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- The Wildlands Conservancy is buying the 14,000-acre AP Ranch for $16.9 million.
- The purchase will expand Beaver Valley Headwaters Preserve to over 20,000 acres.
- AP Ranch, established in 1856, spans Scott River headwaters habitat in Siskiyou County.
The Wildlands Conservancy is purchasing a historic 14,000-acre Northern California ranch established around the time of the Gold Rush in a multimillion-dollar deal.
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Acquiring AP Ranch in Siskiyou County sets in motion a major expansion of the conservancy’s Beaver Valley Headwaters Preserve and advances conservation of the Scott River headwaters, the group said. Escrow is anticipated to close this fall.
The East Fork of the Scott River cuts through the Siskiyou County property, near the Oregon border, for eight miles. There are seven homes on the land, six large barns and several outbuildings. The property is nearly the size of Manhattan in New York.
The $16.9 million acquisition includes an $11.5 million investment from the Wildlife Conservation Board with private support from the Catena Foundation, the Horizon Foundation, Holdfast Collective, Kisco Conservation Fund, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Rare Wildlife Lands Foundation and a number of individuals, according to The Wildlands Conservancy.
The addition expands the Beaver Valley Headwaters Preserve to more than 20,000 acres, amplifying the protection of a sweep of river, forests, mountain meadows and wetlands that provide crucial habitat for salmon, steelhead and other native wildlife.
“What we do in the headwaters affects the whole river,” Charnna Gilmore, executive director of the Scott River Watershed Council, said in a statement. “The Scott is all connected, from its forests and streams to its fish and the people who live here. Conservation of the AP Ranch helps us connect more of the restoration work already happening across the watershed.”
AP Ranch was established in 1856 by Alexander Parker and acquired by the Newton family in 1961, according to California Outdoor Properties, which held the listing. That makes it — along with a handful of other spreads like Tejon Ranch in Southern California and Jack Tone Ranch in the Central Valley — one of the oldest ranches in the state.
Diverse in topography, the ranch’s elevation extends from 3,600 feet to 5,400 feet. Nearby peaks soar above 8,000 feet.
Members of the Newton family, the sellers, spent weekends and summers at the ranch, The Sacramento Bee previously reported.
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“It’s bittersweet to sell the ranch that holds so many cherished memories of time well-spent with the extended family,” Dr. Albert Newton III said when the property first hit the market.
His grandfather, Albert H. Newton, was a long-time physician and prominent figure in the area, he added. His father, Albert H. Newton Jr., is a well-known attorney and businessman in the region.
“This is a once in a generation opportunity,” Frazier Haney, executive director for The Wildlands Conservancy, said in a news release. “The AP Ranch purchase allows us, working with partners, to help ensure the Scott River will sustain salmon and wildlife in the region, and provide enjoyment for surrounding communities and families well beyond our lifetimes.”
Wildlands is working with California Trout, the Karuk Tribe, Quartz Valley Indian Reservation, Scott River Watershed Council and other partners to improve Scott River, including building beaver dam–like structures to slow water, replenish groundwater and expand stream habitat for spawning and young salmon and steelhead.
“The Karuk are salmon people,” Russell A. Attebery, chairman of the Karuk Tribe, said in the news release. “Our identity and way of life are deeply connected to these fish and the rivers they depend on. We have a responsibility to care for the Scott River and the salmon that have sustained our people since time immemorial.”
AP Ranch borders the Klamath National Forest and sits within a much larger network of public, private and conserved lands.
Future public access to the ranch land and outdoor education will be free, Haney said.
AP Ranch has been operating as a year-round cow-calf operation, with a carrying capacity of about 500 mother cows, according to California Outdoor Properties.
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