Land Trust protects almost 2,000 acres

New preserve is the largest property the Land Trust has added to its portfolio in over 10 years

Land Trust of Napa County is pleased to announce the acquisition of almost 2,000 acres that will become a new Land Trust Preserve. The new “Wragg Ridge Preserve” protects a wide expanse of oak woodlands, covering almost the entire property, as well as priority habitat for wildlife, including endangered species.

The acquisition was funded by grants from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the California Natural Resources Agency and the Arthur L. and Elaine V. Johnson Foundation. “Without their help, this conservation project would not have been possible,” said Doug Parker, CEO of the Land Trust. “And I also want to thank the owners who sold the property through a bargain sale, below its appraised value. Their generosity was a critical element in protecting this beautiful natural area.”

“Protecting our State’s natural resources continues to be a priority for the California Natural Resources Agency. Funded via the Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation program, the Wragg Ridge acquisition project will protect in perpetuity riparian habitat for the California Red-legged Frog and will provide a wildlife corridor between Lake Berryessa and Lake Curry to the south,” said Secretary for Natural Resources John Laird.

“This is a very significant conservation acquisition,” said Dan Winterson, who manages the Bay Area Conservation Program at the Moore Foundation. “We are very happy to support the excellent work of the Land Trust in protecting Wragg Ridge, which will have important wildlife habitat and connectivity benefits.”

The new 1,910-acre preserve is the largest property the Land Trust has added to its portfolio in over 10 years. “The vast majority of our transactions are conservation easements, as I think most people know,” said Parker. “But this property was in a strategic location and had a wealth of habitat and wildlife values that we thought could benefit from our ownership and management.”

The property abuts protected lands at Lake Berryessa and is near land owned and managed by BLM, part of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, as well the Quail Ridge Reserve, which is part of the University of California’s Natural Reserve System. It expands protection along a high ridge – Wragg Ridge – extending south from the lake. The property is dominated by extensive oak woodlands – predominantly blue oaks and interior live oaks, with some black oaks – and it also contains priority wetlands, including a creek, seasonal springtime pools and year-round ponds. The wetlands provide habitat for rare species, including the federally listed California Red-legged Frog, one of the few federally listed species in Napa County. The largest native frog in the western United States, this species is estimated to have lost over 70% of its previous habitat. It was listed under the Federal Endangered Species Act in 1996. The Land Trust will work with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on habitat enhancement and restoration efforts for this species as well as other priority wildlife on the preserve.