Jacks Valley Ranch is a little piece of Nevada history. Located near Lake Tahoe in the Carson Valley, this 1,200-acre agricultural landscape has been around since 1860, several years before Nevada even became a state. The ranch includes several structures dating back 150 years and a small cemetery where many of Carson Valley’s pioneering families were laid to rest.

The Ascuaga family has owned Jacks Valley Ranch for 50 years. Much like 94-year-old John Ascuaga himself, the ranch is a piece of Nevada history. It holds canyons, forests, streams and ponds that form a rich and diverse setting for a variety of year-round, seasonal and migrating species, including mule deer, mountain lion, black bear and dozens of bird species. Jacks Valley Ranch also offers unobstructed views of the Sierra Front, inviting travelers along Jacks Valley Road to pull over and take in the stunning backdrop.

Our Role

John Ascuaga searched for a way to protect the property’s ranching heritage amid rapidly encroaching development from nearby Lake Tahoe. With the help of ready capital from our Revolving Fund, The Conservation Fund made that permanent conservation outcome possible by using our capital to purchase and temporarily hold a conservation easement on the property. This created the time required for our partners at the Nevada Land Trust and U.S. Forest Service to reach a permanent agreement and repay us for the easement.

The U.S. Forest Service now holds the conservation easement and ensures the land will be managed in an ecologically and economically sustainable way in perpetuity, regardless of who owns it, giving the family peace of mind about the property’s future.

Growing our Revolving Fund helps us expand our ability to meet immediate needs and quickly save high priority conservation lands, like Jacks Valley Ranch, that are vulnerable to development, conversion and fragmentation.

Why This Project Matters

Jacks Valley Ranch sits in one of Nevada’s most iconic locations. As such, the area is seeing tremendous growth, making its natural resources increasingly vulnerable to impacts from prospective development. With Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest to the west and Jacks Valley Wildlife Management Area to the east, the ranch creates an uninterrupted corridor for traveling wildlife and better habitat connectivity along the Carson Range of the Sierra Nevada. Ranching activities will also continue on the property, which benefits the local economy and preserves the long-standing ranching traditions embedded in Nevada’s rich heritage.

Learn More

• News Article: “Forest Service buys easement on Jacks Valley Ranch to protect environmentally sensitive land” (CarsonNow.org)