Fall River Ranch

Shasta Land Trust completed the conservation easement on the 436-acre Fall River Ranch in late 2009. The conservation easement was completed in partnership with the owners of Fall River Ranch,  Shasta Land Trust and the Trust for Public Land.  

Located in the Fall River Valley, Fall River Ranch is owned by the Fall River Ranch Partnership. The 436-acre cattle ranch will remain in private ownership and will continue to be used for productive ranching uses under the terms of the conservation easement. The productive ranchland includes over a mile of river frontage on beautiful Fall River, the largest spring-fed river system in the nation. 

The majority of the ranch is composed of rich grasslands, with about a half of the property in timber which will continue to be harvested in a sustainable manner.  "This ranch has been a big part of our lives for 50 years and we are delighted that is will be preserved in its present state forever," said Lewis Butler, a member of the Fall River Ranch Partnership.

The conservation easement on Fall River Ranch joins other Shasta Land Trust easements protecting over 5,000 acres of ranchland and wildlife habitat in the Fall River Valley, helping support the local ranching economy and ensuring the diverse natural resources of the region may thrive for years to come.

The conservation easement was purchased from the Fall River Ranch Partnership with funds provided by the California Sierra Nevada-Cascade Conservation Grant Program of the California Natural Resources Agency. The conservation easement for Fall River Ranch permits a handful of cabins in one area of the property, but prohibits any additional residential development on the property. Continued grazing is permitted, as is the ability to maintain the necessary ranching and agricultural infrastructure. The property will remain in private ownership and may be sold or passed down to heirs, but will remain under the restrictions of the conservation easement forever. The ranch will continue to support the local ranching economy, provide important wildlife habitat, help provide clean water to Fall River, and offer scenic views of its natural expanses for many generations to come.