THE CAMPAIGN TO SAVE DUFF RANCH
What’s at risk?
Duff Ranch comprises 1,000 biologically rich and diverse acres of woodland and wildlife habitat east of Calistoga at the north end of Napa Valley. The property is a remarkable mosaic of seven important California habitat types, including stunning rock outcrops near the Palisades and a myriad of volcanic cliffs and caves. A veritable oasis of special status plants, several locally rare species found at Duff have been seen only once or twice before in Napa County.The Duff property represents the crucial “missing link” that connects Robert Louis Stevenson State Park with the 3,045-acre Wildlake Ranch. Taken together, this dramatic swath of land spans the entire eastern horizon of the Napa Valley, an astonishing 15 miles of protected landscape beginning at the summit of Mt. St. Helena and reaching nearly to the town of Angwin.
By virtue of its connectivity to Robert Louis Stevenson State Park and Wildlake Ranch, as well as its complex array of plants and rare and endangered elements, the Duff property has been identified as one the highest-priority land conservation targets in Napa County.Why does this matter?
Napa County is one of the 25 most biologically diverse areas in the country and development of this property would dramatically impact endangered and significant plants and birds. It will also destroy the increasingly rare Napa wildlife habitat that provides home for mammals, such as black bears.
With 12 legal parcels, the site is well-suited to the development of highly visible estate homes. The blighting of viewshed after viewshed in recent years threatens to permanently alter the special landscape of Napa Valley, which would not only affect the natural beauty and rural architecture of Napa, but could impact our economic growth and tourism. Right now, the adjacent Duff, Wildlake, and Robert Louis Stevenson State Park properties represent the longest “mansion free” viewshed of any of the surrounding ranges in the Valley.
Acquiring the Duff property offers the people of Napa a truly “once in a generation” conservation opportunity – the eventual expansion of Robert Louis Stevenson State Park from its current 5,200 acres to more than 13,000 acres. This would create by far the largest contiguous, publicly accessible, open space in Napa Valley – and fantastic new recreational opportunities for residents of Napa and the State of California.
How much we need:
In order to save the Duff Ranch and provide for the ongoing management and stewardship of its 1,000 acres, The Land Trust must raise $4.3 million to complete the purchase.
How much we have:
We have already raised $4,075,000 through generous donations from local Napa Valley residents and state conservation foundations. But we still need to raise $225,000 to meet our goal of the $4.3 million purchase price.