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<\/a><\/p>\nStarting at 9 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 9, the Board will meet at the Masonic Lodge in Mariposa to potentially award approximately $10 million to 20 different Sierra Nevada Watershed Improvement Program grants supporting vibrant recreation and tourism and strategic land conservation goals. The funds will be used by grantees to help boost low-impact recreation opportunities and tourism in SNC\u2019s service area, as well as protect lands that offer high ecological benefits, represent unique natural characteristics, serve as working rangelands and landscapes, and\/or are critical for resilience to climate change.<\/p>\n
Both the\u00a0Vibrant Recreation and Tourism<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Strategic Land Conservation<\/a>\u00a0directed grant programs are funded through the General Fund in the 2021 Budget Act directed towards supporting investments that address the state\u2019s multi-faceted climate risks and related priorities outlined in SNC\u2019s keystone initiative, the\u00a0Sierra Nevada Watershed Improvement Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n The day before the Board meeting, on Thursday, Dec. 8, SNC staff will host a tour of funded project sites near Mariposa that address critical issues facing the area communities and landscapes. The tour will begin at 1 p.m. in the parking lot of the Best Western Plus Yosemite Station and include two stops at nearby forest management and recreation enhancement projects. A reception starting at 5 p.m. will follow. The public is invited to the tour, but responsible for their own transportation.<\/p>\n For more information, to RSVP for the tour or meeting, or to submit a comment\/question for the Board to address at the upcoming meeting, please visit\u00a0SNC\u2019s board website<\/a>\u00a0(https:\/\/sierranevada.ca.gov\/