Eastern Sierra Land Trust

EASTERN SIERRA LAND TRUST (TRUST) WORKS WITH WILLING LANDOWNERS TO PROTECT OPEN SPACE AND PRESERVE VITAL LANDS IN INYO, MONO, AND ALPINE COUNTIES IN THE EASTERN SIERRA REGION FOR THEIR SCENIC, RECREATIONAL, HISTORICAL, AGRICULTURAL, BOTANIC, WATERSHED, AND WILDLIFE VALUES.

ESTABLISHED IN 2001, EASTERN SIERRA LAND TRUST (ESLT) WORKS TO PERMANENTLY SAFEGUARD THE EASTERN SIERRAS TREASURED LANDSCAPES FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. THROUGH CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIPS WITH WILLING LANDOWNERS, WE PROTECT EASTERN SIERRA LANDS FOR THEIR SCENIC, AGRICULTURAL, NATURAL, RECREATIONAL, HISTORIC, AND WATERSHED VALUES. IN OUR 20 YEARS OF SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY, ESLT HAS PROTECTED OVER 20,000 ACRES OF CRITICALLY-IMPORTANT WILDLIFE HABITAT, SCENIC MARVELS, AND AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES AGAINST THE THREAT OF POORLY-PLANNED DEVELOPMENT AND SPRAWL THROUGH OUR WORKING FARMS AND RANCHES, CRITICAL HABITATS, AND STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMS. THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PROGRAM, WE OFFER PEOPLE OF ALL AGES THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH THE LAND, ENCOURAGING A SPIRIT OF STEWARDSHIP IN RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ALIKE. THE PROGRAM PIVOTED FROM COMPLETELY VIRTUAL ONLINE WEBINARS TO A MORE INCLUSIVE HYBRID FORMAT, HELPING TO BRING THE HOPE OF BEING IN NATURE AND LAND ETHIC CONSERVATION CONCEPTS TO A BROAD COMMUNITY. THE SUNFLOWER GARDEN PROJECT (LOCAL THIRD-GRADERS LEARN ABOUT POLLINATORS, FOOD SYSTEMS, AND LOCAL FOOD) WAS BACK IN ACTION IN 2021, AND OUR EASTSIDE POLLINATOR GARDEN PROJECT (A CERTIFICATION PROCESS TO CREATE POLLINATOR-FRIENDLY GARDENS WITH NATIVE PLANTS) CERTIFIED 15 NEW GARDENS THROUGH VIRTUAL MEETINGS AND INTERVIEWS. ESLT HELD VIRTUAL CHATS WITH SUPPORTERS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER, AND HELD OUT ANNUAL LANDS & LEGACY EVENT AS A WEEK-LONG VIRTUAL EVENT.OUR LAND CONSERVATION PROGRAM (WORKING FARMS AND RANCHES, CRITICAL HABITATS AND STEWARDSHIP), WORKED WITH THE BI-STATE LOCAL AREA WORKING GROUP TO HELP PROTECT THE GREATER BI-STATE SAGE GROUSE THROUGH CONSERVATION EASEMENTS ON WORKING RANCHES IN PRIME HABITAT AREA, PRIMARILY FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION SERVICE (NRCS) THROUGH THE REGIONAL CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM (RCPP), AND STATE AND PRIVATE FUNDS. IN 2021, ESLT COMPLETED THE ULLMAN RANCH CONSERVATION EASEMENT, PROTECTING 1,424 ACRES OF WORKING LANDS AND BI-STATE SAGE GROUSE HABITAT, BRING ESLTS TOTAL PROTECTED-ACRES TO OVER 21,000. DUE TO COVID-19 SAFETY PRECAUTIONS, THE MAJORITY OF ESLTS REGULAR IN-PERSON EVENTS AND VOLUNTEER STEWARDSHIP DAYS WERE CANCELLED.

IN OCTOBER 2020, CALIFORNIAS GOVERNOR NEWSOM SIGNED THE NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS EXECUTIVE ORDER WHICH COMMITTED CALIFORNIA TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE AND PROTECT BIODIVERSITY BY CONSERVING 30% OF LANDS AND WATERS BY 2030.BY CONSERVING LARGE AREAS OF CALIFORNIAS LAND AND WATERS, THE GOAL IS TO STABILIZE OUR STATES CLIMATE AND PROTECT BOTH RURAL AND URBAN AREAS FROM CLIMATE IMPACTS, INSURING A MORE RESILIENT FUTURE.THE SIERRA NEVADA IS A CRITICAL AREA TO PROTECT, AND ESLT IS A STRONG SUPPORTER OF THE INITIATIVE. OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO KAY OGDEN HAS BEEN ACTIVELY WORKING ALONGSIDE A LARGE NETWORK OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTORS INCLUDING CALIFORNIA COUNCIL OF LAND TRUSTS, THE SIERRA CASCADE LAND TRUST COUNCIL, THE SIERRA CONSORTIUM TO GAIN STATEWIDE SUPPORT FOR FUNDING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF 30X30S STRATEGIES. SHE HAS RECENTLY BEEN APPOINTED TO CALIFORNIAS NATURAL RESOURCE SERVICES (CRNA) 30X30 PARTNERSHIP COORDINATING COMMITTEE FOR A ONE-YEAR TERM.OVER THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS, EFFORTS WILL BE LED BY CRNA THROUGH THE 30X30 PARTNERSHIP. INCLUSIVE COLLABORATIVE AND VOLUNTARY ACTIONS AMONG COMMUNITIES, LANDOWNERS, CALIFORNIAS NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES, NON-PROFITS LIKE ESLT, SCIENTISTS AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES MUST TRANSLATE ITS GOALS INTO ACTION. KEY ARE THE PROTECTION OF CALIFORNIAS UNIQUE BIODIVERSITY, EXPANSION OF EQUITABLE ACCESS TO NATURE AND ITS BENEFITS TO ALL AND CONSERVATION OF PLACES THAT HELP CALIFORNIA ACHIEVE CARBON NEUTRALITY.REGIONALLY-LED CONSERVATION IS A 30X30 GOAL. AT THIS PIVOTAL TIME IN HISTORY, THERE IS URGENCY TO MEET GLOBAL CONSERVATION TARGETS. TOGETHER, WE CAN BUILD UPON STATE-WIDE AND NATIONAL POLICY ADVOCACY AND CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMS TO LEVERAGE INCREASED FUNDING FOR CONSERVATION SO THAT OUR EFFORTS TO SAFEGUARD CALIFORNIAS UNIQUE BIODIVERSITY AND LANDS IN THE MIDST OF EMERGING CLIMATE CHALLENGES ARE COLLABORATIVE AND COMPELLING. TO BE ABLE TO WORK ON CONSERVATION AT SUCH A LARGE SCALE, IS A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY THAT WE NEED TO GRAB AHOLD OF, KAY OGDEN, ESLT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO, EMPHASIZES.