High Sierra Topix

Public input desired on Sierra Nevada Conservancy plan

The Union staff
May 8, 2006

A series of six public forums have been scheduled during April and May to gather input on the Sierra Nevada Conservancy's draft strategic plan. The third of these meetings will be held from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday at the Miners Foundry Cultural Center, Nevada City.

"One of the greatest assets we have is input from people who live in the communities we serve," Sierra Nevada Executive Officer Jim Branham stated in a media release. "Our commitment to the people of this region is paramount and having their ideas and opinions as part of our process is critical to their future and to ours."

The strategic plan will guide the conservancy's operations over the next five years to achieve its objectives, including:

• Increasing opportunities for tourism and recreation;

• Protecting, conserving, and restoring the region's physical, cultural, archaeological, historical and living resources;

• Aiding in the preservation of working landscapes, such as farms, ranches and forests;

• Reducing the risk of natural disasters, such as wildfires;

• Protecting and improving water and air quality;

• Assisting the growth of the regional economy;

• Enhancing use and recreation at public lands.

The conservancy was created in 2004 to work with all levels of government in preserving and protecting the environment and local economies of the Sierra Nevada mountain region. The region constitutes approximately 25 percent of California's land and provides about 60 percent of the state's water supply for residential, agricultural and environmental use. The conservancy covers 25 million acres of land, stretching from the Oregon border to Kern County.

The Sierra Nevada mountain region includes land in part or all of 22 California counties: Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Butte, Plumas, Sierra, Tehama, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Yuba, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Tuolumne, Alpine, Inyo, Mono, Fresno, Kern, Madera, and Tulare.

The Sierra Nevada Conservancy board will consider the Strategic Plan for adoption in July 2006.

A copy of the draft strategic plan and a map of the affected areas are posted on the Sierra Nevada Conservancy Web site at http://www.sierranevada.ca.gov. Copies of the draft plan can also be requested at public meetings, or through written requests to the following address: Sierra Nevada Conservancy, 1416 9th Street, Room 1311, Sacramento, CA 95819.