By joining forces with state and federal agencies and local communities in California, our balanced approach to conservation has helped to safeguard nearly 400,000 acres here—including 40,000 acres of watersheds and forestlands.

Ongoing Projects

North Coast Conservation Initiative

On California’s North Coast, we’re pioneering new ways to protect and sustainably manage working forests. At our Garcia River, Big River and Salmon Creek forests, we’re restoring more than 40,000 acres of watersheds and forestland. In addition to restoring the forests’ watersheds and supporting local economies, our efforts support the fight against climate change: Our forest properties were among the first and largest to receive verification as a source of greenhouse gas reductions under the protocols of the Climate Action Reserve.

Learn more about our North Coast Conservation Initiative Projects >>

Recent Projects

Elfin Forest and Sage Hill, San Diego

The Fund has helped save nearly 400 acres of critical coastal sage scrub habitat in the San Diego area, protecting it from residential development.

Read about our conservation successes in the San Diego area.

Past Projects

Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness

Hugging the edge of the Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, near San Diego, is a small piece of land with enormous conservation value. Once a traditional Native American passage between the Peninsular Mountain Range and the vast Colorado Desert, this land is now regularly crossed by bighorn sheep, cougars and other wildlife. In 2008, we worked with the Resources Legacy Fund Foundation and the Bureau of Land Management to protect the 80-acre parcel, complementing an earlier purchase of 1,800 acres.

Photo: Jeremy Bradfod/Flickr

California Desert Conservation

Nearly 250,000 acres of critical habitat for bighorn sheep and desert tortoise are now protected within the East Mojave National Scenic Area thanks to support from the Richard King Mellon Foundation and a cooperative effort involving the Bureau of Land Management, California Cattle Growers Association, National Park Service, private landowners and The Conservation Fund. By purchasing and then retiring grazing permits from willing landowners, the Fund and its partners are working to implement comprehensive management plans across the Mojave Desert and the California Desert Conservation Area.

Lost Coast Ranch

From the green ridges of the Lost Coast, the Pacific stretches to the horizon. The steep cliffs, frequent washouts, rocky hillsides and deep forests kept road builders inland and until now, made this part of Northern California a wonderful and wild stretch of the state's long coastline. To preserve this pristine area and guard against inappropriate residential development, we purchased 225 acres known as Lost Coast Ranch with support from the California Coastal Conservancy. We then conveyed the property to the Bureau of Land Management. Now these dramatic cliffs, coastal streams and isolated beaches will provide shelter for a diverse population of migrating birds, anadromous fish and other wildlife.

Mendocino National Forest

Just a three-hour drive north of San Francisco and Sacramento, the forests of Mendocino stretch across almost one million acres of mountains and canyons, beckoning adventurous outdoor enthusiasts. Through a partnership with the USDA Forest Service and state of California, the Fund transferred nearly 23,000 acres along the eastern spur of the Coastal Mountain Range to Mendocino National Forest.

Tule River Watershed

The clear waters of the Tule River, flowing fast and cold from the high Sierras, are renowned for their high-quality fish habitat and outstanding kayaking adventures. Backed by the California Wildlife Conservation Board, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Packard Foundation, we purchased a 722-acre easement for the Sierra Los Tulares Land Trust to conserve the Tule River riparian corridor and watershed.

Read about the following projects in detail: