Ready Capital Preserves A Historic Nevada Ranch

The Ascuaga family has owned Jacks Valley Ranch for 50 years. Much like 94-year-old John Ascuaga himself, the ranch is a piece of Nevada history. It holds canyons, forests, streams and ponds that form a rich and diverse setting for a variety of year-round, seasonal and migrating species, including mule deer, mountain lion, black bear and dozens of bird species. Jacks Valley Ranch also offers unobstructed views of the Sierra Front, inviting travelers along Jacks Valley Road to pull over and take in the stunning backdrop.

OUR ROLE

John Ascuaga searched for a way to protect the property’s ranching heritage amid rapidly encroaching development from nearby Lake Tahoe. With the help of ready capital from our Revolving Fund, the Fund made that permanent conservation outcome possible by using our capital to purchase and temporarily hold a conservation easement on the property. This created the time required for our partners at the Nevada Land Trust and U.S. Forest Service to reach a permanent agreement and repay us for the easement.

The U.S. Forest Service now holds the conservation easement and ensures the land will be managed in an ecologically and economically sustainable way in perpetuity, regardless of who owns it, giving the family peace of mind about the property’s future.

Growing our Revolving Fund helps us expand our ability to meet immediate needs and quickly save high priority conservation lands, like Jacks Valley Ranch, that are vulnerable to development, conversion and fragmentation.

Why This Project Matters