In 2005, a couple bought a 2,300-acre ranch in Napa for $8 million; After a 17-year battle over plans for the vineyards, the land was purchased for $24 million and is being converted into a public reserve.

For years, the fate of a large swath of Napa Valley wilderness has been tied to competing visions: neat rows of vineyards or a continuous landscape for wildlife to roam. Now, after a long legal and environmental fight, the 2,300-acre property is headed toward a very different future: a public nature preserve. The former Walt Ranch is now Osos Ridge Preserve, a nod to the black bears that regularly roam the rugged landscape. The Napa County Land Trust purchased the property in 2023 for $24 million and will safeguard it forever and make it available to the public in spring 2027, the Napal and Trust website states.Vineyard to conservation planThe property, along the Atlas Peak ridge in the eastern hills of Napa County, was the focus of a years-long fight over plans to develop commercial vineyards. The land was purchased in 2005 by winegrowers Craig and Kathryn Hall for $8 million. Subsequent plans to develop vineyards met opposition for potential impacts to old growth trees, wildlife habitat and watersheds. The property was the subject of controversy for years until the Land Trust acquired it in 2023, protecting the landscape from proposed development. Grants from the State Coastal Conservancy, the Wildlife Conservation Board and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation paid for the purchase. The Halls also donated $6 million toward the purchase.Napa Wildlife HighwayAccording to the report, the Osos Ridge Reserve is not just a large undeveloped area. It is an important wildlife corridor, running uninterrupted from Foss Valley to Howell Mountain. Cougars, bobcats, and black-tailed deer use the landscape, while black bears are particularly prominent. The reserve’s new name was inspired by the Spanish word for bear, osos. Wildlife need safe pathways to escape danger during bushfires and then return to their habitat, making the property particularly valuable. Conservationists say the reserve is an important refuge and corridor for animals throughout the region.Ancient landscapes and unusual plants.The ecological value of the reserve is not only in its largest animals. It features 2,300 acres of oak forests, intact grasslands and sensitive vernal pools. These diverse habitats are home to rare and endangered plants such as Redwood Lily, Napa Bluecurls, Jepson’s Leptosiphon, and Narrow-anthered brodiaea. The property had the highest biodiversity rating in California’s Conservation Areas Emphasis program, due to the concentration of sensitive species.The reservation also includes key watersheds for the Napa River, Putah Creek and Lake Berryessa. The area is crossed by Capell Creek and Milliken Creek, the latter a major source of municipal water for Napa. Furthermore, the history of the area goes back even further. Archaeological evidence indicates that indigenous communities, including the Miwok, Patwin, and Wappo people, used parts of the landscape as seasonal camps.A sanctuary for people and wildlife.Today the property is dedicated to conservation and restoration, but it also has a future as a place for the public. The Land Trust will partner with the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District to manage the preserve. There are plans for trails, educational infrastructure and visitor access, with a public opening planned for spring 2027.Image courtesy: Napal and Trust