: Written by: Kelcie Lee/Bay City News; Published: August 04, 2026

photo credit: Connor Wesson
The Land Trust of Napa acquired the Osos Ridge Preserve land three
years ago and announced the name change on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026.

The Land Trust of Napa has renamed the 2,300-acre Walt Ranch to the Osos Ridge Preserve, the agency announced Monday.

The wildlife corridor filled with biodiversity, rare species and unique microclimates was acquired three years ago and is slated to open to the public in spring 2027, according to the Land Trust of Napa.

This news release comes after years of legal and political wrangling, controversy involving a county supervisor and extensive efforts to secure the funding to purchase the land.

"After a decade of contention over this land's future, I'm glad the outcome is publicly accessible open space, which is exactly what our district exists to help deliver," said Chris Cahill, the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District general manager, in a statement.

"We're supporting the Land Trust with our trail design and public access experience so that the Osos Ridge Preserve opens the way it should: carefully considered, carefully built, and worthy of the plants and animals that call it home," Cahill said.

In 2023, the past owners of the site, billionaire vintners Craig and Kathryn Hall, donated $6 million to facilitate the sale, but the Land Trust of Napa worked with the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District to secure the remaining funds. In the months following, the Land Trust purchased the property for $24 million, with help from the State Coastal Conservancy, the Wildlife Conservation Board and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the release said.

At the time of purchase, the Land Trust pledged to rename the site and secure public access for the future. Now, it will be officially named the Osos Ridge Preserve -- "osos" means bears in Spanish.

The 2023 acquisition also permanently resolved a yearslong dispute over a commercial vineyard proposal. In wine country, the 30-mile stretch of Napa Valley is prime real estate. In order for a wine to say Napa Valley on it, it must be produced in that limited space, making the property exceedingly valuable.

In 2016, the Napa County Board of Supervisors agreed to let the Halls plant 209 acres of vineyards there, which would allow for the removal of 14,000 trees. The Center for Biological Diversity then sued, and a California appellate court agreed that the project's greenhouse gas mitigation was insufficient. The decision bounced between the planning commission and Board of Supervisors for several years, which ended in a 270-acre preservation site and a 30-foot buffer zone compromise.

Amid the political and legal back-and-forth, a supervisor's controversy was also brought to the surface. In spring 2022, eight complaints to the state's Fair Political Practices Commission were filed against Napa County Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza alleging a conflict of interest for voting on Walt Ranch matters.

The complaint centered on an adjacent land purchase connected to Pedroza's father-in-law, whose property value could have risen if the Halls successfully developed their vineyard. Pedroza claimed the property belonged solely to his father-in-law, but complaints further alleged that Pedroza used his home as collateral for the sale and signed property tax payments in his name.

The complaints brought together a group seeking to recall Pedroza in early 2023, which ultimately failed after the deadline passed to file a petition with sufficient signatures.

With the yearslong controversy in the past, the county is moving forward with the renaming and reopening of the Osos Ridge Preserve in the near future.

According to the Land Trust, the preserve includes rare oak woodlands, grasslands, vernal pools, 3-million-year-old volcanic formations and endangered wildflowers. Its concentration of sensitive species earned the preserve the highest possible biodiversity ranking from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Areas of Conservation Emphasis.

Additionally, the Land Trust said the preserve will help to protect the primary watersheds for the Napa River, Putah Creek and Lake Berryessa. It also directly protects Capell Creek and Milliken Creek, the latter of which serves as the municipal water source for the city of Napa.

According to the Bay Bear Collaborative, the Osos Ridge Preserve will also protect bears seeking refuge from California's wildfires by providing paths for an escape route. In mid-July, northern Napa County suffered a 79-acre wildfire in Pope Valley that burned a mostly rural, agricultural area.

"By permanently conserving this land, we are not only securing a critical lifeline for the region's wildlife but also honoring our promise to open these 2,300 acres to the community," said Melanie Parker, CEO of the Land Trust of Napa County, in a statement. "We look forward to welcoming the public in 2027 so everyone can experience and connect with this extraordinary, biologically diverse wilderness."