Placer County, CA

Placer County, one of the fastest-growing communities in California, is also one of its most diverse ecological regions. Its approach to open space conservation and protection is a promising example of a program built on partnerships and collaboration. Operating in a very conservative political and fiscal environment, the county’s elected officials and staff have demonstrated strong leadership in building a coalition between the region’s development and environmental communities. While the California regulatory system represents its own set of opportunities and challenges that are unique to the state, Placer County’s experience should be instructive to local governments elsewhere seeking to build a collaborative approach to protecting open space and natural resources.

>> More information on Placer County, CA and the other top communities is available in Nature-Friendly Communities.