The Spencer Ranch Conservation Easement will preserves working ranch land in the Scott Valley, including critical salmon habitat on the Scott River.

John and Carol Spencer have an eye to the future for their ranch in the Scott Valley. The work they’ve done in the 50 years they’ve spent ranching along the Scott River and French Creek will be carried on through the conservation easements they are creating with Siskiyou Land Trust.

John, in partnership with neighboring ranchers, has been working to conserve and restore the Scott River corridor for decades. He has a memory of fishing the river, and he wants to share that experience with his grandkids. “When I moved here 50 years ago, I could fish that river. I want to do whatever I can to make that happen again.” He has done his part, dedicating his water rights to remain instream to support fish and fencing off an exceptionally large corridor to allow it to reestablish its natural meander.

Conservation easements also provide a means of keeping a family ranch intact for generations. Three generations are living and working on the Spencer Ranch, with one of the grandsons having already started a business raising sheep. John and Carol’s daughter, Jenny, was raised on the ranch with her brother Jerry. Jenny’s family returned to work on the family ranch and raise their kids in the Valley she grew up in. The long connection to the land is a gift to be passed down across those generations.

The Spencer Ranch abuts the Scott River Ranch in the uplands above the river. Their proximity is important, as the Scott River Ranch has five conservation easements protecting their lands. Between the two properties, nearly 6,000 acres of landscape, including a mile of riverfront, is protected in perpetuity.