.png)
About Mother Lode Land Trust
The Mother Lode Land Trust (MLLT) was established in 1990 by a coalition of ranchers, conservationists, and other concerned citizens to help protect foothill lands from the pressures of urbanization and development. MLLT serves Amador County as well as Alpine, Calaveras, Tuolumne, and El Dorado Counties. Its service area touches Lake Tahoe in the north and Yosemite National Park in the south.
MLLT provides landowners with a conservation alternative to development. By placing conservation easements on their land, landowners can limit residential and commercial development on their land while retaining ownership. In return, the easement may offer certain tax or charitable gift benefits. In the end, everyone wins.
What We Do
MLLT helps to protect agricultural and range lands, historic and scenic sites, and natural habitats. MLLT works with willing sellers to craft win-win solutions that ensure continued agricultural, open, and natural spaces for future generations.
The Mother Lode Land Trust currently holds conservation easements totaling just near 11,000 acres in Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, and Tuolumne Counties. MLLT is also the landowner of the 187-acre C&C Ranch near Jackson, the 375-acre Deer Creek Hills Preserve extension near Rancho Murieta, 575-acre Long Gulch Ranch near Groveland, and the famous Bennett Juniper. We also have a small Cosumnes River parcel of ten acres and finalized the acquisition of the Erickson Ranch,167 acres, in 2022.
Our Team
Ellie Routt
Executve Director
Ellie Routt is an Amador County native. She attended Santa Rosa Junior College and Humboldt State University where she specialized in several natural resources options. Ellie's favorite courses were in Sustainable Agriculture, Botany and Soil Science and she eventually received a degree in Rangeland Resource Science. Ellie has volunteered with various federal, state, and local agencies working on projects ranging from exotic plant eradication to rotational grazing studies, to native landscaping design.
Ellie has served as Executive Director since 2006.
Ellie has two boys, Collin and Isaac. The three of them love working outside in the garden, going camping and fishing, and reading stories to each other. Through her work, Ellie hopes she can protect areas that were an important part of her childhood so that her children and her children’s children can enjoy those same places.
Amanda Brashear
Stewardship Director
Amanda Brashear has a B.S. in Natural Resources from the University of Vermont and a M.A.S. in Environmental Policy and Management from the University of Denver. In Colorado, she worked in military lands management where she prepared natural resource management plans, impact assessment documents, and designed mitigation projects for military properties in the West.
After moving to California, Amanda worked as a planner for the CA Department of Conservation and a scientist for CA Department of Fish and Wildlife. Amanda volunteers with the Amador County Master Gardeners program and in local schools. She enjoys skiing and exploring the outdoors with her family. Amanda is happy to call Amador County home and to help conserve the open space, habitats, and working lands of the Mother Lode region.
Alicia Barber
Archivist and Store Manager
Alicia Barber grew up in Auburn, California, where she developed a fondness for all things old by frequenting yard sales and thrift stores. She went on to earn her bachelor's degree in Interior Design from Chico State University and then worked as a merchandiser for Crate and Barrel. At the Mother Lode Land Trust, she is combining her love of antiques with her professional skills to catalog, preserve, and display the beautiful antiques left by the Chichizola and Cunio families. She is passionate about her work and believes that these antiques are an important part of the region's history.
Carolyn Mendoza
Admin Assistant
Carolyn Mendoza - Administrative Assistant Carolyn is from San Jose, her and her husband moved to Pine Grove nearly twenty years ago. Carolyn and her husband spend most of their free time visiting with their children and grand-children. “I wanted to have more time with my family and enjoy my new environment while getting to know about the community where I lived”. Carolyn worked for Central Sierra Resource Conservation and Development, (CSRC&D) for eleven years. Carolyn now continues working in the non-profit field with Mother Lode Land Trust (MLLT).
Board of Directors
Bob Dean
Board President
Bob is President of Friends of the Library of Calaveras County, Director of Resource Conservation District of Calaveras County, Director of the Bonsai Club of Calaveras County, and President of the Sierra foothill Chapter of the California Plant Society. Bob also was a former director of the Calaveras County Water District, and also served on the board of ACWA (Association of California Water Agencies) where he was a member of their Executive Committee for one term.
Susan Bragstad
Director
Susan is a retired architect and current olive farmer and olive oil producer. Susan was formerly a city council-member in Amador City, as well as the vice mayor, mayor, and treasurer.
Scott Oneto
Treasurer
Scott is the Farm Advisor and County Director with the University of California Cooperative Extension in Tuolumne County. Scott's family has a long history in California agriculture. As a fifth generation of Amador County, Scott's family has been raising livestock, growing timber, and growing fruits and vegetables since the early 1800's. Scott graduated from U. C. Davis with a Bachelor's degree in plant biology and a Master's Degree in Weed Science.
Robert Brian Kermeen
Director
Born in Wisconsin with a degree in Landscape Architecture from UW Madison.
Has lived in Tuolumne County since 1976.
Worked 35 years for USDA Forest Service in recreation and resource management.
Involved with land trust, trails, and tourism for past 30 years.
President of Tuolumne County Land Trust for last 15 years.
Chris Wright
Director
Christopher Wright grew up in rural Calaveras County where his family has owned land for four generations. He spent his childhood hunting, fishing and hiking in the Mokelumne River Watershed. He continues to live in Calaveras with his wife and two children. Chris received a Bachelor’s Degree from Humboldt State University where he studied Natural Resource Communication. Elected in 2012, Chris served on Calaveras County Board of Supervisors until January of 2017.