Land Trust of Napa County Received Award for Permanently Protecting Dunn-Wildlake and Duff Ranches
On Sunday, October 9 the Napa County Landmarks held its 2011 Awards of Merit Celebration “Celebrating Napa Rural Heritage”. This year, in addition to awards for building preservation, they honored several organizations and individuals who have been instrumental in the preservation of local landscape. Thanks to your support, the Land Trust was amongst the first to receive the “Historic Landscapes” Merit Award for permanently protecting the Dunn-Wildlake and Duff Ranches. Join us on one of our field trips and learn firsthand why these properties are merit worthy.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Land Trust of Napa County Receives Napa County Landmarks Award for Permanently Protecting Wildlake & Duff Ranches
October 10, 2011, Napa, CA — The Land Trust of Napa County announced it has received an inaugural "Historic Landscapes" Merit Award from the Napa County Landmarks at the Landmark's 2011 Awards of Merit Celebration: “Celebrating Napa Rural Heritage”, on Sunday, October 9, 2011 at the Tucker Farm Center in Calistoga, Napa Valley. This year, in addition to the annual awards for building preservation, the Napa County Landmarks honored organizations and individuals who have been instrumental in the preservation of local landscape. The Land Trust of Napa County is among the first to receive the inaugural “Historic Landscapes” Merit Award, a brand new category for Napa County Landmarks, for the Trust's successful effort to permanently protect the Wildlake and Duff Ranches through the historic Napa Valley Wild! Campaign.
Launched in January of 2006, the Napa Valley Wild! Campaign was established in order to permanently protect the Wildlake Ranch and adjacent Duff Ranch properties, located near Angwin, in the heart of the Howell Mountain Plateau at the northern end of the Napa Valley. Together, 4070 acres were protected through the efforts of the Land Trust. The property has been named the Dunn-Wildlake Preserve, in honor of vintner Randy Dunn, who, along with the Trust, spearheaded the campaign. The Dunn-Wildlake and Duff preserves are now used as part of the Land Trust’s permanent preserve and field trip programs. The Land Trust of Napa County announced the culmination of the $25 million Napa Valley Wild! Campaign, with a celebration at CADE Winery on May 14th of this year.
"We couldn't be more proud to be the recipients of this inaugural 'Historic Landscapes' award," stated Joel Tramner, Land Trust of Napa County CEO. "It's especially gratifying to know that this effort to protect these important properties is being acknowledged by an equally important organization like Napa County Landmarks. This award reinforces that permanently protecting the Wildlake Ranch and adjacent Duff Ranch properties was right thing to do," Tramner added.
In addition to the Landmarks award, the Land Trust of Napa County also announced that 40 Acres have been added to the Archer Taylor Preserve. Located on the west side of Napa Valley, the Archer Taylor Preserve is a permanently protected wildlife habitat and contains one of the largest redwood stands in Napa County. The preserve includes a year-round creek and over 240 recorded species of native plants, including several that are threatened or endangered. The additional 40 acres brings the official protected property acreage to 380.
The public can learn more about the amazing Dunn-Wildlake, Duff and Archer Taylor preserves through the Trust's Field Trip program. For more information, please visit: /index.php.
About the Dunn-Wildlake and Duff Preserves
The Dunn-Wildlake and Duff preserves are a dramatic swath of permanently protected land that spans the Napa Valley’s eastern horizon – over 15 miles of protected landscape beginning east of the Palisades and stretching nearly to the town of Angwin. Elevations range from 600 feet to 2,800 feet. The higher elevation promontories provide unparalleled views of the Napa Valley and Mt. St. Helena to the north, Mt. Tamalpais to the west, Mt. Diablo to the south, Pope Valley and, on a clear day, the Sierra Nevada to the east. Over 95% of the Bell Creek watershed remains intact, securing one of the sources for the municipal water supply of St. Helena. Supporting 10 habitat communities hosting 369 native vegetation species, including 11 rare or endangered species, the Dunn-Wildlake and Duff preserves present the longest “development free” view-shed on any of the surrounding ranges in the Valley. Access to the Dunn-Wildlake and Duff preserves is now permissible through Land Trust Field Trip Program. For more information, visit the Land Trust of Napa County website www.napalandtrust.org, or contact the Land Trust of Napa County at 707-252-3270.
Media Contacts:
Tom Fuller & Monty Sander
Fuller & Sander Communications
tom@fullerandsander.com, 707-253-0868, or monty@fullerandsander.com, 707-253-8503
B.B. Huff
Land Trust of Napa County
bb@napalandtrust.org, 707- 261-6314