RESOURCES OVERVIEW A publication of the Northern Sierra Partnership

...... The Sierra Nevada Completing the Protection of America’s Range of Light ...... he Sierra Nevada is a place of mystical beauty. Granite peaks etched against azure sky. TPaintbrush, sky pilot and columbine blooming from rocky crevices in detonations of color. Verdant meadows cut by jigsaws of snowmelt. Pika and marmot cavorting in jumbles of boulders. And overhead, the raucous cries of Clark’s nutcrackers echoing across the vast landscape.

Life is more forgiving below the alpine zone. Fragrant forests of fir, incense cedar and pine blanket the Sierra’s flanks, providing welcome shade and shelter from the wind. Here, a quiet hiker can chance upon a black bear rooting for grubs, or a goshawk flying deftly through the canopy. The sound of water grows louder as rivulets of snowmelt gather into streams, which converge into the life-giving rivers of the Sierra Nevada: the Feather, Yuba, American, Cosumnes, Mokelumne, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Merced, San Joaquin, Kings, Kaweah, Kern, Truckee, Carson and Walker. And as the waters converge at mid elevations, so too do visitors, lured by the scenic marvels that have drawn people to the Sierra Nevada for more than a century: Yosemite, the giant sequoias, Donner Summit and .

For all their splendor, the granite ramparts of the Sierra have endured many assaults. For many years, humans exploited the Sierra’s natural wealth, with no thought to the consequences. We scoured canyons for gold, felled giant forests and dammed rivers. The damage we were willing to inflict knew no bounds. Eventually, farmers enraged by the excesses of hydraulic mining and conservationists like John Muir began to fight back. That fight continues to this day, a push and pull between those who would degrade nature for short-term economic gain, and those who know we must learn to live in harmony with the natural systems that sustain all life on Earth.

The Sierra Nevada is one of the great landscapes of the American West, a place of wild beauty that invites us to learn, to push ourselves, to grow as humans. But we now know that the Sierra Nevada sustains us in other ways as well, providing over 60% of ’s developed water supply,

Euer Valley | Elizabeth Carmel massive carbon storage to buffer climate change, rich biodiversity and outstanding recreation.

This booklet summarizes why it is in our interest to protect this great landscape. It also explains why the Northern Sierra Partnership is specifically working to conserve the large landscapes of the northern Sierra Nevada. Whether you are new to the Sierra or, like John Muir, have spent decades Looking eastward from the summit of the Pacheco Pass one shining exploring this incomparable region, we hope you will enjoy this publication and be inspired to morning ...[there] rose the mighty Sierra, miles in height, and so gloriously join our Campaign. colored and so radiant, it seemed not clothed with light, but wholly composed of it, like the wall of some celestial city...it seemed to me that the Sierra should be called, not the Nevada or Snowy Range, but the Range of Light.

John Muir, The Yosemite (1912)

COVER: Backpacking Warren Lake | Paul Hamill zw

NATURAL FLOWS 5 WATER that sustains our state OF SIERRA NEVADA RIVERS ater is the Sierra Nevada’s single most valuable export. Falling as snow and rain on the Sierra’s rocky peaks, Butte, Big Chico & Mills Wforested slopes and verdant meadows, it travels across the land in an intricate network of rivulets, streams Estimated natural flows in and rivers that, in an average year, supplies over 60% of the developed water in California1. Water from the 466 thousand acre-feet (taf) 2010 taf Sierra also flows east and is the primary developed water source for much of western Nevada. The Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project estimated that the direct value of Sierra Nevada water is about $1.3 billion a year, more than 80 the value of all other Sierra resources combined. The rivers, lakes and streams of the Sierra also sustain thousands Feather Reno of fish, wildlife and plant species, attract millions of visitors and provide a reliable supply of hydroelectric power. 3,586 Truckee taf The State of California recently recognized the importance of the Sierra’s source watersheds: the streams, meadows 80 331 and forests that supply water to its reservoirs. California Assembly Bill 2480, enacted in 2016, identified the taf Yuba & Bear conservation and restoration of source watersheds like those in the Sierra Nevada as critical to maintaining a

1,928 reliable water supply for California. With climate change already altering long-held assumptions about the amount taf Carson and timing of water flows, hydrologists and other experts are looking for affordable and achievable ways to increase the resilience of our water system. Conserving and restoring forests, meadows and streams in source watersheds 337 American taf can improve the quality, quantity and timing of water supplies, and may even be the most cost-effective strategy. Sacramento NEVADA To learn more about where your water comes from, please visit http://water.nature.org/waterblueprint/.

2,109 Walker taf 314 taf Cosumnes & Mokelumne 80 968 taf San Francisco 580 Stanislaus & Tuolumne

2,991 280 taf San Jose Merced

1,067 taf San Joaquin

2,029 taf

Monterey Kings

2,034 taf P A 5 C I Owens F I 135 C CALIFORNIA taf Kaweah & Tule

O 726 C taf E

A

N San Luis Obispo Kern 691 4 taf Data Source: California Data Exchange Center, http://cdec.water. ca.gov/reportapp/javareports?name=FNFSUM.2010 Sierra Valley Wetlands | Andy Wright Mountain Meadows Mountain meadows play an important role in maintaining water quality and supply. They absorb water like sponges during peak snowmelt and slowly release it in late summer and fall, when water is most needed. Healthy meadows also filter out sediment and nutrients, keeping downstream waterways clear and clean. In addition to their importance to water quality and supply, mountain meadows are hotspots of biodiversity, and are the single most critical summer habitat for birds. Unfortunately, dam construction, road building, residential development, over-grazing and catastrophic wildfire have resulted in the widespread loss and deterioration of mountain meadows throughout the Sierra Nevada.

Unhealthy meadow: The stream has lost its sinuosity and Healthy meadow: The stream’s serpentine shape and abundant been transformed into a linear watercourse, with steep banks riparian vegetation slow the flow of water and reduce erosion. denuded of vegetation. During spring runoff, fast-moving High spring flows spill over the banks and saturate the water is confined to the stream channel, further eroding the meadow, raising the subsurface water table. The high water banks. In summer, the incised channel functions like a drain, table supports lush vegetation late into summer. pulling water out of the meadow and causing it to dry out prematurely. Drawings | American Rivers Forests Sierra forests also play an important role in protecting water supplies. Healthy forests maintain the integrity of soils and are resilient to high-severity wildfires, thereby protecting downstream water quality from post-fire erosion and sediment. Ecologically-based forest management, including thinning small trees to reduce wildfire risk and promote forest health, may Snowpack also increase downstream water supply, a hypothesis The Nature Conservancy is testing with the Sierra Nevada Research Institute at the Headwaters/French Meadows site. The Sierra Nevada’s snowpack is California’s largest natural reservoir, storing approximately 15 million acre-feet of water in an average year2. That’s enough water to supply the city of San Francisco for nearly 230 years. In winter, precipitation accumulates at higher elevations as snow and is slowly released as temperatures rise. This snowmelt is an essential source of water for the people of California and Nevada during the summer months when there is little rain.

Our warming climate has already begun to disrupt this delicate water supply system. More winter precipitation is falling as rain and the Sierra’s snowpack is melting earlier. This results in higher peak flows in our rivers and streams, and greater flood risks. It also reduces the total amount of water that can be stored in reservoirs and used annually.

Snow-capped pines on | Simon Williams

Sunset on the Sierra Crest | CC/Daniel Parks 5 CARBON STORAGE that addresses climate change

CARBON STORAGE he 10 million acres of forest in the Sierra Nevada have historically been a critical carbon sink for California, removing IN THE Tmillions of tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year3. Sierra Nevada forests currently store over 420 million tons of carbon in their aboveground biomass, equivalent to the annual emissions of 400 coal-fired power plants, and even SIERRA NEVADA more carbon below ground, in roots and soil4.

Unfortunately, decades of intensive logging and fire suppression have degraded many Sierra forests, leaving forest stands overcrowded with young trees and brush. These conditions have reduced the resilience of the forests to both drought and Reno wildfire, and contributed directly to the tree mortality and high-intensity fires that have ravaged Sierra forests in recent years. 80 Over the next few decades, California can safeguard and even rebuild carbon stocks in the Sierra Nevada by investing in forest conservation and restoration. While restoration strategies like thinning and prescribed burns will release carbon in 80 the short term, they may allow more carbon to be stored in the long term by increasing the growth rates of the remaining trees and reducing tree mortality from high-intensity wildfire5. Even during droughts, healthy forests continue to absorb carbon from the atmosphere at a significant rate, and the larger the tree, the more carbon it will pull from the atmosphere on an annual basis6. In addition to their climate change benefits, forest conservation and restoration will reduce the cost and risk of high-intensity wildfire, preserve water quality, improve wildlife habitat and protect treasured natural areas for human enjoyment. Sacramento NEVADA

5 80

San Francisco 580

280 San Jose

Aboveground Carbon Biomass (mg/ac)

0-3 4-12 13-24 CALIFORNIA 25-44 45-120

5 Original Data Source: GNN Maps and Data, LEMMA Group, Oregon State University, https://lemma.forestry.oregonstate.edu/data. Data was further manipulated to calculate abo- veground carbon biomass.

PACIFIC OCEAN San Luis Obispo

Sierra Buttes | Rich Reid Climate Change: Making Sierra forests part of the solution, not part of the problem

alifornia is justly proud of the aggressive action it is taking to address climate change by reducing carbon Cdioxide emissions. Unfortunately, as documented by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, a major wildfire can pump more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than California’s greenhouse gas-reduction efforts can save in a year9 . In 2015, greenhouse gas emissions declined in California by 1.5 million metric tonnes but the Rough Fire in the Sierra foothills released 6.8 million metric tonnes of greenhouse gases.

Interestingly, most of the carbon released from high-intensity fires comes from the post-fire decomposition of trees killed by the fire, not from the fire itself. In the case of the Rim Fire near and in (2013), the 2.6 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide released from the fire itself represent just 15% of the total expected carbon emissions. High-intensity fires can also have profound long-term impacts on carbon storage by permanently transforming forests into shrublands and grasslands; the latter store 90% less carbon than the forests they replace10.

Even without fire, the impact of tree mortality on greenhouse gas emissions is troubling. In 2016 alone, nearly 60 million trees died across the Sierra Nevada, victims of drought and bark beetle infestations. According to the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, the decomposition of these dead trees will release 53 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, equivalent to the annual emissions of 11.2 million cars11. 24.0 22.4 22.8 Old-growth forest along Independence Lake | Simon Williams

Sierra Forests: Then and Now

efore the arrival of European and American settlers in the 19th century, Sierra forests were dominated by large, Bwidely-spaced trees and open understories. Wildfire typically burned through mid-elevation conifer stands frequently, clearing out small trees and brush and leaving the larger trees intact. This periodic thinning by wildfire left pre-European settlement forests in the Sierra with an average of 40-60 trees/acre, compared to 200-300 trees/ million metric tons acre or more today7. 3.89 The California Gold Rush kicked off a period of intensive logging in Sierra forests, driven by the lumber demands 3.23 of the gold and silver mines, the railroad and other construction projects. The commercial extraction of large 1.49 trees continued through the 20th century, gradually transforming the park-like openness of Sierra forests into the more crowded stands of younger trees so common today. This transformation was exacerbated by increasingly effective fire suppression, rooted in public fear of wildfire. Starting at the turn of the 20th century, wildfires, which 2013 2014 2015 had historically played such a crucial role in keeping Sierra forests open and healthy, were extinguished whenever possible. Today, most Sierra forests have not benefited from a single wildfire or prescribed burn in over 100 years8. Estimated carbon emissions from California wildfires* In sum, more than a century of intensive logging and decades of wildfire suppression have created the conditions Carbon emissions decline over previous year from we see in the Sierra today: forests that are too young and too dense to withstand wildfire or drought. The results California economy (does not include wildfire emissions) should not surprise us: an unprecedented number of high-intensity wildfires and forests decimated by the combined Data Sources: California Air Resources Board, US Forest Service impacts of drought and bark beetles. Emissions in million metric tons of CO2 equivalent * Includes wildfires on federal lands only ...... 5 BIODIVERSITY that supports all life ECOSYSTEMS OF THE he Sierra Nevada is one of the most biologically diverse regions in the United States and that biodiversity Tbegins with plants. Of the 7,000 vascular plants found in California, more than 50% grow in the Sierra, despite SIERRA NEVADA the Sierra covering only 20% of the state’s land area. Some 400 of these plants are endemic (i.e. found only in the Sierra Nevada), and 218 more are classified as rare12. This enormous species richness is explained by plant evolution and adaptation in response to the varied topography, climate, geology and soil found throughout the range. The plants are grouped into communities that are distributed in large north-south bands, constrained by Reno clear elevation boundaries. 80

The Sierra Nevada’s tremendous variation in vegetation type and structure helps to explain the diversity of life in 80 the region. The Sierra supports an estimated 570 species of vertebrates:

290 Birds 135 Mammals 46 Reptiles 37 Amphibians 60 Fish

Sacramento NEVADA

Threats to Biodiversity 5 80

San CLIMATE CHANGE Francisco 580 Climate change is the largest global threat to biodiversity, and its anticipated impacts will be substantial throughout the Sierra. Droughts are expected to increase in frequency, and more precipitation will fall as rain instead of snow. This alteration of the water balance is likely to have strong negative effects on wildlife and plant populations. Rising 280 San Jose temperatures will also force species to travel up in latitude or elevation. Alpine species like the American pika may “run out of mountain” to ascend, and could be forced into local extinction. Grassland ROADS & DEVELOPMENT Foothill Oak Woodlands Habitat loss and fragmentation is one of the greatest threats to wildlife populations worldwide and in the Sierra. Chaparral Shrub Many animals, especially large mammals like bears, require large, contiguous tracts of land for foraging, mating Mixed Conifer Forest and hibernation. When roads and isolated development projects break up the landscape, wildlife suffer from lost Alpine Zone habitat, collisions with cars and other human encounters. Monterey Montane Meadow & Wetland Sagebrush Scrub WATER DIVERSION The Sierra Nevada provides California with a large portion of its developed water supply. Unfortunately, excessive Southeast Desert water diversion has significant ecological impacts and threatens the health and stability of many wildlife populations. Sparsely Vegetated 5 The Lahontan cutthroat trout was nearly pushed to extinction, in large part due to badly timed water diversions and large water projects, which strand spawning fish and desiccate eggs. Original Data Source: USFS CALVEG, https:// enterprisecontent-usfs.opendata.arcgis.com/ datasets/cce8804bfa25474ab4b61e294dd04b- LOGGING & GRAZING fa_11. Data was further manipulated for pre- When done sustainably, logging and grazing can be important components of responsible land management. sentation purposes. CALIFORNIA However, unsustainable practices have contributed to ecosystem degradation throughout the Sierra. For instance, years of intensive logging have virtually eliminated old-growth forest habitat outside of parks and wilderness areas in the Sierra Nevada, dramatically altering our forests’ resilience to wildfire. Similarly, years of overgrazing in the San Luis Obispo Sierra have degraded riparian areas, meadows and stream channels, and reduced their ability to support native fish PACIFIC OCEAN and bird species. UPPER MONTANE/ EAST SIDE PINE MAJOR PLANT SUBALPINE ALPINE Only the hardiest organisms can Drier conditions east of the COMMUNITIES OF THE The high-elevation landscapes of the survive in the alpine zone, a region Sierra Crest support forests MIXED CONIFER FOREST upper montane and subalpine regions of extremes, with frequent wind, cold dominated by Jeffrey and SIERRA NEVADA FOOTHILL OAK are a mosaic of tree stands, rock winters, intense sunlight and shallow ponderosa pine, though other WOODLANDS California’s mixed conifer forests are outcrops, meadows and lakes. Lime soils. Here, the landscape is conifers like fir and cedar are among the most biodiverse conifer green wolf lichen often covers tree dominated by shrubs and small still present. Historically, these The foothill oak woodland forests in the world, with 26 different bark, signaling typical snow depths. perennials adapted to these stands experienced frequent fire ecosystem is dominated by conifer species and over 3,000 vascular Near timberline, forests give way to austere conditions. Many of the that yielded low-density tree SAGEBRUSH SCRUB large oaks (genus Quercus), the plants. These forests dominate the dispersed trees and low shrubs, plants found in the alpine distribution and sparse most common of which are the western slopes of the Sierra and are the interrupted by rock and zone are descendants of species that ground cover. Traveling further east over the valley oak and blue oak. Both primary habitat for many charismatic snowfields. Fifty native mammal survived the last ice age, and some Sierra Crest, total annual precipitation species produce copious acorns, animals, from black bear to American species call subalpine forests home, 200 are endemic. declines dramatically. a staple food source for many marten. While most of the old-growth including the yellow-bellied marmot Juniper and sage species that thrive mammal and bird species. forests in the Sierra outside of national and alpine chipmunk. in arid climates dominate the large, This ecosystem is the most parks and wilderness areas have been open slopes of the eastern Sierra. This biologically diverse in the logged, the large trees and old forest landscape supports a wide range of Sierra and has experienced patches that remain are important unique animals such as pronghorn the most significant and golden eagles. habitat for species like the California MOUNTAIN habitat loss and spotted owl and northern goshawk. JEFFREY PINE degradation due to rapid HEATHER population growth and poorly planned development 13 . LODGEPOLE PINE WHITE PINE 9,000 ft.

PONDEROSA PINE Sierra bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis sierrae RED FIR 7,500 ft.

WESTERN JUNIPER

SUGAR PINE 6,000 ft.

Steve Yeager Mountain lion SAGEBRUSH Pumas concolor

CC/Frank Weigel RABBITBRUSH 4,500 ft. DOUGLAS FIR American pika Ochonta princeps Golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos Yellow-bellied marmot Marmota flaviventris 3,000 ft. INCENSE CEDAR Matthew Rhodes Black bear Ursus americana LIVE OAK BLUE OAK CC/Sergey Yeliseev 1,500 ft. CC/Tony’s Takes

The elevation of the Sierra Nevada increases as one travels south. The elevations of the plant communities reflected here are WEST EAST typical of the northern Sierra and would tend to occur 1,000-2,500 feet higher in the central and southern Sierra.

CC/Jitze Couperus 5 RECREATION OUTDOOR RECRATION that renews us Thousand Lakes Wilderness Caribou he Sierra Nevada is one of the most magnificent natural landscapes in the world. Home to spectacular granite Wilderness RESOURCES peaks, alpine lakes, wildflower-carpeted meadows and ancient forests, the Sierra Nevada attracts over 50 Lassen LASSEN N.F. T Volcanic IN THE million visitors a year who come from the world over to experience its unique natural wonders. National Park & Wilderness 1 SIERRA NEVADA 2 In recent decades, tourism and outdoor recreation have grown steadily in the Sierra, bringing new income and Lake Honey employment to local economies, even as resource extraction industries like timber harvesting and mining have Almanor Lake 4 5 declined. The hotspots for tourism and recreation are Yosemite National Park and the greater Lake Tahoe region. 3 PLUMAS Yosemite alone saw 5 million visitors in 2016, who supported 7,900 jobs and produced an economic output of N.F. $686.3 million. This economic output is more than 100 times greater than the value of all the timber removed from Bucks Lake 8 14 Wilderness 7 the region’s National Forests in 2016 . TAHOE 6 N.F. Reno 80 The Sierra Nevada’s outstanding natural assets attract permanent residents as well as visitors. The internet has 12 9 made it possible for more and more companies to locate where their employees want to live. This has been a boon 10 80 for mountain towns like Truckee and Reno, which draw young entrepreneurs motivated by the opportunity to live,

11 Mt. Rose work and raise their families in smaller communities, surrounded by landscapes of stunning natural beauty. This Lake Wilderness 13 15 Tahoe 14 economic trend is only likely to grow over time, and is yet another reason mountain communities must invest in

EL DORADO Carson-Iceburg protecting their unique natural assets. N.F. 17 Wilderness 80 Wovoka Wilderness NEVADA This map of the Sierra Nevada highlights just a few of the outstanding recreation resources in our vast region, Wilderness HUMBOLDT Sacramento 16 TOIYABE N.F. Hoover with a particular emphasis on places recently opened to the public thanks to the conservation efforts of the Wilderness Northern Sierra Partnership. For a complete list of destinations across the Sierra Nevada, please visit https://www.

Mokelumne Granite Mountain sierranevadageotourism.org/, a website developed by the Sierra Business Council in association with the National Wilderness 18 Wilderness 5 Geographic Society and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy. STANISLAUS 19 80 N.F. Headwaters Wilderness Boundary Peak P 1 LASSEN NATIONAL PARK 4 SIERRA BUTTES & LAKES BASIN A San Wilderness INYO 580 N.F. Situated where the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades A hike to the top of the Sierra Buttes, the 8,857-foot crag C Francisco 20 21 White Mountain converge, Lassen Volcanic National Park is a unique that towers over the Lakes Basin, is a hard but rewarding I Yosemite Wilderness F National Park landscape of alpine lakes, jagged volcanoes and steaming climb. Those seeking a less arduous experience can spend I & Wilderness C 280 San Jose Piper Mountain geothermal waters. Home to the world’s largest plug the day hiking to one or more of the twenty glacially- INYO Wilderness dome, 10,463-foot Lassen Peak, the park is great to visit in carved lakes in this beautiful basin. Ansel Adams N.F. Wilderness winter as well as in summer. O CALIFORNIA John Muir C E Wilderness Dinkey Lakes SIERRA A Wilderness N.F. N Sequoia Wilderness 5 SIERRA VALLEY PRESERVE Kings Canyon KINGS BIZZ JOHNSON NATIONAL REC. TRAIL Sierra Valley supports the greatest diversity and abundance Monterey Wilderness Monarch CANYON 2 Wilderness N.P. This 25-mile multi-use trail follows the route of the old of bird species in the entire Sierra Nevada. To enhance 22 23 Malpais Mesa Wilderness Fernley and Lassen Railroad between Westwood and public access to the natural marvels of Sierra Valley, the Owens Jennie Lakes Lake Susanville, traveling through tunnels and over historic Land Trust and The Nature Conservancy, with Wilderness Coso Range trestle bridges. support from NSP, recently acquired and are improving Wilderness National Forests & Parks public facilities on the 2,500-acre Sierra Valley Preserve. John Krebs Wilderness Areas SEQUOIA Wilderness 5 N.F. Sacatar Trail Golden Trout 24 Wilderness Tahoe Rim Trail Wilderness 3 Chimney Peak Bucks Lake Wilderness is the perfect place to experience DOWNIEVILLE DOWNHILL TRAIL 2 Select Recreation Highlights Wilderness 6 the beauty of the northern Sierra away from the crowds. For those seeking adrenaline-fueled adventures, the Owens Peak A network of trails traverses granite ridges, conifer Downieville Downhill Mountain Bike Trail offers 17 miles Wilderness San Luis Obispo forests and subalpine lakes, making it an ideal weekend of downhill and 5,000 feet of vertical drop. It is consistently Domeland destination for backpackers. voted one of the best downhill trail rides in the country. Wilderness Kiavah El Paso Mountains Wilderness Wilderness

Data Source: PADUS (Protected Areas Database of the U.S.), 2017 and Bright Star CCED (California Conservation Easement Database), 2017. Wilderness 7 WEBBER LAKE 13 ROYAL GORGE 19 MONO LAKE The Truckee Donner Land Trust and The Trust for Public Land acquired Royal Gorge is home to the largest cross-country ski resort This other-worldly oasis is one of the oldest lakes in Webber Lake and Lacey Meadows in 2012, with support from NSP. A in the nation. In 2012, The Trust for Public Land and the the western United States and a refuge for millions of private fishing resort for over a century, this lovely mountain lake Truckee Donner Land Trust, working together as part of NSP, migratory and nesting birds. Its shore is lined with eerily is now open to the public for camping (on a reservation basis), purchased Royal Gorge to protect water quality, wildlife beautiful tufa formations that took shape over centuries as picnicking, fishing, swimming, boating, hiking and other outdoor habitat and the property’s outstanding recreational values. calcium carbonate precipitated into limestone. fun.

Backpacking 14 TAHOE RIM TRAIL 20 YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK 8 INDEPENDENCE LAKE This 165-mile National Scenic Trail encircles Lake Tahoe, For generations, the spectacular, glacier-carved landscapes Bicycling/Mountain Biking The Nature Conservancy purchased this 2,326-acre preserve in traversing three wilderness areas, three national forests and of Yosemite National Park have drawn climbers, hikers, 2010 with support from NSP. Accessible via a rough, unpaved road, two states. The trail can be completed in a single backpacking artists and other outdoor lovers from around the world. In Independence Lake is a place of wild, untrammeled beauty that is trip, or in sections by hikers and mountain bikers. 2016, over 5 million visitors came to see what John Muir open to the public for day use. Boats are available, free of charge, on called “the grandest of all the special temples of Nature.” Bird Watching a first-come, first-served basis from approximately June to October.

Camping WESTERN STATES TRAIL 15 21 The Tevis Cup, a 100-mile endurance ride that begins near Named after the man who dedicated his life to saving LOWER CARPENTER VALLEY Lake Tahoe, crosses the Sierra Crest and follows the Western the Sierra, the John Muir Trail runs for 210 miles through Downhill Skiing 9 States Trail west to Auburn. The annual event attracts Located ten minutes from downtown Truckee, Carpenter Valley spectacular, uninterrupted wilderness. The trail starts in equestrians from as far away as Japan and Australia. In 1977, is an ecological paradise. The Truckee Donner Land Trust and The Tuolumne Meadows and ends at Mt. Whitney. trail runners organized the Western States 100, an annual Nature Conservancy purchased Lower Carpenter Valley in 2016 with Equestrian ultramarathon that follows the same challenging route, part support from NSP. The property will soon be open to the public. of which was protected in 2015 by The Nature Conservancy and the American River Conservancy, with support from NSP. Fishing/Fly Fishing 22 GENERAL SHERMAN TREE The General Sherman Tree, in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, is the world’s largest tree by volume, Hiking 10 Below the volcanic turrets of Castle Peak, trails lead north into the LAKE TAHOE standing over 275 feet tall and 36 feet wide. In 2016, over 2 spectacular backcountry of the northern Sierra Crest. The Trust for 16 million people visited these two national parks. Lake Tahoe’s iridescent, clear waters and snowy peaks Public Land and other NSP partners have worked with the U.S. Forest draw 3 million visitors a year from world over. Whether it’s Kayaking Service for more than two decades to conserve land in this area for skiing, hiking or kayaking, Tahoe has something to offer water quality, wildlife and public enjoyment. adventurers of all ages. Nature Viewing 23 Over 30,000 ambitious mountaineers flock to Mount Whitney (14,505 feet) every year to summit the highest Nordic Skiing 11 PACIFIC CREST TRAIL RIVER FORK RANCH PRESERVE peak in the contiguous United States. Spanning 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada, the Pacific Crest 17 River Fork Ranch is a nature preserve and a working cattle Trail is one of the world’s most remarkable trails. The trail runs the ranch, supporting both habitat restoration and sustainable

Recreation Activities length of the Sierra Nevada, crossing high-alpine passes and pristine Snowboarding agriculture. The property protects a 2-mile stretch of the mountain meadows. A record 704 hikers completed the entire 2,650- and is home to the Whit Hall Interpretive Center. mile journey in 2016. The preserve is open year-round for hiking, trail running, 24 Trail Running picnicking and wildlife viewing. The Wild and Scenic Kern River originates in the high Sierra and flows southwest through , attracting whitewater enthusiasts of all skill levels. White Water Sports 12 RIM TRAIL This 23-mile ridgeline trail encircling Donner Lake is a visionary 18 CALAVERAS BIG TREES STATE PARK project of the Truckee Donner Land Trust that connects the eastern These giant sequoia groves have been a major tourist shore of Donner Lake across Schallenberger Ridge and Donner attraction since 1852. Calaveras Big Trees is considered the Summit to downtown Truckee. Already popular with mountain longest continuously operated tourist facility in California. bikers and hikers, the final portion of the trail will be completed in 2020.

Devil’s Peak | George Lamson Why focus on the northern Sierra? NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA ...... 64% public land, of which LAKE HONEY 11% is Wilderness or National Parks ALMANOR LAKE s outlined on the previous pages, the Sierra Nevada provides critical resources to California and Nevada: PYRAMID LAKE Awater, carbon storage, biodiversity and outdoor recreation. Given the importance of the region as a whole, why is the Northern Sierra Partnership focused so exclusively on the northern Sierra?

5 80 The answer is simple. While almost all of the central and southern Sierra is protected in a contiguous series of national RENO parks, national forests and wilderness areas, the amount of protected public land, and its level of protection, declines rapidly north of . In the central and southern LAKE Sierra, 93% of the land is public and 60% of that public land TAHOE is protected as wilderness or national park. In the northern Sierra, 64% of the land is public and only 11% of that public NORTHERN land is wilderness or national park. 80 SIERRA NEVADA SACRAMENTO Old Webber Lake Hotel | Truckee Donner Land Trust CENTRAL & SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA What accounts for this difference? Lower in 93% public land, of which 60% is Wilderness or National Parks elevation and closer to the gold fields, the northern Sierra drew more emigrants coming west to start

MONO a new life in California. In fact, private settlers LAKE claimed many mountain meadows and lakes in the northern Sierra at the time of the Gold SAN FRANCISCO CENTRAL & Rush and those lands have remained in private SOUTHERN SIERRA ownership ever since. 5 NEVADA NEVADA CALIFORNIA A decade or so later, the construction of the transcontinental railroad over Donner Summit accelerated the transfer of public lands to private Wilderness Areas uses in the northern Sierra. As partial payment National Forest for the work, Congress gave the railroad every National Park Other Federal State Fish & Wildlife State Parks Sierra Nevada Checkerboard, 1974 | U.S. Forest Service

Tribal Lands OWENS Private Lands LAKE other square mile of land for twenty miles on either side of

0 70 the tracks, creating a checkerboard pattern of public-private

MILES ownership that has been problematic for land managers ever since.

Data Source: PADUS (Protected Areas Database of the U.S.), 2017 and CCED (California Conservation Over the years, the railroad sold most of its land in the Sierra Easement Database), 2017. checkerboard to timber companies and individual buyers, vastly complicating the challenge of reassembling the public PACIFIC OCEAN domain. As late as the 1970s, as shown on the above map, 19 5 Transcontinental railroad construction on Donner Pass the checkerboard was still so intact one could almost play ...... Donner Summit Historical Society chess on a map of the . NSP PARTNERS The Northern Sierra Partnership Markley Bavinger - The Trust for Public Land ...... Shelton Douthit - Feather River Land Trust David Edelson - The Nature Conservancy Steve Frisch - Sierra Business Council n 2007, five independent non-profit organizations joined forces to launch the Northern Sierra Partnership (NSP), Perry Norris - Truckee Donner Land Trust Ithe campaign to conserve and restore the large landscapes of the northern Sierra Nevada. The five organizations were: The Nature Conservancy, The Trust for Public Land, the Truckee Donner Land Trust, the Feather River Land GOVERNING COUNCIL Trust and the Sierra Business Council. Jim Morgan, Chair Dan Kalafatas Becky Morgan With development pressure rising and more land coming on the market than ever before, the partners faced a clear Veronica Arthur Ken Kurtzig Paul Newhagen choice: either accelerate efforts to protect the northern Sierra or stand by and witness the transformation of its Ned Barnholt Bill Landreth Elizabeth R. Patterson iconic landscapes into resort communities and rural residential development. The partners rose to the challenge, Bob Gilliom Lee Lockie Jason Subotky launching the Northern Sierra Partnership to catalyze the energy and resources needed to conserve and restore the Arthur Hall Michael Mantell Lida Urbanek spectacular landscapes of the northern Sierra. Charles Holloway Dan Martin

Over the past decade, the Partnership has become the booster rocket for conservation in the northern Sierra. NSP TEAM Working together, the NSP partners have mobilized the human and financial resources to conserve over 82,000 acres across our region, from the rocky crags of Castle Peak and the lush meadows of Martis Valley, to the deep Lucy Blake, President forests of Independence Lake and the rich wetlands of Sierra Valley. We have also put local people to work restoring Levi Miller, Campaign Director forests, streams and meadows, and helped to engage Sierra youth in the stewardship of their own environment. Kaley Dodson, Deputy Campaign Director Ashley Wachtell, Campaign Associate But much work remains. We invite everyone who cares about the Sierra Nevada to join with us to ensure its protection.

Every iconic landscape has its “now or never” moment, when people who care either step up to take action, or live REFERENCES to regret their failure to do so. Today we stand in gratitude to the generations of men and women whose vision and 1Bales, R. C., J. J. Battles, Y. Chen, M. H. Conklin, E. Holst, K. L. O’Hara, P. Saksa, W. Stewart. 8Sierra Nevada Conservancy. 2014. The State of the Sierra Nevada’s Forests. Available 2011. Forests and Water in the Sierra Nevada: Sierra Nevada Watershed Ecosystem Enhance- online at http://www.sierranevadaconservancy.ca.gov/our-work/docs/StateOfSierra- tenacity safeguarded Yosemite, Sequoia National Park, the redwoods, Big Sur and many other spectacular places, ment Project. Sierra Nevada Research Institute report number 11.1, University of California, ForestsRptWeb.pdf. Berkeley. Available online at https://ucanr.edu/sites/cff/files/146199.pdf. for us and for future generations. 9Sierra Nevada Conservancy. 2018. Recent forest carbon research fact sheet. Auburn, 2California Department of Water Resources. 2008. Managing An Uncertain Future: Climate CA. Available online at http://www.sierranevada.ca.gov/our-region/healthy-forests/ Change Adaptation Strategies for California’s Water [White paper]. Available online at SoSForestCarbon.pdf; last accessed December 2018. https://water.ca.gov/LegacyFiles/climatechange/docs/ClimateChangeWhitePaper.pdf; last Now is just such a moment for the northern Sierra. It is our turn to step up. With your help, we can and will protect 10Coppoletta, M., K. E. Merriam, and B. M. Collins. 2016. Post‐fire vegetation and fuel accessed December 2018. the Sierra Nevada we all treasure. development influences fire severity patterns in reburns. Ecological Applications 26.3: 3Sierra Nevada Conservancy. 2018. Recent forest carbon research fact sheet. Auburn, CA. 686-699. Available online at http://www.sierranevada.ca.gov/our-region/healthy-forests/SoSForestCar- 11Sierra Nevada Conservancy. 2018. Recent forest carbon research fact sheet. Auburn, bon.pdf; last accessed December 2018. CA. Available online at http://www.sierranevada.ca.gov/our-region/healthy-forests/ 4Sierra Nevada Conservancy. 2014. The State of the Sierra Nevada’s Forests. Available online SoSForestCarbon.pdf; last accessed December 2018. at http://www.sierranevadaconservancy.ca.gov/our-work/docs/StateOfSierraForestsRptWeb. 12Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project, Final Report to Congress, vol. I, Assessment Sum- pdf. maries and Management Strategies (Davis: University of California, Centers for Water 5Wiechmann, M. L., Hurteau, M. D., North, M. P. et al. 2015. The carbon balance of reducing and Wildland Resources, 1996.) wildfire risk and restoring process: an analysis of 10-year post-treatment carbon dynamics in 13Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project, Final Report to Congress, vol. I, Assessment Sum- a mixed-conifer forest. Climatic Change 132.4: 709-719. maries and Management Strategies (Davis: University of California, Centers for Water 6Luyssaert, S., E. -D. Schulze, A. Börner, A. Knohl, D. Hessenmöller, B. E. Law, P. Ciais and J. and Wildland Resources, 1996.) Grace. 2008. Old-growth forests as global carbon sinks. Nature 455: 213-215. 14U.S.D.A. Forest Service. Forest Products Cut and Sold from the National Forests and 7North, Malcolm, ed. 2012. Managing Sierra Nevada Forests. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW- Grasslands. Available online at https://www.fs.fed.us/forestmanagement/products/cut- GTR-237. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest sold/index.shtml; last accessed December 2018. Research Station.

The Sierra Nevada: Completing the Protection of America’s Range of Light was researched and written by Brendan Palmieri, Kaley Dodson and Lucy Blake.

Layout, maps and design by Michael Scisco and Kate Lenzer of Unique Places GIS & Design. Pronghorn in Sierra Valley | Andy Wright unique places gis & design

January 2019 ......

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Webber Lake | John Peltier

www.northernsierrapartnership.org