The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (“USFWS”) announced it is withdrawing a 2013 proposed rule to list the Bi-State sage-grouse as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
USFWS made this decision after an “extended and comprehensive analysis of the best available science.” They concluded that local conservation actions have and will continue to successfully reduce threats to the Bi-State sage-grouse.
This is good news for all the Eastside conservation professionals and community members who have unified to form what’s called the Bi-State Local Area Working Group (“LAWG”), a group of diverse stakeholders dedicated to bringing the power of local land protection to care for the Bi-State sage-grouse. The LAWG is made up of state and local officials, public and tribal land managers, ranchers, private landowners, scientists, and conservationists like the Bishop-based nonprofit organization Eastern Sierra Land Trust.
Sometimes, like in the cases of the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker or the California Condor, the Endangered Species Act serves as a very effective tool for the recovery of a species. In the case of the Bi-State sage-grouse, our uniquely local and collaborative approach is working without the need for the Endangered Species Act. The committed Bi-State partners have seen success in the targeted and specific actions they’ve taken to enhance our local sagebrush ecosystem. They’ve cared for the needs of our local environment using individualized and flexible efforts.
The efforts of LAWG have not only worked, but are also being heralded across the nation as an exceptionally successful model for local, collaborative, science-based conservation. And after such a comprehensive analysis by the USFWS, we can rest assured that we’re on the right track to protecting the many unique species that make their homes in the sagebrush, like sage-grouse.
Bi-State sage-grouse are a unique population of Greater sage-grouse that live in the Eastern Sierra and western Nevada. The birds are known for the males’ flamboyant springtime mating displays on traditional dancing grounds, known as leks. This species is a key indicator species for the health of other wildlife and for sagebrush areas generally. This means that if the Bi-State sage-grouse are thriving, there’s a higher likelihood that other species of plants and animals are thriving too.
In addition to the Bi-State sage-grouse, mule deer, pronghorn, songbirds, lizards, pygmy rabbits, and more depend on wide sagebrush areas for homes and food. It’s great to have some hopeful news right now, as our world navigates the current COVID-19 pandemic. Once it is safe to do so, local organizations like Eastern Sierra Land Trust look forward to inviting community members back onto the land
to work side by side with them and agency partners to care for sagebrush ecosystems. Future sage-grouse workdays are planned for this autumn, and the safe participation and support of our community members make a positive difference for our iconic Eastern Sierra land and wildlife.
Eastern Sierra Land Trust to host free Pollinator Garden Workshop on April 16
submitted by the Eastern Sierra Land Trust March 29, 2016
What’s for dinner? Without pollinators, the options might be few. With one third of the food supply and at least 80% of the world’s flowering plants depending on pollinators, their impact can be felt everywhere—from backyards to dinner plates. Much of the Eastern Sierra’s natural treasures rely on bees, butterflies, and other pollinators in order to live and thrive. But their numbers are in decline: impacted by pathogens, parasites, pesticides, and habitat loss, pollinators are disappearing from the landscape.
Local non-profit Eastern Sierra Land Trust (ESLT) is committed to permanently safeguarding the Eastern Sierra’s wild and working lands, and since launching their Eastside Pollinator Garden Project in 2014, a major focus of ESLT’s work has been helping native pollinators thrive. With the Eastside Pollinator Garden Project, ESLT is building safe havens for pollinators and educating the community about the important role they play. Since the project began, ESLT has helped certify 54 gardens and community spaces in Inyo and Mono Counties as pollinator-friendly habitat.
For all those interested in creating their own pollinator garden blooming with beautiful native plants, Eastern Sierra Land Trust will be hosting a free Pollinator Garden Workshop on Saturday, April 16th from 10am to 12pm at Inyo Council for the Arts (137 S. Main St. in Bishop).
With support from US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and California Native Plant Society (CNPS), the Pollinator Garden Workshop will provide guidance, information, and resources to anyone ready to create their own Eastern Sierra pollinator haven. Local experts – including Katie Quinlan of CNPS, Michelle Hunt of USFWS, Julie Fontaine of Trestles Environmental Corporation, and Steve Blair of Chalfant Big Trees Farm & Feed – will share helpful information about native plants, plant nutrition, irrigation techniques, and everything else needed to get a pollinator garden growing this spring.
Once a garden is ready to be planted, committed Eastside Pollinator Garden Project participants will be awarded a $125 voucher for native plant purchases. Participants will also receive a Certified Pollinator Garden plaque to post near their new pollinator habitat when the certification process is complete.
This year ESLT aims to certify 20-25 additional gardens as pollinator havens; anyone interested in bringing bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators to their yard is encouraged to attend the workshop to learn more about what they can do to help pollinators thrive. Those unable to attend the workshop are encouraged to stop by ESLT’s annual GardenFest, to be held at the ESLT office (250 N. Fowler St. in Bishop) on April 31st for more information.
By working with members of the Eastern Sierra community to create pollinator habitat and encourage land stewardship, ESLT hopes to keep the Eastside blooming, year after year. For more information about the Eastside Pollinator Garden Project and the upcoming workshop, please contact ESLT Education Coordinator/AmeriCorps Member, Catherine Tao, at Catherine@eslt.org or (760) 873-4554.
ESLT’s Eastside Pollinator Garden Project has helped Eastern Sierra residents like Margy Marshall create and certify pollinator-friendly habitats. Get started on your own pollinator garden this spring by attending ESLT’s Pollinator Garden Workshop on April 16th.
Eastern Sierra Land Trust works with willing landowners to protect vital lands in the Eastern Sierra region for their scenic, agricultural, natural, recreational, historical, and watershed values. To learn more about ESLT’s work and how to get involved, visit www.eslt.org.
Eastern Sierra Land Trust, bishop agriculture, eastern sierra agriculture
Breaking News: Historic Sinnamon Meadows Property now Permanently Protected by ESLT
1,240 Acres of Ranch Land and Important Wildlife Habitat Preserved Forever
With the assistance of important funding partners and the support of concerned landowners, ESLT has successfully protected this spectacularly beautiful and historically-important working landscape in northern Mono County. Photo Credit: Stephen Ingram.
Eastern Sierra Land Trust (ESLT) has achieved another success in its efforts to preserve the Eastern Sierra’s cherished landscapes.
ESLT is thrilled to announce the permanent protection of Sinnamon Meadows, a stunning expanse of historic ranchland in northern Mono County. The 1,240-acre property’s working lands, extensive wetlands, natural springs, and vital animal habitat are now protected forever with an agricultural conservation easement held by ESLT. Thanks to the foresight of the property’s landowners, the efforts of ESLT, and the assistance of important funding partners, Sinnamon Meadows’ spectacular, High Sierra working ranch lands will continue to inspire generations to come.
At the base of Dunderberg Peak just south of Bridgeport, Sinnamon Meadows has been a high priority for ESLT and agency partners for several years. This is due to its historic agricultural value and the critical wildlife habitat it provides. Almost entirely surrounded by public lands, this unique property includes mountain meadows, aspen groves, coniferous forest, springs, and significant reaches of two creeks. “Sinnamon Meadows is simply a spectacular and special place. To know that people living 100 years from now will be able to enjoy these same vistas as you and I can admire today – that’s what really makes our success here meaningful,” commented ESLT Executive Director, Kay Ogden.
“My children are 4th generation cattle ranchers, and keeping our family and our land in the ranching business is very important to me,” said Bryan Masini, current property owner of Sinnamon Meadows. In 2012, Mr. Masini and his business partner approached ESLT to learn more about how they could permanently protect their land’s natural qualities, while retaining the ability to use the property for grazing as it has been for more than a century. “With the completion of this conservation easement with ESLT, we are excited that we will be able to continue to work our land for many years to come,” he added. “The experience and professional manner with which ESLT staff completed this complex project has continuously impressed my partner and me.”
Agricultural conservation easements on working farms and ranches such as Sinnamon Meadows provide a win-win situation for both landowners and the local community. Because the land remains in private ownership, it contributes to the local economy and tax base. Landowners are compensated for keeping their land in rural, low-intensity uses compatible with surrounding natural resources.
Situated above 8,000 feet in elevation, Sinnamon Meadows’ high-elevation irrigated pastures serve as critical habitat for many notable wildlife species, including the iconic and elusive Sierra Nevada Bighorn sheep. Comprised of over 40 animals, the Mt. Warren herd unit congregates on the south-facing slopes of Lundy Canyon in the summer months. Another species of particular conservation concern is the Bi-State population of greater sage-grouse, which depends on pastures where irrigation and sustainable grazing provide essential late summer habitat for raising their young. With its open spaces and working ranch land, Sinnamon Meadows provides an ideal environment for this ground-nesting bird which is currently under consideration for Threatened species status under the Endangered Species Act.
“The ranch – with its many meadows and healthy stands of sagebrush – provides just what sage grouse need to forage, hide from predators, nest, and raise their young. It’s no wonder a healthy population of the imperiled Bi-State population of the birds remains on the ranch. The easement includes a plan to continue wise management practices that allow livestock and wildlife to happily coexist,” says Carlos Suarez, State Conservationist for NRCS in California. “That’s an awesome outcome and one we are happy to help facilitate.”
Containing natural springs and important riparian habitat, ESLT’s new conservation easement on Sinnamon Meadows preserves the property’s vital resources, important wildlife habitat, and stunning views of Dunderberg Peak. Photo Credit: Stephen Ingram.
Sinnamon Meadows’ rich cultural heritage also makes the preservation of this property particularly vital to the Eastern Sierra region. The area was used on Native American trade routes, and later became the location of the historic Dunderberg Mill and town of Munckton. It has been used as summer pasture since it was originally claimed under the Homestead Act by early prospectors – including the property’s namesake, early Mono County pioneer James Sinnamon – in the late 1850’s. Numerous historic Basque carvings dating back 100 years or more can still be found on the property. Sinnamon Meadows was even the setting of a western film, “Belle Starr’s Daughter,” made in the late 1940’s!
Funding for this project has been provided by the California Wildlife Conservation Board and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife; the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC), an agency of the State of California; and the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Support from these critical funding sources allowed ESLT to complete a conservation easement on the property. “These working landscapes have a rich and important place in our region, so preserving that heritage is critical to our future,” said SNC Executive Officer Jim Branham. “These lands provide not only economic benefits, but substantial natural resource benefits as well. These projects will help conserve or restore land and water resources valuable to those living downstream.”
“I am proud that ESLT has completed such a significant conservation success at Sinnamon Meadows,” said Bob Gardner, President of ESLT’s Board of Directors. “With its varied and unique landscape, vital habitat, and history as a working ranch, this stunning property represents why our work in the Eastern Sierra is so critical. Protecting these special places so that my grandchildren – and their grandchildren – can appreciate their wonders is truly the legacy of our work here. Thanks to our staff and board members, past and present, and our conservation partners who helped accomplish this great victory – not just for ESLT, but for the future of the Eastern Sierra.”
ESLT works with willing landowners to preserve vital lands in the Eastern Sierra for their scenic, agricultural, natural, recreational, historical, and watershed values. For more information about this and other permanent land conservation tools, visit ESLT’s website at www.eslt.org or call the ESLT office at (760) 873-4554.
This material is based upon work supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under #73-9104-3-031. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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Breaking News: Historic Sinnamon Meadows Property now Permanently Protected by ESLT
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Eastern Sierra Land Trust / ESLT / Eastern Sierra / Bishop / Historic Sinnamon Meadows / Protected / California Wildlife Conservation Board / Conservation / Success / Breaking News / California Department of Fish and Wildlife / Sierra Nevada Conservancy / United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
