In 1996, the California Chapter American Planning Association presented Placer County and Wildlands Mitigation Bank an “Award of Merit” for Planning Implementation, in a large jurisdiction. The award honored the establishment of this public/private partnership to move the mitigation-banking concept forward in the county.
In 2000, the Sierra Business Council awarded the Placer County Board of Supervisors a Vision 2020 Award for the dedication, commitment, and political will demonstrated by the entire board throughout the development of Placer Legacy.
Placer Legacy received an honorable mention for the California State Association of Counties 2001 Challenge Awards. The comprehensive nature of the program was also noted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which called Placer Legacy an "outstanding" approach to the conservation of resources.
In 2002, Placer Legacy won the Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award. This is the State of California’s highest and most prestigious environmental honor. The program recognizes individuals, organizations, and businesses that have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made notable contributions in conserving California’s precious resources, protecting and enhancing our environment, and building public-private partnerships.
The Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute’s book, Nature-Friendly Communities, published in 2005, named Placer County as one of the 20 most nature-friendly communities in the nation. Placer County was the only community in California to be highlighted in the book.