AUBURN, CA (MPG) - The Placer County Conservation Program is set to acquire an additional 430 acres near Sheridan that will continue the mission of conserving lands that are critical to the survival of sensitive species and their habitat.

On Tuesday, the Placer County Board of Supervisors took action to approve the use of $400,000 from Placer Legacy – the county’s open space and agricultural protection program - towards the purchase of the northern portion of the Redwing Ranch property.

The Placer Legacy funding will be combined with a $4.28 million federal grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a $1.1 million state grant from the California Wildlife Conservation Board - Department of Fish and Wildlife for the $5.39 million total purchase price of the property.

"In Placer County, we're extremely proud of our open space programs and what these kinds of conservation programs add to our quality of life," said District 2 Supervisor Shanti Landon who represents the Sheridan area. "To add an additional 430 acres of open space, grazing land and habitat for protected species brings us up to almost 3,000 total acres in Sheridan that will remain as open space and preserve our agricultural heritage."

Combined with the November 2022 purchase of the 560-acre southern portion of Riosa Redwing Ranch, which used $445,000 of Placer Legacy funding and more than $5.5 million in grants, the Redwing Ranch acquisition will total 990 acres.

“This collectively represents the most significant leveraging of Placer Legacy funds to match state and federal grants in the 22-year history of the program,” said PCCP Administrator Gregg McKenzie “The federal and state grant contributions total roughly $12 million, and the Placer Legacy Program’s contribution totals roughly 7% at $845,000.”

North Redwing Ranch natural resources include more than 65 acres of riparian wetland, more than 11 acres of seasonal wetland, more than 13 acres of vernal pools and 14 acres of vernal swales. It is a suitable habitat for 20 special status species, eight of which are covered by the PCCP including vernal pool fairy shrimp, the California black rail and the tricolored blackbird.

For more information on Placer Legacy and PCCP, click here.

An image of the Sheridan area PCCP land can be downloaded here.