Hootman Ranch

Over the past several years Shasta Land Trust has been proud to have protected several ranches in Shasta County. One of these properties is the 193-acre Hootman Ranch near Viola in Shasta County.

Emma Mae Stroup had a vision for the property, a beautiful ranch on Bailey Creek with stunning views of Mt. Lassen. Emma wanted to ensure that her family's property forever remained as open space for grazing and wildlife habitat. She started working with the land trust nearly a decade ago to preserve her ranch. In 2008, Emma negotiated a conservation easement and, as an estate planning tool, her children pledged to donate that easement at the time of her death.

Sadly, Emma passed away recently. Her children, Florence Davis and Robert Stroup, wanted to carry out their mother's wishes and complete the conservation easement on the family's Hootman Ranch. Thanks to their generosity, the ranch will continue to provide important water quality, open space, and wildlife habitat in the area.

The ranch has historically been used for cattle grazing in a seasonally irrigated meadow and contains riparian habitat corridor along Bailey Creek, mixed conifer timberland, and abundant open space allowing migration and foraging for wildlife and bird species. The ranch also protects important scenic views along Highway 44.

The Shasta Land Trust is very grateful to the Davis and Stroup families for realizing their mother's dream of protecting this special place.