Conservancy Grants for Tourism and Recreation
The Sierra Nevada Conservancy provided a number of grants in fiscal year 2008, to enhance tourism and recreational opportunities in the range. Below are examples of some of those grants:
- Ash Creek Restoration and Modoc Rail Line Acquisition in Lassen and Modoc counties;
- Mill Site Restoration in Lassen County;
- Feather River Learning Landscapes and Fish Hatchery;
- Plumas County Trails;
- Mammoth Lakes;
- Fresno Agri-Tourism;
- Yosemite Gateway Communities.
Ash Creek Restoration, SNC 070283
The Pit River Resource Conservation District is working the the state’s Department of Fish and Game, and Lassen and Modoc counties to develop a restoration plan for Ash Creek, a tributary of the Pit River. The $54,000 planning grant seeks to restore the creek and floodplain ecosystem that has been degraded through the construction of levies. An unintended consequence of the levies was the creation of deeper stream channels, which reduced flooding in what had been a wet meadow. “Channel degradation has effectively drained the meadow and riparian vegetation is no longer present” in the 2,200 acre wildlife refuge.
The district says that restoring the wet meadow will decrease erosion and improve water quality, enhance riparian habitat, enhance recreational use and aesthetics. The restoration project will also return the meadow to a natural water storage area, which will become increasingly important as global climate change affects the Sierra’s snow pack.
Modoc Rail Line Acquisition, SNC 070252
The Lassen Land and Trails Trust will assess the feasibility of acquiring the Modoc Line railroad corridor that runs 90 miles from McArthur in Lassen County to Alturas in Modoc County. In addition to funding for the study, the conservancy moved the project forward by helping to bring all the stakeholders to the table. The trust is working with Lassen and Modoc counties, and the Bureau of Land Management to preserve “the corridor for trail use, historic integrity, environmental and water quality value, and as potential future rail service.”
Robber’s Creek Mill Site “How To” Guide, SNC 070114
Mountain Meadows Conservancy in Lassen County received $48,000 to conduct research on a “long-term strategy for acquisition, restoration, preservation and recreation development of abandoned lumber mill or mine sites.” The guide will offer best practices on addressing site and watershed contamination from historic mining or timber activities. ” Not only will such clean-up efforts improve the water quality in communities adjacent to abandoned sites, the project demonstrate the local economy will benefit when sites are redeveloped for recreational use.
Learning Landscapes, SNC 070299
The Feather River Land Trust received $61,000 to conduct a needed pre-acquisition study to conserve 1,800 acres of undeveloped watershed lands in Plumas, Sierra and Lassen counties that are threatened with development. “The Learning Landscapes Project is an innovative, multi-partner effort to permanently conserve natural areas adjacent to every public school within the Feather River Watershed . . . in a manner that maximizes educational benefit and watershed health.”
Feather River College Fish Hatchery, SNC 070298
Feather River College will expand its fish hatchery’s youth education programs with a $28,000 grant from the conservancy. The funds will support:
- Project FISH, which offers afterschool activities and summer camps where students, K to 12, “learn about fish habitiats, open space preservation, sustainable forstry, and environmental ethics while participating in outdoor recreation.
- In conjunction with the nonprofit Trout Unlimited, “Trout in the Classroom” brings watershed education to elementary, middle and high school classrooms; and
- Education displays, interpretive signage and promotional material at the college’s hatchery site.
Plumas County Trails Master Plan, SNC 070343
Plumas County will develop a master plan for hiking and biking trails in the county with its $30,000 grant. The U.S. Forest Service and the county Board of Supervisors are kinking in matching funds to complete the trails master plan, and the project is supported by the Feather River Land Trust.
Plumas County will develop print material and a website with trail maps, educational and interpretive material, volunteer opportunities to promote the trail system. In addition, the project will identify riparian areas along the trails network that need remediation work to prevent degradation of the county’s watersheds.
Mammoth Lakes Trails and Public Access, SNC070163, and Mammoth Lakes Basin Collaberative Planning, SNC 070305
The Mammoth Lakes Basin received two grants to address the region’s “explosive growth in the last decade.” Mammoth Lakes has long been a winter sports destination, and in recent years developed into an “all-season” resort area, hosting almost 3 million visitors a year.
The Town of Mammoth Lakes will administer a $200,000 grant for a transportation and recreation analysis. The town will produce two reports with its grant:
- A transportation and circulation analysis, with recommendation to increase alternative transportation use and “maximize the walkability in the basin”; and
- A recreation analysis, including “sustainable recreation options, possible enhancement to current recreational uses, and related infrastructure options.”
The conservancy awarded Mammoth Lakes Trails Foundation $120,000 to improve public access to and connections between trails in the basin. The foundation proposes to “enhance the visitor experience, promote ‘feet first’ mobility . . . promote the stewardship and sustainability of trails and recreation areas on public lands, and reduce or eliminate adverse impacts on water, land, and other natural resources.”
Agri-Nature Tourism Workshops, SNC 070310
The Yosemite Sequoia Resource Conservation and Development Council seeks to protect working landscapes in Fresno and Tulare counties by offering a series of workshops on agri-tourism. The workshops will target “small-scale farmers and ranchers who are finding it difficult to make a living on the income generated solely by their agricultural outfit.” Working with the Small Business Development Corporation, the council will bring in experts in agri and nature tourism, “so they will have the tools to hit the ground running,” if participants choose to pursue such a venture.
Yosemite Gateway Communities Interpretive Plan, SNC 070137
Yosemite National Park will spend its $23,000 grant to develop a comprehensive interpretive plan for the Merced and Tuolumne Rivers, both of which originate in the park and are designated “Wild and Scenic.” The project will engage residents of Yosemite’s gateway communities, representatives of the park and the Forest Service, local businesses, and area nonprofits in the plan’s development. According to the grant, there must be a plan to educate the public and park visitors about the importance of the Merced and Tuolumne watersheds in order “to ensure long-term protection of [these] natural and cultural resources.”
Go to $17 Million in Grants for Sierra Nevada for information about conservancy grants for FY 2009.
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