The Founder, Nina Allen, has dedicated over 20 years to creating a wildlife refuge and protect an important watershed of Deer Creek. With the aid of volunteers and hired help financed by grants and her own funds, Nina has accomplished a lot of thinning, broadcast burning and other fire-safe preparations. As with any forested property, there is always ongoing work to be done to keep the forest healthy. Nina is looking for land partners interested in sharing a journey of responsible stewardship and co-ownership of this special property.
Do you have interest and/or experience in any of the following?
· Prescribed broadcast burning
· Native plant propagation
· Invasive plant removal
· Wildlife protection
· Cultural preservation
· Off-grid, mountain living
Smiling Owl Preserve was created to protect and preserve a riparian wildlife corridor on the north fork of the Deer Creek Watershed. The property, bordered by the Tahoe National Forest, is comprised of three parcels with two year-round creeks that were purchased over the course of 20+ years and recently combined into one 45+ acre parcel. All but two small building envelopes, totaling less than 1 acre, has been dedicated to a Conservation Easement held by the Bear Yuba Land Trust. The founder, Nina Allen, with the assistance of the greater community, has done extensive thinning and prescribed burns to support a healthy forest ecology. Many of the neighbors share her vision and work together to make the forest healthy and fire-safe.
What is Required for Responsible Stewardship?
There is expectation that a foundation will be established to continue to care for this conservation easement along with others held by the Bear Yuba Land Trust and grants have been available to land owners in Nevada County for fire safe preparations and healthy forest management. However, BYLT has minimal financial and personnel resources to manage and maintain the conservation easements at this time. It is therefor the responsibility of the land owners to bear most of the financial costs and provide the manual labor needed. Nina intends to continue to contribute labor, experience and financial support toward stewarding the property as long as she is living on the land.
For more information about this unique opportunity and offering, please select the button below.
Offered for sale: shared interest through a Tenants in Common agreement that provides exclusive rights to and responsibility for the .56 building envelope with a 2-story, 2 bedroom, 1-1/2 bath, 1800 +/- sq. ft., off-grid, straw bale house over a 900+/- sq. ft. garage/workshop, plus a separate studio (also of straw bale construction) with a sleeping loft and wet bar. There is also an outhouse and an outdoor shower (in addition to the 2 bathrooms in the house) and a fenced area with a small orchard, garden boxes, raised beds and room for a small greenhouse if desired. The solar power system includes 16 panels and a 24-volt battery bank. PG&E is on the property if the buyer desires to connect to the grid.
Seller will retain exclusive use and care of her home, a 650-sq. ft., Earth-Bag House she designed and helped build, located on a separate, .03 acre building envelope with its own water, septic and power and accessed via a private drive. She is dedicated to costewarding the land while she has shared interest in the property.
An agreement is to be made prior to close of escrow for the Buyer to have the right of first refusal to purchase Nina's remaining interest in the property whenever she is ready to move.
Seller is willing to consider a creative financing and ownership structure for the right buyer, including selling the property in it's entirety while retaining a Life Estate interest in her Earth-Bag House. Please contact us for more information.
List Price: $550,000 (for a percentage of interest through a Tenants in Common Agreement) based upon a value of $800,000 for the entire property.
MetroList MLS #221104380
Please contact us for more information
Financing: Cash or Possible Seller Financing only.
The main home is a 2-bedroom, 1.5 bath, 1800 sq. ft., straw bale house on top of a 900+/- sq. ft. garage/ workshop.
The home has a masonry wood stove and radiant heat under hardwood floors, tiled bathrooms, a claw foot tub and great natural light. Both buildings have been fire-hardened with a metal roof, stucco siding and enclosed cement board soffits. The solar is owned and off-grid and includes 16 panels and a 24-volt battery pack. There is the possibility of connecting to PG&E if desired. There is also a le
Three small gardens include an herb garden, a pollinator garden and a raised bed vegetable garden, plus asmall orchard with pear, apple and raspberries. A gray water system waters the orchard, gardens and native landscaping.
The Strawbale studio is also fire-hardened with a metal roof, stucco siding and enclosed eaves.
Inside the studio: a propane fireplace, wet bar and a sleeping loft.
Outhouse and woodshed next to the studio
“For the right people, this land is a gorgeous paradise, a study in ecology and a Spiritual Sanctuary. The more you give to life here, the more you are given.” - Nina Allen, Founder and Owner, Smiling Owl Preserve
Nina Allen has devoted over 20 years and most of her personal and financial resources to stewarding the land. A licensed acupuncturist, Nina is dedicated to social and environmental justice.
Nina is looking for land partners who share her passion for conservation and preservation and have the knowledge, skills, and desire to co-steward the land with her in a collaborative way. It is her hope that whomever buys into the project will eventually take over the stewardship whenever she is ready to move on.
