Oest Ranch
Protecting Placer County's Agricultural Heritage
The Oests are a pioneering Placer family with over 150 years farming and ranching history in the Auburn area. In 2009 Placer Land Trust worked with Daryl Oest and the Oest Family to put an agricultural conservation easement on the Oest Ranch - Lake Clementine Preserve. We continue to work with the Oests to protect much of their remaining ranch lands. Protection of these historic lands ensure that the Oests - and Placer County - can continue their agricultural traditions for generations to come.
Oest Ranch - Lake Clementine Preserve
This family ranch contains 350 acres of beautiful oak woodlands, grasslands used for seasonal livestock grazing, and a riparian corridor along a mile of Clipper Creek. The Lake Clementine Preserve is an important part of Oest Ranch's beef production, and also provides a home for bees producing PlacerGROWN honey. PLT's easement allows for sustainable agricultural production and prohibits development and other harmful uses. The property remains privately held and managed by the Oest family.
Funding was provided by the Emigrant Trails Greenway Trust with support from several PLT programs, including our Small Farm Program, Oak Woodlands Program, Wetlands Mitigation Program, and American River Watershed Protection Program. Investments from the Placer County Water Agency and the California Wildlife Foundation completed the project.
Oest Ranch - Clipper Creek
Placer Land Trust and the Oest family are working to permanently protect an additional 160 acres on Clipper Creek upstream of the Lake Clementine Preserve. Sitting along the rim of the American River canyon, this oak-conifer forest and riparian habitat are part of the historic Oest Ranch. Placer Land Trust has until 2012 to protect this property.
Future Plans
After the protection of Clipper Creek Placer Land Trust and the Oest Family will begin discussing options for protecting the Oest Ranch lands along Orr Creek and Highway 49 north of Auburn. This portion of Oest Ranch is near Placer Land Trust's protected lands at Big Hill and Bruin Ranch in the Coon Creek and Bear River watersheds, and we are hopeful that over time we can protect this entire landscape for current and future generations.
If you would like to help protect the Oest Ranch, please donate to Placer Land Trust today, or contact Executive Director Jeff Darlington for more details.