A CRUCIAL CONSERVATION NEED IN THE REGION
Jessup University and Placer Land Trust have already protected 402 acres of Clover Valley—one of the last intact oak-and-riparian woodlands in western Placer County. To finish the job we must safeguard the remaining 52 acres now threatened by a 558-home subdivision and new roadways. Securing these final parcels will keep the entire valley whole and provide a priceless ecological, cultural, and recreational resource for Rocklin and beyond.
Update | March 13, 2025
We are so excited to announce that our partnership with Placer Land Trust and our funding partners: Placer County Office of Education, City of Rocklin, Placer County, City of Lincoln, SkyView Foundation, and the Emigrant Trails Trust have SECURED 402 acres of the Clover Valley slopes and valley floor forever!
NOW…we have just 52 acres left to secure in order to protect the entire slopes and valley floor. Jessup needs to raise $2.8m more to cover the remaining 52 acres with a conservation easement. PLEASE help us finish the task!
THANK YOU for all your support! We did this and are doing it together!
Proposed Mission Statement for the Reserve
The preserve exists (1) to protect and restore the biological diversity of Clover Valley, (2) to protect, in perpetuity, the cultural resources present in Clover Valley, (3) to provide experiential learning and research opportunities for Jessup students and faculty as well as nearby schools and colleges, and (4) to provide educational and recreational opportunities for all those who live in, and who visit, the Rocklin community.
California Black Rail, threatened status, occurs in Clover Valley
© Phil Robertson
Ecological & Cultural Resources
The resources at Clover Valley include expanses of oak woodland (~27,000 oak trees per a 2006 inventory), grassland, and riparian habitats. A 20-acre wetland created by local beavers supports California Black Rail, a California threatened bird species, and the valley contains Swainson’s Hawk critical foraging habitat. The perennial Clover Valley Creek supported salmonids as recently as 1985 suggesting an opportunity to restore the riparian corridor and reintroduce steelhead and Chinook salmon.
Clover Valley has also been home to Native Americans for over 7,000 years and was a major tribal center according to archeologists. This rich history is still present in Clover Valley and past field work has identified 34 prehistoric sites.
Jessup’s field botany course in Clover Valley
Development Pressures
The time to conserve Clover Valley is now. An existing development agreement and associated entitlements allow for subdivision of the site into 46 large parcels containing 558 single family residential lots and the construction of infrastructure improvements that would crisscross the valley, forever interrupting the wildlife habitat and water quality benefits of its current condition.
Deep bedrock mortars in Clover Valley
Funding Progress & Path Ahead
• Total campaign: $18.8 million
• Raised to date: $16 million (includes a generous bargain-sale from the landowner)
• Still needed: $2.8 million by June 30 2025 to protect the last 52 acres and endow long-term management.
What Does Success Look Like?
Efforts to conserve Clover Valley have been underway for decades but never before possible. A conservation outcome here has support from local municipalities, Placer County, and a wide swath of community groups. Efforts are also underway to establish protected connectivity with an existing ~150-acre preserve on Clover Valley’s northwest border.
Success means all 454 acres of Clover Valley (402 already protected + 52 still at stake) remain intact forever, with a fully funded stewardship endowment and new field-based learning opportunities for Jessup students, local schools, and the community at large.
CLOVER VALLEY PROSPECTIVE PRESERVE | VICINITY MAP
CLOVER VALLEY PROSPECTIVE PRESERVE | SITE MAP
Partner with Us
We invite you to partner with us in preserving Clover Valley for future generations.
