SFC Announces 1,210 Acres of Newly Protected Lands Through the Wander N Ranch Conservation Easement!
May 24, 2025 – RAYMOND, CA – Sierra Foothill Conservancy (SFC) is elated to announce its latest acquisition - the 1,210-acre Wander N Ranch Conservation Easement! Located predominately in western Madera County along the Chowchilla River, the Wander N Ranch property boasts an array of conservation values, including working rangeland, annual grasslands, oak woodlands, mixed conifer forests, cultural and historic resources, wildlife and habitat resources, open space, and scenic views – all of which are now protected in perpetuity. With the addition of this project, SFC’s total lands conserved has reached 66,398 acres!
SFC purchased the Wander N Ranch Conservation Easement below fair market value from partnering landowner, Lynn Northrop, utilizing partial competitive grant funding through the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s (CAL FIRE) Forest Legacy Program. Lynn Northrop generously donated the remaining value of the conservation easement to demonstrate her overwhelming commitment to protect the property’s conservation values for future generations.
Today, the approximately 2,300-acre Wander N Ranch consists of three properties all along the Chowchilla River. The Northrop family purchased its first piece of land in 1989, which marked the initial step in subsequently acquiring the rest of the Wander N Ranch, which was purchased over time as the family assembled resources and as Chowchilla River frontage property became available. In October 2023, SFC partnered with Lynn Northrop to acquire a conservation easement over the Wander N Ranch’s most-southern property, becoming the first phase of a two-phase approach in protecting the entire Wander N Ranch. With the Wander N Ranch’s remaining 1,210 acres now protected through this second phase, SFC is honored to have had the opportunity to forever conserve the entire ranch.
One can step afoot the property and be instantly transported into another world. A robust network of waterways, consisting of nearly four miles of streams and creeks, including 2.53 miles of the Chowchilla River, its tributaries, and 0.68 miles of Striped Rock Creek, give the property its vitality and varied habitat. The property’s topography and habitat types vary, featuring a combination of healthy mixed oak-pine woodlands, lush annual grasslands, and vibrant riparian corridors. The conservation easement will ensure the property is conserved in its natural, scenic, agricultural, and open space condition in perpetuity by preventing the conversion of rangeland and native habitat. It will also ensure that the Wander N Ranch’s working landscape continues to be used as it has for over a century – to graze cattle – while also protecting habitat for up to 17 special status plants and 21 special-status wildlife species, water quality, watershed, natural ecosystems, cultural and historic values, and scenic viewshed for travelers along Bailey Flats Road and Stumpfield Mountain Road.
Both Wander N Ranch Conservation Easements are located in SFC’s Madera-Mariposa Focus Area, a strategic effort that aims to protect and connect private and public lands to create a corridor of conserved lands along the county line for the regional benefit of agriculture rangeland, habitat, wildlife, water resources, carbon storage, and climate adaptation. This project, in particular, serves as a critical first step in catalyzing land conservation directly along the Chowchilla River upstream from Eastman Lake.
The Northrop family decided to pursue perpetual conservation easements over the Wander N Ranch because they desired to protect the land they love. SFC’s conservation easements limit development while the landowner retains the right to own and utilize the land, sell it, and pass it on to their heirs. The two Wander N Ranch Conservation Easements, like many of SFC’s conservation easements, do not allow public access. However, the benefits of these protected private lands reach far beyond beauty – they provide essential ecosystem services like clean air and water, native plant and wildlife habitat, protect family heritage and legacies, and encourage sustainable agricultural productivity.
Special thanks to our partners and the Northrop family for their role in protecting this important property forever. SFC and our members celebrate this immense commitment to conservation!
SFC’s Vision: From the snow-capped Sierra to the Central Valley floor, expansive landscapes, important habitats, and clean water resources are conserved and managed to ensure continuing public benefits. SFC supports a thriving land-based economy while promoting a conservation ethic that spans generations. Sierra Foothill Conservancy serves eastern Fresno, Madera, Merced and Mariposa Counties in California's central Sierra Nevada. To learn more about SFC’s work and how to get involved, including how to become a member or conserve your land, visit: https://sierrafoothill.org.
All photos taken by SFC staff.
The property features the Chowchilla River, its tributaries, and Striped Rock Creek.
Cattle find shade atop a peak on the property. Nice view from up there!
The property boasts a variety of healthy habitat types, including rolling annual grasslands and mixed pine-oak woodlands.
A picture-perfect watering hole for humans and wildlife alike within rock formations of the Chowchilla River.
Sierra Foothill Conservancy’s Mission:
The grasslands, foothills, and forests between Yosemite and Kings Canyon National Parks provide land for farms and ranches, a home for native plants and wildlife, and a source of clean water.
The Sierra Foothill Conservancy honors our natural and cultural heritage by protecting these resources and ensuring that present and future generations will continue to experience and enjoy the land in this region.
Source & photos: Sierra Foothill Conservancy
