Koopmann Ranch

Alameda County

Species Mitigation Through Managed Grazing

The Rangeland Trust holds three mitigation easements, totaling 222 acres, on the Koopmann Ranch in Alameda County. All mitigation easements were established to forever protect critical wildlife and plant habitats. 

In May 2003, in partnership with a private developer and the California Department of Fish and Game, California Rangeland Trust completed the first easement on 31 acres of the Koopmann Ranch. In January 2005, in coordination with the City of Pleasanton, California Rangeland Trust completed the second easement on 107 acres of the Koopmann Ranch. This easement was primarily based upon the Viola (Johnny-Jump-Up) wildflower population on the ranch, and the direct relationship with the state listed Callippe Silverspot Butterfly. The most recent easement was completed in 2015 on 85 acres, in a partnership with Westervelt Ecological Services. The three conserved sections of the ranch provide habitat for the California tiger salamander, a state listed species, and the California red legged frog, a federally threatened species and a state species of special concern. Both species are under great threat due to development pressures in Alameda County. 

The Koopmann Ranch mitigation project conserves a highly productive breeding pond for these amphibians. By preserving an area in which these vulnerable species harmoniously co-exist with managed grazing, the Koopmann Ranch mitigation project illustrates the benefits associated with continued collaboration among environmental, private business and agricultural interest groups.