Rickert Brothers Ranch 

At the end of 2010, Shasta Land Trust acquired a conservation easement on the 5,000-acre Rickert Brothers Ranch in Shasta County. The completed conservation easement was a partnership among the landowners of Rickert Brothers Ranch, Shasta Land Trust, and the Trust for Public Land, who also provided project funding.

The Rickert Brothers Ranch includes many important conservation values including wildlife habitat, prime agricultural land, water quality, scenic views, and open space.  The conservation easement ensures protection of these diverse resources. The conservation easement for the Rickert Brothers Ranch joins other Shasta Land Trust conservation easements that together protect nearly 20,000 acres of the Cow Creek watershed, one of our two primary focus areas.

Funding for this project was provided by federal and state agencies, as well as the Trust for Public Land.  The Sierra Nevada Conservancy and Department of Transportation made grants to support this project at the state level, and the federal Bureau of Reclamation also generously provided grant funding through their Central Valley Project Conservation Program and Central Valley Project Improvement Act Habitat Restoration Program.

The Ranch includes upwards of 600 acres of vernal pools, three major creeks including Little Cow Creek, sprawling expanses of Blue Oak woodlands, and important agricultural land. It has been ranched by generations of Shasta County residents, and this easement will ensure that it remains available for responsible ranching uses for future generations.