The Placer Conservation Authority on March 12 adopted a resolution authorizing a grant agreement with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for $3,223,699 to buy the Moyer West property, a parcel of about 264 acres northwest of Roseville that contains wetlands, vernal pools and roughly 10 acres of Pleasant Grove Creek.

The action approves using the CDFW grant to complete the acquisition; the property's purchase price is $3,265,000, leaving an approximately $41,301 shortfall between the grant amount and the full purchase price. The board determined the measure is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act under CEQA Guidelines sections 15308 and 15313.

Why it matters: Moyer West will be added to the Placer County Conservation Program (PCCP) reserve system, expanding a contiguous block of conserved land near existing preserves and protecting aquatic resources and riparian corridor along Pleasant Grove Creek.

Background and vote: The PCA previously approved a purchase-and-sale agreement and a resolution in July 2024 that anticipated a Wildlife Conservation Board grant; staff told the board the funding source has shifted to CDFW, so the board needed a new resolution reflecting the different grantor and the exact dollar amount to be received. Senior Conservation Planner Sadie Caldas summarized the change to the board, saying the item was “brought back to you today because we need a new resolution that is now to authorize a grant agreement with CDFW instead of WCV.”

A representative of Brookfield Residential, John Norman, told the board his company has held control of nearby property for more than 20 years and said it had been difficult to navigate market conditions but that Brookfield supports the transaction. “It’s been a pleasure working with staff over many, many years … it has not been a simple process,” Norman said.

The board voted to approve the resolution by voice vote; the motion and second were made on the record and the chair called for the ayes, with no opposition or abstentions recorded.

What remains: Staff and the executive director were authorized to complete necessary actions to carry out the grant agreement. The resolution specifies the grant dollar amount and the acreage to be acquired; staff noted no additional WCB funds became available to cover the modest gap between grant and purchase price.