Sierra Cascade Land Trust Council

The land, water, and wildlife of the Sierra Cascade region are vital to the livelihood of local communities and the health of the State of California. Sierra Cascade Land Trust Council is a network of land trusts and partner organizations acting as a collective voice in this diverse region to increase the pace, scale, and permanence of land conservation. Sierra Cascade Land Trust Council envisions a future for the region where we have sustainable ecological and economic health locally and for downstream statewide stakeholders.

Strategic Conservation Action Plan

This web tool was developed as part of Sierra Cascade Land Trust Council’s Strategic Conservation Action Plan. The overarching goal of the Strategic Conservation Action Plan is to improve the region’s economic, community, and environmental resilience by increasing the pace, scale, and effectiveness of conservation.

Vision

Our vision is a vast network of connected conserved land throughout the Sierra Cascade region that supports resilient communities and ecosystems.

This network of permanently protected land will provide:

• Expanses of intact natural lands that allow movement of native species and adaptation to climate change
• Healthy watersheds and waterways from mountain headwaters to valley streams that protect clean water and support biodiversity
• Healthy forests and soils that store carbon, support natural fire regimes, and are resilient to the impacts of a changing climate
• Sustainable natural resource-based economies, including farms, ranches, and working forests and timberlands, that promote vibrant communities and provide local food security
• Strong connections to the land through supporting the living traditions of indigenous groups, expanding well-designed access to outdoor recreation, and fostering stewardship of natural resources

Goals

The goals for the overall strategic planning process are to:

• Make the case for more conservation funding to protect the unique resources of the Sierra Cascade region
• Create a shared vision for conservation that is compelling, flexible, and adaptable
• Develop a plan that helps direct conservation investments as effectively as possible
• Build stronger partnerships to foster collaborative conservation

The conservation goals addressed by this web tool are to:

• Preserve important natural lands and expand connectivity and potential for adaptation to climate change
• Promote climate resilience by protecting and stewarding key landscapes that store carbon, improve water availability, and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire
• Protect and steward water resources, including watersheds, riparian areas, wetlands, and headwaters
• Sustain healthy farms, ranches, and working forests to help local economies thrive and foster food security
• Expand opportunities for connecting to the land--especially where living cultural traditions can be protected or close-to-home access can be provided to underserved communities
• Protect priority areas that are most threatened by development