Big Gains in Voluntary Land Conservation Despite Recession

November 21, 2011 --  In Nevada County our natural resources are the source of our wealth.  This is as true today as it was 150 years ago.  We value our land here and we thank the many people who have worked to conserve it through volunteerism and donations of money and land. 

A new report called the National Land Trust Census from the Land Trust Alliance shows that land conservation by nonprofit land trusts across the United States is thriving, with more than 10 million acres conserved from 2005 to 2010. That’s an increase of 27 percent in just five years.  A total of 47 million acres—an area over twice the size of all the national parks in the contiguous United States—are now protected by land trusts.  In the same time period, the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, a major federal conservation program, added just over 500,000 acres and saw a 38% funding cut.  California ranks first in the nation in acres conserved.  Land trusts in California reported an increase of 34% in acres conserved over this period, representing 2,303,442 acres.

In the Sierra Nevada and California Cascades 13 land trusts have successfully protected wildlife habitat, agricultural lands, working timber forests, historic sites, recreational areas, watersheds, rivers and streams, and iconic landscapes.  Occupying only a third of California’s landmass, the Sierra Cascade region of the state provides over 65 percent of the state’s clean drinking water. Half of California’s plant and animal species are found in the Sierra Cascade region, and more than 50 million visitors come each year to enjoy the spectacular scenery and abundant recreational opportunities found here. 

Over the past year land conservation in our community parallels the national trend.  Bear Yuba Land Trust (formerly Nevada County Land Trust) has been working with the Stewardship Council on the permanent protection of more than 18,000 acres of PG&E-owned land here.  This is truly a windfall for conservation for us.  So far BYLT has been recommended to hold conservation easements on 2,029 of high elevation land around four lakes: Fordyce, Meadow, White Rock and Sterling Lakes.  This area provides outdoor recreation and important wildlife habitat in the upper elevations of the Sierra Nevada.  Also BYLT will hold conservation easements over 60 acres along The Narrows of the Yuba River, just below Englebright Dam.  Private landowners continue to donate land and trail easements as well.  Recently, Alta Brewer generously donated 40 beautiful oak-studded acres in Alta Sierra to BYLT as open space for wildlife habitat, public recreation and permanent protection.  By yearend 207 acres of land encompassing the Independence Trail, plus the trail itself will be turned over to BYLT for ownership by Sequoya Challenge.  We will continue the fight to keep South Yuba River State Park open.  Finally, we have entered into an option to purchase 2,700 acres of land at Rice’s Crossing stretching for 7 miles on both sides of the Middle Yuba River between New Bullard’s Bar and the State Park at Bridgeport.  This will result in the permanent protection and new recreation opportunities on a connected landscape of more than 12 miles of the Yuba River in both Yuba and Nevada Counties.

I invite anyone interested in helping with these efforts to please contact us.  We can only do this with local support, including annual memberships and contributions, volunteerism and the offering of property by willing landowners who want to protect their lands forever.