Wildlands secures funding to add 14,177 acres to Scott River preserve

The Wildlands Conservancy has lined up public and private money to buy AP Ranch in Siskiyou County, clearing the way for a major expansion of its Beaver Valley Headwaters Preserve. The $16.9 million deal would protect critical Scott River headwaters habitat, support salmon restoration and open the door to future free public access.

Why it matters: - The acquisition would expand Beaver Valley Headwaters Preserve to more than 20,000 acres. - The purchase protects more than eight miles of the East Fork Scott River and a connected landscape of forests, meadows and wetlands. - The preserved watershed is important habitat for coho salmon, Chinook salmon, steelhead and other native wildlife. - The project also sets up future free public access and outdoor education in the Scott River headwaters.

What happened: - The Wildlands Conservancy secured the public and private funding needed to acquire the 14,177-acre AP Ranch in Siskiyou County, California. - Escrow is expected to close this fall. - The $16.9 million acquisition combines 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, the Rare Wildlife Lands Foundation and individual donors. - The ranch will become part of the Wildlands Conservancy’s Beaver Valley Headwaters Preserve.

The details: - AP Ranch sits upstream of the existing preserve along the East Fork Scott River. - The property borders the Klamath National Forest and sits within a broader network of public, private and conserved lands. - The ranch includes conifer forests, oak woodlands, mountain meadows and wetlands. - Wildlife habitat on the property includes elk, black bears, mountain lions and many resident and migratory birds. - Wildlands is already working with California Trout, the Karuk Tribe, Quartz Valley Indian Reservation, Scott River Watershed Council and other partners on restoration in the basin. - Current restoration work includes beaver dam analogs designed to recharge groundwater and improve stream habitat for salmon and steelhead. - In 2021, the Wildlife Conservation Board helped Wildlands acquire the 6,094-acre former Hayden Ranch to create Beaver Valley Headwaters Preserve. - The Horizon Foundation later supported two smaller acquisitions that improved connectivity between the existing preserve and AP Ranch. - Philanthropic partners are also funding early stewardship, preserve startup and an endowment for permanent care of the expanded preserve.

Between the lines: - The deal advances a landscape-scale conservation strategy, not just a single land purchase. - AP Ranch strengthens habitat connectivity in a watershed where upstream stewardship affects downstream river health. - Tribal and conservation partners are positioning the project as both an ecological restoration effort and a cultural stewardship effort, especially for the Karuk Tribe and the Scott River fisheries. - The WCB funding reflects the state’s use of Proposition 4 dollars to leverage private capital for habitat restoration and public access.

What's next: - Wildlands expects to begin with limited guided access on AP Ranch. - The organization plans to expand access over time while protecting ecological and cultural values. - Restoration, rewilding and long-term stewardship will continue across the expanded preserve. - The project team will also work toward broader public use and outdoor education programs as the preserve opens.

The bottom line: - AP Ranch would turn a major private property into a cornerstone of Scott River headwaters conservation, with money, partners and a long-term access plan now in place.