Tucked against the Sierra in picturesque Jacks Valley lies the iconic Jacks Valley Ranch, where a couple of white 160-year old barns look out over contented cattle grazing the rich pasture land to the east. Originally known as the Winters Ranch, it was established in 1855. The two white timber frame barns were built by Chinese immigrants from Virginia City in the 1860s.

Other owners included Fulstone, Nesmeth, Fleischmann, and Early. In 1963, the ranch was purchased by John and Rose Ascuaga. In 2018, a conservation easement was finalized for the ranch.

Nevada Land Trust reached out to the Ascuaga family in 2015 to explore permanent protection of the rich historic and natural resources of Jacks Valley Ranch through a conservation easement, designed to protect those resources while allowing the ranch to continue operations in capable private hands.

John Ascuaga said, “I have watched the valley change significantly in the nearly 50 years my wife and I have lived at Jacks Valley Ranch. My desire has always been to preserve the character of Jacks Valley and to maintain the ranch as a working ranch. When Nevada Land Trust approached me, I was excited to learn that there was a mechanism to do that, and so we’ve elected to pursue that possibility.”

In 2018, the conservation easement was finalized for the ranch which guarantees the ranch will forever remain operational.