Placer Land Trust, William Jessup push to preserve 402 acres of Clover Valley; Loomis council weighs contribution

Placer Land Trust and William Jessup University presented a plan to permanently protect roughly 402 acres in Clover Valley — land that abuts the Town of Loomis — and asked the council to consider a financial contribution and participation in future management planning.

Jeff Darlington, executive director of Placer Land Trust, told the council the group has raised about $13 million of a $16 million acquisition goal to buy and protect the valley floor. “We have an MOU with Jessup to raise money to protect a portion of Clover Valley,” Darlington said, adding that the purchase, if funding rounds close as expected, could complete in early April.

The conservation easement that Placer Land Trust intends to record will be perpetual, Darlington said, and will prevent subdivision and most development on the protected acreage. He said Jessup currently holds title and would remain the landowner initially; stakeholders including the Placer County Office of Education (PCOE) have expressed interest in using the site as an outdoor classroom.

“PCOE is very interested in using the property as an outdoor learning location for all of our students from kindergarten through college,” Darlington said. He described the valley floor as habitat with sensitive Native American cultural resources and said the acquisition would permanently prevent hundreds of homes that had been contemplated under earlier development proposals.

Members of the public and nearby jurisdictions urged Loomis to support the purchase. “If you invest, then you get a seat at the table,” said Neil Bullock, a Rocklin resident and member of Rocklin’s Parks and Recreation Commission, adding that Loomis is closer to the likely entrance than many Rocklin neighborhoods. Marilyn Jasper of the Clover Valley Foundation said local organizing to save the valley began in the late 1990s and urged Loomis to re‑engage in the current effort.

Council members and residents raised budget concerns about any contribution. One councilmember noted that an earlier staff estimate for a potential Loomis contribution was not feasible: “That is 9% of our budget, way too expensive,” the councilmember said during the meeting. Council members asked staff to confirm which municipal funds could legally be used for a contribution and to return with more detail.

Darlington said the immediate acquisition funding window is closing and that his present request was for the council to consider supporting near‑term management (he estimated a preliminary need of about $1 million when earlier funding gaps existed) and to participate in longer‑term planning. He clarified on the record that the exact amount requested from Loomis had not been fixed and that Placer Land Trust would return with a more detailed ask if the council wishes to consider it.

Town Manager Wes noted earlier in the meeting that the project aligns with council goals to expand parks and open space resources.

The council did not take a formal funding vote at the meeting. Members generally expressed interest in staying involved and asked staff to (a) confirm legal permissibility of using restricted funds such as tree‑mitigation funds, (b) identify which Loomis budgets or restricted accounts could be available for a one‑time contribution, and (c) bring a recommendation and potential dollar ranges back for a future meeting.

Darlington and local supporters said a Loomis contribution — even a modest one — would secure a seat at the stakeholder table and a role in shaping public access, educational programming and management terms. Darlington said access and parking logistics remain to be decided; he said one likely vehicle access point is Rawhide Road in Rocklin and that detailed site and visitor planning would follow acquisition and easement recording.

Residents who spoke urged the council to act, emphasizing that protection of the valley would prevent the residential development that previously had been proposed and would preserve habitat and cultural resources for future generations.

The council directed staff to follow up and return with further analysis and recommendations on funding sources and next steps.