The Jurupa Oak, a clonal Palmer's oak in Jurupa Valley estimated to be about 13,000 years old, will be protected from the nearby Rio Vista development after conservation groups and local parties reached a settlement. The compromise preserves nearly 55 acres around the oak and moves the nearest construction to roughly 1,000 feet away, instead of the originally proposed 450 feet. The Rio Vista plan spans more than 900 acres and includes about 1,700 homes; separately, the Kizh Nation will receive 500 acres under an earlier agreement.
World’s Oldest Oak Secured: Jurupa Oak Protected From Nearby Rio Vista Development
The Jurupa OakCredit: Sefa Degirmenci/Anadolu Agency via Getty
The future of the Jurupa Oak — a clonal colony of Palmer's oak in Jurupa Valley, Southern California — is now more secure after conservation groups, local officials and the Rio Vista developer reached a settlement to protect the tree and surrounding land.
Background
Scientists estimate the Jurupa Oak has persisted for roughly 13,000 years. The clonal oak colony occupies about 80 feet of ground and reproduces by cloning, making it one of the planet’s oldest living organisms. The tree is also culturally significant to the Kizh Nation, the Indigenous people of the area, and has long drawn attention from environmental advocates concerned about nearby land use and underground water impacts.
The Jurupa OakCredit: Sefa Degirmenci/Anadolu Agency via Getty
The Dispute
In 2024 a consortium of conservation groups — including the Center for Biological Diversity — sued the City of Jurupa Valley seeking protections for 100 acres around the oak to shield it from the proposed Rio Vista development. The Rio Vista plan covers more than 900 acres and would include roughly 1,700 homes, a business park and a new school. Opponents argued the project would intrude on the oak’s habitat, come as close as 450 feet to the tree, and risk drawing down groundwater that sustains the colony. Environmental groups also raised concerns about wildfire risk, greenhouse gas emissions and other ecological impacts.
Settlement Terms
After roughly 18 months of negotiations, the parties reached a compromise. Nearly 55 acres immediately surrounding the Jurupa Oak will be protected, and the nearest portion of the Rio Vista project will be set back to about 1,000 feet from the tree at its closest point. Separately, under an earlier agreement, the Kizh Nation will receive 500 acres in the area as recognition of its cultural ties to the site.
The Jurupa OakCredit: Sefa Degirmenci/Anadolu Agency via Getty
“I am relieved that we can steer development away from an oak that’s so special it can’t be found anywhere else in the world,” said Aruna Prabhala, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Our goal was to minimize risk to the Jurupa Oak and this agreement does exactly that while also making it easier for hillside animals in the region to roam and thrive.”
Reporting on the oak’s age and the details of the lawsuit and agreement drew on coverage from SFGate and People. The city of Jurupa Valley and Richland Communities, the Rio Vista developer, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
With the larger buffer and protected acreage in place, advocates say the Jurupa Oak’s immediate future is substantially more secure while the Kizh Nation’s land allotment adds an additional layer of cultural recognition for the site.
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