Napa Art Center Land Deal: di Rosa eases 162 acres into trust; future trail to Milliken Peak

A major conservation agreement in California’s Napa Valley is set to permanently protect much of the sprawling landscape surrounding the di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, while potentially providing the institution with up to $1.85 million to support its cultural operations. Announced August 25 by the Land Trust of Napa County, the deal brings together the di Rosa Center and the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District in an effort to preserve both the land and the arts center’s long-standing connection to it.The agreement covers 162 acres of di Rosa’s 217-acre property in the Carneros region, placing roughly three-quarters of the estate beyond future private development. The protected area includes Milliken Peak, a 732-foot summit with sweeping views across Carneros, as well as watershed areas, wildlife habitat, and the hillsides surrounding the center’s cultural campus.The move is particularly significant for di Rosa, whose identity has always been rooted in the relationship between art and nature. The center describes its property as a 217-acre destination featuring galleries, a lake, walking trails and outdoor sculptures. Under the new arrangement, the surrounding l...