New 1,168 Acre Conservation Easement Established in Doolan Canyon 

Tri-Valley Conservancy is proud to announce the largest conservation easement in our organization’s history! As of August 2025, we are permanently protecting an additional 1,168 acres in Doolan Canyon through a conservation easement within a conservation bank.  

This is a significant conservation milestone not just for TVC, but for the entire region. This easement safeguards a mosaic of grasslands, wetlands, streams, and riparian areas that provide critical habitat for sensitive species like the California tiger salamander and western burrowing owl.  

Protecting Livermore’s Urban Greenbelt  

The newly established 1,168-acre Doolan Canyon Conservation Bank (DCCB) is a key piece of the greenbelt buffer between the cities of Livermore and Dublin. This boundary helps curb urban sprawl, preserves the scenic integrity of the valley, and supports long-term regional sustainability goals. 

Doolan Canyon has immense ecological value. It's home to diverse plant communities and habitat types, including annual grasslands, groves, seasonal and perennial wetlands, stock ponds, and seeps. Cottonwood Creek runs through the area, providing a riparian corridor for wildlife.   

The land supports threatened and endangered species such as the California red-legged frog, California tiger salamander, candidate species Western burrowing owl, and contains habitat suitable for the San Joaquin kit fox. 

The easement also holds cultural and historical importance. The land has been actively grazed for generations, a tradition that will continue under the land management plan. Sustainable grazing practices help support local wildlife and contribute to fire-resilient habitat management. 

Grazing as a Conservation Tool 

At the DCCB, carefully managed grazing plays a vital role in maintaining the health of native grassland and vernal pool ecosystems. The goal of the grazing regime is to support the long-term viability of these habitats by preserving plant community diversity and productivity. 

In this region of California, ecosystems like annual grasslands and vernal pools depend on the regular reduction of vegetation to remain ecologically balanced. Without active management, invasive non-native species can quickly take over, degrading habitat quality and altering natural hydrology. Historically, native grazers and periodic wildfires helped maintain this balance.  

Livestock grazing at DCCB reduces the buildup of dead plant material (thatch), limits invasive species encroachment, and promotes the growth of native plants. This approach sustains the plant communities and also helps preserve the overall habitat quality for a wide range of species that depend on these ecosystems. Grazing has been part of the land’s historic and current use, and it will continue to be an essential tool in the bank’s long-term management plan. 

Fighting for Doolan Canyon 

Doolan Canyon is located between Dublin and Livermore in unincorporated Alameda County.  TVC’s recent acquisition is adjacent to the existing 178-acre conservation easement TVC preserved in 2018, bringing the total amount of land we’re protecting in the area to 1,341 acres.  

There is a long history of debate over the fate of Doolan Canyon. In 2014, Dublin Measure T was put on the ballot, which sought to give the City of Dublin the power to annex the land for development purposes. TVC sponsored an opposition campaign that contributed to voters overwhelmingly rejecting the ballot initiative, with nearly 84% voting “no”. In 2024, Dublin Measure II passed, which amended the Open Space Initiative of 2014 and granted the Dublin City Council the power to break the eastern urban limit line and allow commercial development on 80 acres of the unincorporated buffer between Dublin and Livermore. TVC opposed the initiative, as development threatens to bring warehouses, truck traffic and its associated air pollution into this critical wildlife habitat. While the measure passed, there is pending litigation against it. 

TVC's permanent protection of this1,168 acres of land fulfills the vision that local residents voiced more than a decade ago, that Doolan Canyon should stay wild.  

The success of this project would not have been possible without the help of our partners. We are grateful for the Natural Resources Group, who brought this opportunity forward to Tri-Valley Conservancy, and for the support and oversight provided by California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

How Does a Conservation Bank Work? 

Conservation banks are permanently protected parcels of land that provide critical habitat for endangered and threatened species while supporting ecological functions like pollination, nutrient cycling, and climate regulation. Because they encompass large, connected areas, they can offer a more effective and sustainable approach to mitigation than smaller, fragmented sites. 

The Doolan Canyon Conservation Bank was established through a partnership between Natural Resources Group (bank sponsor), Doolan Canyon Mitigation Associates, Inc. (grantor), and Tri-Valley Conservancy (easement holder). TVC will perform annual monitoring to ensure the site's long-term ecological integrity.  

The bank operates within a regulatory framework that allows the sale of conservation credits to developers or agencies whose projects impact natural habitat elsewhere. These credits provide a way to compensate for the impacts of development by ensuring that ecologically valuable land is permanently protected and managed. This market-based system funds long-term stewardship while meeting regulatory requirements for environmental mitigation. 

Our Commitment to Permanent Protection 

As the Tri-Valley continues to evolve, TVC remains committed to strategic land conservation efforts that benefit wildlife, agriculture, and the people who live, work, and play in our beautiful region. 

Even with this major conservation victory and now protecting over a thousand acres in Doolan Canyon, our work isn’t over yet. We must continue to protect fragile ecosystems in our area.  

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