As land values soar and governments scramble to cope with growing populations and shrinking coffers, lands that were set aside for nature and open space are being sacrificed.

Photo credit: Tim Baerwald

Who We Are

A project of Resource Renewal Institute, Defense of Place, was launched in 1997 in response to the proposed sale of a treasured nature preserve in Northern California.

As land values soar and governments scramble to cope with growing populations and shrinking coffers, lands that were set aside for nature and open space are being sacrificed. Roads, railroads, and ranchettes are among the encroachments.

Sadly, this also has become a frequent practice of universities, religious and cultural institutionsÑeven conservation organizations. Parks, nature preserves, wilderness, and wildlife refuges that had been pledged forever wild are being sold to the highest bidder — a betrayal of both the donor and public.

A small, nimble, watchdog organization, Defense of Place has become a leading voice for the inviolability of protected land and an indispensable partner to citizen activists challenging the sale of protected places.

We have actively involved with several projects including the Pepperwood Preserve in Sonoma County, the Westwind Barn in Los Altos Hills, and the campaign for access to public lands in the Yuba River Goldfields.