Placer Legacy History

Since 1973, State law has required that general plans contain an open space element (Government Code Section 65560) to address how a range of open space resources can be protected and conserved over time.

In April 1998, the Board directed the Planning Department to prepare a program to implement the conservation goals and policies of the 1994 Placer County General Plan Policy Document. This program, now known as the Placer Legacy Open Space and Agricultural Conservation Program, was approved in June 2000. The purpose of the program is to protect a variety of open space resources in the county including biological resources, agriculture, scenic areas, public safety areas, community edges/buffers and to provide additional outdoor recreation opportunities.

Placer Legacy is a critical step toward protection, preservation, and restoration of the integrity, productivity, and biodiversity of the county’s natural resources for this and future generations. Placer Legacy is intended to be proactive in that it seeks out conservation opportunities from willing sellers through the acquisition of conservation easements and fee title on properties, which have open space and/or agricultural resources that meet program objectives. These objectives include the following: 

• Maintain a viable agricultural segment of the economy;
• Conserve natural features necessary for access to a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities;
• Retain important scenic and historic areas;
• Preserve the diversity of plant and animal communities;
• Protect endangered and other special status plant and animal species;
• Separate urban areas into distinct communities; and,
• Ensure public safety.