The Land Trust will hold the permanent easement, while partnering with the Napa Open Space District, which will own and operate the future park.
“This is a true win-win partnership that fuses environmental preservation with cultural sustainability,” said Melanie Parker, CEO of the Land Trust of Napa County. “By working directly with di Rosa, we are protecting a treasured scenic ridgeline at zero initial cost to taxpayers, while helping a vital arts institution thrive. Our focus now turns to the community, unlocking the trail infrastructure and wildfire management funding that relies on Measure B this November.”
While the rugged ridge remains temporarily closed during this planning transition, the partnership establishes the legal framework required to eventually connect the public with the historic peak’s sweeping Carneros vistas. In the meantime, di Rosa Center will continue to offer monthly hikes.
“Protecting and promoting the land is central to di Rosa’s dual mission of Art + Nature,” said Gordon Huether, di Rosa board president. “This partnership opens the door to more people experiencing both—and to realizing di Rosa’s full potential as an extraordinary cultural and natural asset for our community. We’re grateful to the Napa Land Trust and Napa Open Space District for their vision and partnership, and excited about what comes next.”
Plans call for a 2-mile trail to the summit, the highest in the Carneros region. The trail would provide a short route to the scenic mountaintop while expanding public access to di Rosa’s art and landscape. Art is already integrated throughout the property, and the organizations plan to further populate the trail with large-scale sculptures from the di Rosa collection.
The partnership announcement follows Monday’s vote by the Napa Open Space District to ratify the acquisition and future park plan.
“Milliken Peak has been part of our shared landscape for generations, and this easement ensures it stays that way for generations to come,” said Joelle Gallagher, Napa County supervisor. “I’m proud that the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District is partnering with the Land Trust and di Rosa on the vision for public trails and access here. With voter support for Measure B this November, we can turn that vision into reality — building trails, protecting the watershed and opening this remarkable peak to the community that has long admired it from below.”
About the Organizations
The Land Trust of Napa County is a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the natural beauty, agricultural heritage and ecological diversity of Napa County through voluntary conservation agreements and direct stewardship.
The di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art is a prominent cultural and environmental anchor situated in the Napa Valley — housing the world’s premier collection of Northern California Art situated on a nature preserve, the organization is dedicated to the intersection of contemporary art, and the unique regional landscape.
