Looking out from a ridge at Atkins Place, a stunning view of redwood-studded hillsides stretches as far as the eye can see. The 453-acre property lies within the territorial lands of the Northern Pomo People, who have a deep cultural connection with the region’s ancient trees. Atkins Place also shares a 0.75-mile border with Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve (SNR), an otherworldly oasis of towering redwoods, colossal ferns, and the jade-colored waters of Montgomery Creek. This old-growth reserve—home to some of the tallest trees on Earth—is a beloved destination that deserves safeguarding.
In 2022, Save the Redwoods acquired Atkins Place to provide an important buffer for the ancient grove at Montgomery Woods SNR and to secure a critical corridor for this ecosystem’s diverse wildlife. The property, including its 335 healthy acres of second-growth coast redwood and Douglas-fir forest, is now safe from potential subdivision, development, and aggressive logging. In spring 2026, Save the Redwoods transferred Atkins Place to California State Parks for inclusion in Montgomery Woods SNR.
Our acquisition of Atkins Place was part of the Montgomery Woods Initiative, an ambitious vision to expand protection around Montgomery Woods SNR and improve access to its irreplaceable grove. Our related projects include securing a conservation easement at Weger Ranch in 2023; the transfer of 80-acre Rocky Ridge to California State Parks in 2024; our acquisition of the 390-acre Dark Gulch property in 2024; as well as an ongoing partnership with California State Parks to upgrade the visitor experience in Montgomery Woods.
Save the Redwoods has a long history of protecting and expanding Montgomery Woods. Following the donation by Robert Orr in 1945 to create the reserve, Save the Redwoods has completed numerous transactions to expand the reserve to 3,862 gorgeous acres.
What we secured
- 453 acres adjacent to Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve, including 335 healthy acres of second-growth coast redwood and Douglas-fir forest
- 1.25 miles of high-quality streams in the Big River watershed that provide core habitat for imperiled salmonids
- Nesting habitat for northern spotted owls, northern goshawks, white-tailed kites, and other raptors
- A critical wildlife corridor that’s now part of 11,500 protected acres, allowing species migration and adaptation to climate change
- New opportunities for an expanded trail network, backcountry camping, and additional parking facilities, following the transfer of the property to California State Parks for inclusion in Montgomery Woods SNR
Buffering an ancient forest
A sea of redwoods and Douglas-firs surrounds Atkins Place. Photo by Max Forster.
Well-stewarded second-growth forests like Atkins Place, where the trees range in age from about 50 to 90 years, are key puzzle pieces that can help bolster the health of old-growth groves.
Located at the northern border of Montgomery Woods SNR, Atkins Place has operated as a timber property for decades. In the careful hands of the previous landowners, the forest has been under a Non-Industrial Timber Management Plan since 2002. This approach helps the forest recover from heavier logging in the past by focusing on removing small, overcrowded trees that are fire-prone and lacking in biodiversity.
The trees that remain will grow to become the old growth of the future, further protecting the existing old-growth groves at the heart of Montgomery Woods in an expansive, healing, redwood forest.
Expanding protected habitat for imperiled wildlife
The acquisition of Atkins Place connects habitats across more than 11,500 protected acres, including Bureau of Land Management lands. Photo by Max Forster.
Atkins Place includes 1.25 miles of high-quality streams for imperiled fish in the salmon family. The property is also part of the Big River watershed, which is rated as high-priority core habitat for coho salmon and steelhead trout.
Because of the Big River watershed’s good ecological condition and relatively small size, it’s more resilient to climate-change threats than some of the neighboring watersheds. Securing protections around it benefits the entire surrounding landscape—and its wildlife.
Acquisition of Atkins Place connects habitats across more than 11,500 protected acres, including Bureau of Land Management lands. This secured corridor facilitates species migration and adaptation to climate change, while serving as important habitat for endangered foothill yellow-legged frogs, northern spotted owls, northern goshawks, white-tailed kites, and other raptors. Black bears, mountain lions, and black-tailed deer also roam this region.
You made this important purchase possible
Adrianna Andreucci, Save the Redwoods’ land protection manager, walks along a trail in Atkins Place. Photo by Max Forster.
We’re deeply grateful to our members for helping us raise $562,000 in private donations toward the $1.18 million purchase price of Atkins Place and $120,000 in stewardship and project costs. The California Natural Resources Agency awarded Save the Redwoods $550,000 in acquisition funding for this project through its Environmental Enhancement & Mitigation Program. Google also made a $188,000 gift through its partnership with the International Living Future Institute and its pursuit of the Living Building Challenge, a certification program that requires new projects to meet certain environmental metrics and directs funding to environmental initiatives.
Nearly 3,000 individual donors contributed to the campaign; Save the Redwoods particularly acknowledges generous contributions from the Clark Family, the Pitzer Family Foundation, the Daniel Ross Gallie Trust, and John McCabe.
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PRESS RELEASES
- September 27, 2022 — Save the Redwoods League launches Montgomery Woods Initiative with purchase of 453 acres of redwood forest and groundbreaking on vital park improvements
- April 19, 2022 — Save the Redwoods League Secures Opportunity to Protect 453 Acres of Coast Redwood Forest in Mendocino County
