Hussman Ranch will be agriculture for the ages

About eight years after the original proposal to preserve the Hussman Ranch, the check has cleared and the first conservation easement under the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act is in place.

On Friday, the easement was dedicated which protects 300 acres of irrigated pasture land in the Carson Valley.

David and Kathi Hussman served as hosts to about 40 state, federal and land trust officials to celebrate consummation of the deal.

David Hussman said he and Kathi have been working with the American Land Conservancy since 1998 to preserve the ranch. The approval of the Southern Nevada Public Lands Act allowed them to begin going forward with the deal in 2001.

Hussman said the family's property rights were like a bundle of sticks and that the easement just takes away one of the sticks.

"The only right we're giving up is the right to develop," Hussman said of the working ranch. "We're not allowing public access."

Hussman said his parents were the first ones to see that the ranch should be preserved.

"They saw the growth here and they wanted to preserve this place for the future," he said.

At present the ranch is home to 100 head of cattle and produces horse hay for sale. Kathi's son, Beau Valory, is 22 and a plumber in Reno. David said he believed that Beau would eventually return to take over ranch operations. Even if he doesn't, the ranch could be leased to a manager or sold to someone else who would work the land.

"Someone will always need to be there to ranch the land," he said. "If I could predict the future, I would be in the future-predicting business. I believe that we need to preserve land that grows food for the future. We're trying to assure the future of the ranch.

The Hussman family has operated their Gardnerville ranch for 134 years, since before the town existed.

William Hussman came to Carson Valley from Germany in 1869 and purchased the ranch in 1872, according to the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs Centennial Ranches Program, and was able to bring his wife Johanna Heitman to America in 1873. The couple had two children and then William was killed while felling a tree. Johanna married William's brother, Fred and the couple had seven more children.

Four generations later, David and Kathi Hussman have worked to preserve the ranch in its present form.

About 260 acres of the development rights for the 563-acre ranch have been transferred off the property using the county's program designed to preserve agricultural land.

Under the program, the conservation easement is administered by the Bureau of Land Management, though the Hussman's retain ownership of the property and control of the ranch.

Four other ranches are waiting for the Bureau of Land Management to wrap up conservation easements, including the Flying J, Stodieck Brothers, Scossa Brothers and Churia Holstein Limited Partnership.

Kerry O'Toole of the American Land Conservancy said the Hussmans' experience will help ease the process for other property owners.

Federal officials say the money, which comes from the sale of federal land in Clark County, is available for completion of the purchases, but those deal have yet to be completed.

BLM land sales in Clark County have generated $3 billion in funding since the act was passed in 1998. Currently, $389 million has been authorized for land conservation transactions like the Hussman Ranch.

"This is a milestone agreement and model of cooperative conservation for Nevada and the nation," Interior Secretary Dick Kempthorne said. "Private landowners are working hand-in-hand with the federal government and American Land Conservancy to protect wildlife habitat and the Carson River, while also preserving part of the West's ranching heritage."

The Hussmans declined to say how much they received for the easement, but did say it was enough for their family to live comfortably if properly invested.

Landowners interested in learning more about options for conserving their land may contact Jim Elias, director, ALC Great Basin Program, (775) 783-0908.