MENDOCINO CO., CA., 5/18/26 — Montgomery Woods is expanding with a gift of property owned by a conservation nonprofit.
The nonprofit Save the Redwoods League announced that it has completed the transfer of its 453-acre Atkins Place property to California State Parks as a new addition to Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve.
The nonprofit acquired Atkins Place in 2022 for $1.8 million through its Montgomery Woods initiative with funds secured through a combination of state grants, donor philanthropy and fundraising event proceeds, the league said.
Save the Redwoods League said Atkins Place features a healthy second-growth forest with coast redwood and oak woodlands, as well as 1.25 miles of streams suitable for salmon.
The addition of Atkins Place expands Montgomery Woods by 16%, the league said. The nonprofit also noted they have protected 42,000 acres of land in Mendocino County to date.
According to the California State Parks Foundation and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office, the process of adding land to state parks, including the Montgomery Woods expansion, has been accelerated with the signing of Senate Bill 630 into law in October. Now, it takes fewer layers of approval for California State Parks to acquire adjacent land to expand state parks.