American Land Conservancy

California’s 400-mile long Central Valley is one of the world's richest agricultural
zones. Flanked by the foothills of the Sierra Nevada
and Coastal ranges, the valley also provides habitat to 60 percent of the
migratory waterfowl along the Pacific Flyway and refuge for over 100 endangered
or threatened species.

 

ALC's
program aims to conserve lands with exceptional natural resources that
contribute to the region's quality of life and has conserved more than 20,000
acres to date. Current focus areas include the Tulare
Basin, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta,
Trinity River, and oak woodlands of the Sierra Nevada and Coastal Range.

The vast and rugged Great Basin
region is an open landscape of high plateaus and mountainous slopes feeding
fertile valleys. These valleys provide a crucial migration corridor for
hundreds of species of birds and other wildlife in an otherwise predominantly
arid area.

 
Much
of the region is publicly owned, but he river valleys that are so critical to
wildlife are often in private hands and vulnerable to development. Enormous
population growth in recent decades has increased the threats to wildlife. ALC
is working to protect these critical resources and has already conserved more
than 80,000 acres in Nevada
and along the Eastern Sierra.

Along
the mighty Mississippi River, ALC is working
to restore the ecological health of the river while also boosting local
economies.

In
the Middle Mississippi, between St. Louis, Missouri, and Cairo,
Illinois, ALC is conserving and
restoring islands, side channels, natural floodplains, and wetlands that
provide critical habitat for threatened and endangered species and reduce
flooding impacts.

Along
the Lower Mississippi ALC is conserving habitat, expanding public access, and
creating recreation opportunities such as fishing, hunting, birding, boating,
and wildlife watching. ALC is also helping to create a new Lower Mississippi
River Water Trail and helping to implement much-needed floodplain restoration
projects.

The
Pacific coastline is a complex landscape of human settlement, spectacular
natural beauty and diverse habitat.  ALC has focused much of its work on
the California
coastline because of the tremendous growth in population and fragility of
natural resources there.
ALC is currently working to protect 2,400-acre Wild
Cherry Canyon
near San Luis Obispo.
When protected, this exceptional landscape of coast live oak, stunning vistas,
and important habitat for at-risk species will be conveyed to the state to
become part of nearby Montaña de Oro State Park.