LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Tuleyome, a Woodland-based conservation organization, has taken ownership of 620 acres on the south flank of Goat Mountain.

The land is located in Lake County at the headwaters of the upper North Fork of Cache Creek.

The land is an in-holdings in the Mendocino National Forest, the group reported.

The Goat Mountain properties were previously owned by the California Institute of Man in Nature as a part of John Olmsted’s vision for an Across California Trail along the 39^th parallel, which is approximately the route of Highway 20.

Olmsted described his vision as an ecological corridor with islands of protected lands – “Beads on a Necklace.”

Other properties that Olmsted helped to protect include Jug Handle State Reserve on the coast, Sutter Buttes in the Central Valley and the Bridgeport covered bridge on the South Yuba River.

Olmsted also helped to build the Independence Trail on the South Yuba that is one of the first handicap assessable nature trails in the nation.

He died on March 8, and will be remembered through his conservation legacy.

“It has been a pretty intensive effort over the past eight months to secure these properties,” said Bob Schneider, Tuleyome’s senior policy director. “The property was in danger of sale for back taxes and there were 30 outstanding Deeds of Trust. We worked through that and the owners of the Deeds of Trust were incredibly generous. It was a pleasure to permanently secure this portion of John’s conservation legacy.”

This was an important purchase for Tuleyome. The group's major project is the proposed Berryessa Snow Mountain National Conservation Area. Tuleyome’s proposal ranges over 100 miles from south to north and includes 500,000 of public lands.

“Tuleyome’s proposed National Conservation Area and John Olmsted’s vision for an east-west ecological corridor intersect at the Goat Mountain properties,” said Tuleyome President Andrew Fulks.

The properties, from 2,800 feet to more than 4,000 feet in elevation, are sited on a very large ancient landslide above the upper North Fork of Cache Creek.

The tops of these types of landslides are “lumpy” creating areas of wetlands and springs that have high levels of biological diversity.

“I fell in love with the property when I visited and saw milk vetch with Monarch butterflies,” added Schneider.

He also pointed out that one of the largest sugar pines in the region, “Big Bertha,” is found on the site.

The parcels were once homesteaded and are named White Ranch Glades, Root Glades, Wyman Flat and Addington Springs.

Tuleyome intends to offer tours and educational trips to the Goat Mountain properties.

For more information contact Tuleyome at www.tuleyome.org or 530-350-2599.

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