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.

Thank you to our funding partners at California Wildlife Conservation Board and the California Council of Land Trusts for making it possible to protect this critical habitat. This conservation 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.

Permanent protection of an essential water source

As part of the Adobe Valley Important Bird Area, this property also offers critical habitat for migrating bird species. The spring-fed lake also provides water for wildlife such as mule deer, fox, and bobcat, who also benefit from its permanent protection.

Easement formally guarantees Tribal access in perpetuity 

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.

About Eastern Sierra Land Trust

Eastern Sierra Land Trust collaborates with willing landowners to protect wildlife habitat, agricultural lands, and the scenic open spaces that define the Eastern Sierra. The inclusion of Antelope Lake signifies ESLT’s ongoing commitment to expand its horizons and champion diverse conservation causes.