Murphys, CA…The SNC’s next quarterly Board meeting will be held March 6 at Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys, Ca. The Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC), a California state agency focused on supporting and improving the environmental, economic, and social well-being of the Sierra-Cascade, will host its quarterly Board meeting March 6 starting at 9 a.m. in the town of Murphys. The day before, March 5, the SNC will host a field tour exploring the use of thinning and prescribed fire to establish and maintain healthy and resilient forestlands in Calaveras County.

Participate in the meeting, attend a tour, make a public comment

Members of the public are invited to attend the field tour and participate in the meeting held at Ironstone Vineyards in Calaveras County. Live video and audio streams of the meeting will also be available, although remote participation will not be possible. The public is encouraged to review potential project information and submit any comments by Feb. 28.

View detailed meeting and tour information
SNC to consider forest-health grant to 40 Acre Conservation League

At the meeting, the Board will consider a grant of $2,299,993 to the 40 Acre Conservation League to complete forest-health improvements on 650 acres of land just west of Emigrant Gap in Placer County.

The 40 Acre Conservation League purchased the land, now known as the Tahoe Forest Gateway property, in 2023 with the help of grants from the SNC and the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB). As the only Black-led land conservancy in California, the 40 Acre Conservation League has a dual mission of conserving and restoring natural lands and promoting inclusivity for underserved populations to recreate and enjoy educational opportunities in nature.

If awarded, this grant will help treat 189 acres, complementing the 374 acres being treated under a grant from the WCB. The project has multiple goals of reducing overgrown stand density, reducing brush and ladder fuels, improving existing tree health and species structure, replanting native species, and improving wildlife habitat. While the grant will help improve forest health and reduce wildfire risk for the land itself, which will eventually include lakes and trails open to the public, it will also protect nearby homes and the communities of Blue Canyon and Nyack.

Board to host discussions of CAL FRAME and “Ready Landscapes”

The Board will also discuss a variety of other pertinent topics affecting the Sierra-Cascade, including updates on SNC’s Landscape Grant Pilot Program and the development of “Ready Landscapes” and the California Forest Residual Aggregation for Market Enhancement (CAL FRAME) on processes to move and improve the flow of biomass throughout the Sierra-Cascade.

The SNC awarded a pilot Landscape Grant to the Healthy Eldorado Landscape Partnership in 2023 for work in Eldorado National Forest’s Crystal Basin. Staff will present an update on that project along with the results of a recent evaluation of regional collaboratives that has identified many new landscapes where partners have the expertise and capability to plan and implement large-scale forest restoration projects.

CAL FRAME is a state-funded pilot program that is helping to achieve the goals of the California Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force (Task Force), by supporting the creation of “biomass supply management entities” that could help to smooth the flow of biomass between landowners, suppliers, and buyers. This update to the Board will allow the SNC, CAL FRAME, and others to share and discuss potential opportunities to help the Task Force improve forest health, protect vulnerable communities, and fight climate change.