Rivers & Lands Conservancy Announces Acquisition of 306 Acre Conservation Site in Orange County

March 28, 2023, Riverside, CA: Rivers & Lands Conservancy is thrilled to announce it has permanently conserved the 306-acre Saddle Creek North property in unincorporated Orange County at the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains. Saddle Creek North will be managed jointly as a 400-acre conservation area with the adjacent Watson property acquired by Rivers & Lands Conservancy in 2021. Both acquisitions were in partnership with The Conservation Fund, a national nonprofit organization, whose vision, efforts, and creativity ensured their permanent conservation was possible.

The conservation area provides critical habitat for coastal California gnatcatcher, a federally threatened bird species, and protects the special-status plant species foothill mariposa lily and chaparral nolina. The conservation area also serves to protect portions of a critical wildlife corridor in the Santa Ana Mountains ensuring permanent habitat connectivity for large mammals including mountain lion, mule deer, bobcat, coyote, gray fox, badger, racoon, and skunk. Currently, Saddle Creek North is host to the University of California Davis Mountain Lion Project staff who study and track the development of the existing mountain lion population found within the property and surrounding lands.

Rivers & Lands Conservancy is honored to manage Saddle Creek North to uphold its conservation values for current and future generations. The Conservancy looks forward to inviting the public onsite for future volunteer and outreach events as a management plan for the conservation area is developed and additional funding is identified. The organization hopes to one day share the beauty and the diversity of the landscape through youth education and hands-on experiences for interested community members.

About Rivers & Lands Conservancy

Rivers & Lands Conservancy manages conserved lands for public benefit by protecting, enhancing, and restoring natural resources. Rivers & Lands conservancy currently nearly 3,045 acres of permanently protected open space. For 34 years, Rivers & Lands Conservancy has been instrumental in acquiring and preserving over 15,000 acres of open space including properties that have been transferred to conservation partners for their permanent protection.