Placer Land Trust

Reviewed by the Sacramento Region Community Foundation

$5,539 raised by 11 donors

3% complete

$180,000 Goal

People are drawn to Placer County for our stunning landscapes, rich agricultural heritage, and abundant outdoor recreation opportunities. Placer Land Trust believes these natural wonders provide a rich quality of life for all living things today and in the future. Protecting these landscapes is essential to successfully build and sustain connections among people, their community, and the natural environment. 

 

There are so many reasons to protect our land! Here are some of our favorites:   

  • Health & Happiness - spending time in nature makes people feel better
  • Local Food - protecting farms and ranchlands where our food grows
  • Water & Air - reducing pollution through natural landscapes, and protecting water quality for drinking and wildlife
  • Habitats - protecting fish and wildlife, including endangered species
  • Economic benefits - supporting jobs through conservation, agricultural revenue, and tax benefits through parks and open space
  • Climate solutions - sequestering greenhouse gases, and improving resilience to drought and invasive species
  • Scenic beauty - inspiring people to flock to Placer County for our stunning landscapes
  • Tradition - securing way of life for farmers and ranchers through agricultural easements, and protecting lands that are culturally important to Native Americans
  • Recreation - providing places to play and exercise outdoors
  • Safety - managing preserves to reduce negative impacts of flooding and improve fire safety for nearby communities


Land Acknowledgment

The protected lands in Placer Land Trust’s care are the ancestral lands of the Maidu, Miwok, Nisenan and Washoe tribes. These lands were forcibly seized, and these tribes were unjustly treated. Although Placer Land Trust cannot change the past, we seek to work with local Native American tribes, where we can, to help address this injustice.

Mission

Placer Land Trust works with willing landowners and conservation partners to permanently protect and care for natural and agricultural lands in Placer County for current and future generations.

Needs

Land Conservation: Land is very expensive. Donor funds help us cover the transaction costs of acquiring land from willing landowners. We are often able to leverage these donor funds to attract large state and federal grants to complete the purchase of land or conservation easements. On average, every $1 of member support protects $8 worth of land!

Trails & Recreation: Funding helps us build and maintain miles of new and existing trails through 3,000 acres of permanently protected oak woodlands in the Sierra Foothills. Some trails are open to the public, and others are accessible through free monthly guided hikes that focus on general recreation as well as hikes with a special educational theme.

Habitat Stewardship & Enhancement: Funding helps us actively manage properties we own to ensure public benefit is protected now and forever, including routine but costly functions such as habitat protection, weed management, and making safety improvements to prevent fire hazards.

Community Engagement: Funding supports organizational volunteers that help us do more than we could do alone. Volunteers help us offer varied experiences from wilderness hikes to volunteer restoration projects that create opportunities for people to connect with our natural wonders and inspire them to care for the land that sustains us -- now and forever.

Board Members: Sound and sustainable governance, with an emphasis on fiscal success and accountability, is at the heart of our work. Our Board of Directors are subject to high standards and expectations, both as ambassadors of -- and fundraisers for -- our mission.

Equity Statement

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access to Land (IDEAL).

Placer Land Trust seeks to protect land for the sake of the environment, the benefit of people, and the connections between them. Just as diversity strengthens a natural ecosystem, we know it makes our communities stronger and more resilient. Our long-term success depends on inclusive community support now and in the future, and on staying relevant to current and future generations.

We believe our region’s quality of life depends in part on equitable access to a healthy outdoors, yet our present-day enjoyment of the land stems from a privilege that is not afforded to all. Our vision is that all people — especially those who have been excluded or underrepresented — have a voice, a role, and feel a sense of belonging on our shared lands. We hope all who enjoy these natural lands and open spaces are inspired to play an active role in furthering our mission. We will continue to work intentionally towards this goal until our leadership, membership, and footprint ultimately reflect the diversity of identity, background, and experiences of our beautiful region — and then we will strive to sustain that diversity forever.

Get Involved

View our current participation opportunities.

In-Person Volunteering


Volunteer with Placer Land Trust

Various locations in Placer County

Ongoing opportunity

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Placer Land Trust

other names

PLT

Year Established

1991

Tax id (EIN)

68-0223143

Mission Category

Environment

Operating Budget

$1,000,001-$5 million

Organization Need

Funding: Program, Volunteers, Board Members

Local Counties Served

Placer

Equity Statement

Equity Statement

Address

922 Lincoln Way Suite 200
Auburn, CA 95603

Service areas

Placer, CA, US

Phone

530-887-9222

fax

530-888-7720

Social Media