Doty Ravine Preserve renamed after Placer Supervisor Robert Weygandt

Recognition for years of service and land conservation achievements

Auburn, Calif. – The Doty Ravine Preserve, located northeast of Lincoln, has been renamed the Weygandt Doty Ravine Preserve in recognition of retiring Placer County District 2 Supervisor Robert Weygandt and his 28 years of public service.

The 427-acre preserve is owned and maintained by the Placer Land Trust, which recently voted to officially rename the property in Weygandt’s honor for his commitment to land conservation, including his leading role in the Placer Legacy Program and the historic Placer County Conservation Program.

Balance

“Placer County has a long history of balancing growth with the protection of the natural resources, working lands and scenic beauty of our area,” said Placer Land Trust Executive Director Jeff Darlington. “For nearly three decades Robert Weygandt has been the leading voice in creating this balance, ensuring we continue to have such a great county to live, work, play and thrive.”

The renaming of the preserve was presented by the Placer Land Trust Vice President Fred Yeager during Tuesday’s Placer County Board of Supervisors meeting, where board members also passed a resolution recognizing Weygandt’s public service.

“It is bittersweet to honor Robert and his legacy to Placer County,” said Placer County Board Chair and District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson. “I am utterly grateful for everything that he’s done for the county and everything that he means to me both professionally and personally. I am going to miss his guidance and friendship.”

Weygandt Doty Ravine Preserve

The preserve is located approximately 3 miles downstream from Weygandt’s family ranch, which also contains a stretch of the Doty Ravine.

“The naming of the Weygandt Doty Ravine Preserve is such a fitting way to highlight Robert’s career and all of the land conservation achievements that he made in Placer County,” said Placer County Board of Supervisors Vice Chair and District 3 Supervisor Jim Holmes. “His name and his vision for the county will carry on forever. I am incredibly proud to call him my colleague and friend.”

The preserve, which is protected through Placer Land Trust’s Western Placer Habitat Protection Program, includes precious vernal pool grassland and riparian habitat, ongoing restoration projects, livestock grazing and other important species and ecological programs.

According to Darlington, Placer Land Trust and Placer County have directly collaborated with 15 willing landowners to permanently protect over 3,500 acres together and supported each other through public-private partnerships on the protection of several more thousand acres.

“We’re so grateful for Robert’s leadership in protecting our quality of life, and we’re pleased to be able to name Weygandt Doty Ravine Preserve in his honor,” said Darlington.

Salmon and Steelhead

Doty Ravine also supports salmon and steelhead migration from the Pacific Ocean through San Francisco Bay, up the Sacramento River, into Raccoon Creek and ultimately into the Doty Ravine where they spawn.

The Placer County Conservation Program is anticipated to record a conservation easement over the preserve in the future coupled with the responsibility to fund monitoring and reporting of its conservation values in perpetuity.