Pushing through multifaceted set backs and stumbling blocks, they made it to the finish line.
‘This was the most complicated and expensive acquisition in Sierra Nevada history,’ said Perry Norris, Executive Director of Truckee Donner Land Trust (TDLT). Partnering with the Trust for Public Land, TDLT labored for over a year to raise a staggering $23.5 million and purchase the 1,462-acre Waddle Ranch located in Martis Valley, closing the deal Oct. 29.
The property, which has been closed to the public for 50 years, was purchased by the Pritzker Family, owners of the Hyatt hotel chain, in 1971. According to current zoning, the gently sloping property was allowed up to 1,000 units. But the land also has been identified as the most biologically diverse property in the Valley, providing habitat for deer, an immense array of birds, mountain lion, and black bear. Conservationists thus eyed the property for preservation.
After getting the go-ahead from the landowners, Sutton’s organization and TDLT orchestrated unprecedented cooperation between a spectrum of private and public donors to raise the money and they believe this could be the start of something bigger.
‘Almost no one thought it was possible,’ said David Sutton, Sierra Program Director of the Trust for Public Land-California. ‘It started with all these warring factions that came together and made it happen…it took a shift in alliances.’
Norris added, ‘This process gives us an enormous amount of credibility to get more projects of this scale done. It could set a precedent for contentious land issues across the region.’
Trust officials hope the conservation of Waddle Ranch is a step towards protecting the entire swath of land north of Highway 267.
On November 1, during a well-attended press conference, Norris and Sutton proudly pulled down the 50-year old ‘No Trespassing’ sign, and replaced it with a new one: ‘Welcome to Waddle Ranch – Now Open to the Public.’
In addition to an already existing trail system on the land, officials plan to develop more trails, which they hope will eventually reach all the way into the Mount Rose Wilderness Area.
At the Nov.1 gathering, local Theresa May Duggan gazed out over a serene but misnamed Dry Lake, the 50-acre lake within the Waddle Ranch property that is a migration destination to a host of bird species. Quietly she said, ‘It feels like we won one.’
~ Donations are still needed to help finish the fundraising efforts. Contact Suzanne Moss, suzanne.moss@tpl.org or 415-495-5660.
