A CRUCIAL CONSERVATION NEED IN THE REGION
Jessup University and its Institute for Biodiversity and the Environment (IBE) and Placer Land Trust (PLT) have partnered to pursue conservation of the majestic Clover Valley, one of the last remaining, intact sections of oak and riparian woodlands in western Placer County. Currently approved for 558 high-end single-family homes with a roadway across the valley floor, this ~688 acre acquisition will instead preserve the slope and valley floor landscape replete with biological and cultural resources and provide a rare recreational amenity for the City of Rocklin and beyond.
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.
Prof. McGrann’s field botany course in Clover Valley, Spring 2021
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 Goals &
Landowner Cooperation
VISIONARY GOAL: $38.6 million – secures slopes, valley floor, and ridge tops totaling 688 acres of pristine woodland, grassland, and wetlands for future generations; connects to existing 150 acre preserve; AND provides for ongoing maintenance, public recreation, and environmental curriculum and research.
GUARDIAN GOAL: $21.2 million – protects 521 acres of slopes and valley floor as well as the eastern and southwestern ridges for future generations.
ADVOCATE GOAL: $10 million – preserves the slopes and valley floor remnant of 388 acres and Native American cultural sites for future generations.
POST-ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT GOAL: $1 million – provides endowed funding for the annual management, maintenance, care, and security of the preserve.
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 will protect the biological diversity and cultural resources of Clover Valley; provide experiential learning and research opportunities for the University as well as other educational institutions in the region; and provide recreational opportunities for all those who live in, and who visit, the Rocklin community.
Partner with Us
We invite you to partner with us in preserving Clover Valley for future generations.
