Eastern Sierra Land Trust Express: SierraScapes Is Here!

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December 2022 • ESLT News

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Dear Conservation Hero,

Last December, I shared with you that I believe in Santa and that I wouldn’t apologize for it. I said that I believe in magic, the special kind that seems to happen this time of the year, even when it’s a bit tougher to see it.

Today is also the Winter Solstice, the astrological moment when we have our shortest day and the longest night of the year, a time to consider what is lost with the frost and what is promised by spring.

But right now, the land is blanketed by snow, and my heart is full with hope for a winter that will help our much-needed snowpack, and help reduce the harsh impacts of drought.

I feel content letting 2022 end, and am filled with hope for 2023. ESLT will be celebrating 22 years of land conservation in our region, and we are looking forward to a future of more conservation successes.

This is a time of hope and magic, and I ask that we each find some time to look a bit deeper to find and share that magic. It’s there.

I wish you all Hope, Love, and Peace… and may the magic of Santa surround you and your loved ones!

Happy holidays,

Kay Ogden
Executive Director/CEO, ESLT
760) 873-4554, [email protected]

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P.S. – It’s not too late to make an end of year donation in support of Eastern Sierra land conservation. Thank you for believing in our work!

SierraScapes Is Here

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Our Fall/Winter 2022 SierraScapes Newsletter has arrived! An online edition, packed with conservation updates and stories, is available on our website.

Printed versions of the newsletter will be mailed after Christmas and should arrive by early January.

Inside the newsletter, you will find updates on the 30×30 Initiative and Mammoth Lakes 395 Wildlife Crossing, interviews with our new land program directors, a view into the world of physically monitoring conservation easements, and much much more.

These are exciting times at ESLT, and we are thrilled to share them with you in this edition of SierraScapes! Please reach out to us if you have any questions, or want to go deeper on any of the articles.

 

Thank You for Joining Us

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Thank you to everyone who joined our Holiday Mixer on December 8th. The party brought people in the community together to celebrate regional conservation, reconnect, and look forward to future successes in protecting the beauty of the Eastern Sierra. After several delayed celebrations due to Covid concerns the past couple of years, this opportunity was warmly welcomed by those who were able to attend.

As the sun set behind the snow-covered Sierra peaks, temperatures dropped and folks huddled around the campfire to share hot apple cider, s’mores, and delicious treats courtesy of Great Basin Bakery. Many community members braved the cold well into the evening simply to be together. The crowd ranged from ESLT board members of two-decades to longtime community supporters, as well as fresh faces who were happy to connect with a community committed to regional conservation.

It is with this momentum that ESLT and the community will head into the new year with plans to protect the land, wildlife, and values of the Eastern Sierra for years to come.

 

Conservation News

Welcome to ESLT

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Harrison Covert has joined ESLT as our 2022-2023 Education Coordinator and AmeriCorps Member as part of the Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Partnership.

Harrison joins us from Colorado. Since graduating from CU Boulder in 2021, Harrison has embarked on two cross-country cycling trips supporting people with disabilities. Last winter, he worked as an adaptive ski instructor in Breckenridge, Colorado.

He is thrilled to join ESLT and lead our community outreach and education programs.

 

Remembering P-22

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Our hearts are breaking with the news of P-22’s passing. His astonishing long life in the midst of Los Angeles, somehow maneuvering across the 101 and the 405, filled us with hope and inspiration.

Because of the amazing Beth Pratt and her team at the National Wildlife Federation, we had the opportunity to learn more about his life in urban LA, and then to be inspired by the hope and vision of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in Liberty Canyon, and how it will help the survival of many isolated species.

I ask that as we mourn for P-22, we support the ongoing work throughout California to build wildlife crossings that will help connect wildlife corridors. ESLT is proud to work with Caltrans, Beth, The Wildlands Network, Mono County, BLM, USFS, CDFW, and many others on the Mammoth Lakes 395 Wildlife Crossing to increase the safety of our local animals.

Read Beth’s eulogy for the beloved P-22.

 

Mammoth Lakes 395 Wildlife Crossing Update

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New grant funds have been approved to move the environmental review process forward for the Mammoth Lakes 395 Wildlife Crossing Project.

This November, California’s Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) approved a $3.17 million grant for the Mammoth Lakes 395 Wildlife Crossing Project to fund Caltrans’ PA&ED (Project Approval and Environmental Document) phase of the project. This includes the completion of an environmental document and a project report.

This funding is a large step toward protecting wildlife and humans alike along Highway 395. Thank you for your support and engagement with this project as it moves forward.

Thank you for being a part of the ESLT family. With our caring landowners, volunteers, members, and supporters, we’re protecting a bright future for the Eastern Sierra.

Sincerely,
Kay, Amanda, Amy, Byron, Carissa, Claire, Emmie, Harrison, Heather, and our Board of Directors

(From Eastern Sierra Land Trust)

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