FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Eastern Sierra Land Trust Permanently Protects Antelope Lake in Mono County
Conserving rare desert wetlands and ensuring Tribal access.

Adobe Valley, CA — [November 10, 2025] — Eastern Sierra Land Trust (ESLT) has permanently protected Antelope Lake, a 205-acre property in Adobe Valley, Mono County, safeguarding essential wetland and sagebrush habitats and honoring generations of Northern Paiute cultural connection.

This conservation easement ensures the permanent protection of rare alkali meadows, wetlands, and wildlife migration corridors that support mule deer and a wide range of migratory bird species. The property is part of the Adobe Valley Important Bird Area and provides an essential  water source for wildlife in an otherwise arid region, making its conservation significance exceptional.

In addition to these ecological values, the easement formally guarantees Tribal access in perpetuity for traditional cultural activities and stewardship. A collaborative and adaptive stewardship plan, developed jointly by the landowner, Eastern Sierra Land Trust, and the Utu Utu Gwaitu Paiute Tribe of Benton, will guide long-term management. This plan ensures that conservation actions honor cultural relationships to the land, respond to changing ecological conditions, and support shared stewardship of this ecologically and culturally important place..

“Antelope Lake is a place where wildlife, water, and culture come together,” said Mark Drew, ESLT Executive Director. “Protecting this landscape forever is a win for biodiversity and for our Tribal partners who have stewarded these lands since time immemorial.”

The landowner, Dr. Robert Leidy, a retired wetlands ecologist whose family roots in the Eastern Sierra date back generations, shared the importance of this milestone:

“From the moment I first set foot on Antelope Lake, I knew it was a place that deserved permanent protection. My family’s connection to this region goes back more than a century, and it has been my lifelong dream to help ensure its natural beauty and cultural significance endure. Partnering with ESLT gave me confidence that the land’s wildlife, wetlands, and rich Indigenous heritage will be cared for far into the future. I see myself and ESLT as caretakers of Paiute ancestral homelands, and I’m grateful that this agreement creates opportunities for the Tribe to continue traditional access and stewardship.”
— Dr. Robert Leidy, Landowner

The California Wildlife Conservation Board and the California Council of Land Trusts provided funding support for this conservation success.

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