Black-led conservation group secures 650 acres for conservation and recreation
California’s first and only Black-led land trust aims to make people of color feel more welcome in the outdoors.
For many people of color, camping in or visiting outdoor areas feels unwelcoming. In Placer County, California, the state’s first and only Black-led land trust aims to rectify that by reconnecting people with nature so that everyone can enjoy and conserve the ecosystem around them.
Jade Stevens founded the 40 Acre Conservation League in 2021 to protect California land while creating greater access and business opportunities for people of color. The league closed on its first major purchase earlier this year: a 650-acre expanse surrounded by Tahoe National Forest in Placer County.
The property, roughly 70 miles northeast of Sacramento, features a 30-acre lake, cliffside views and trails. The 40 Acre Conservation League has plans for recreational activities, unique camping experiences and elevated treehouse stays while involving people of color on the property, from tour guides to scientists.
“Our acquisition of 650 acres represents more than an initiative to protect the environment; it is the manifestation of Dr. King’s words that ‘the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice,’” Stevens told ESSENCE magazine.
The project is the first under the group’s Greenbook Initiative, an effort to purchase and protect 10,000 acres. The 40 Acre Conservation League will manage the heavily forested land, focusing on habitat preservation and wildfire prevention.
California’s Wildlife Conservation Board awarded a $2.25 million grant toward the purchase of the Placer County land, known as the Tahoe Forest Gateway Leidesdorff Property, while Sierra Nevada Conservancy provided additional funding.
A version of this story originally appeared in the Summer 2024 issue of Saving Land magazine.