Funding awarded to enhance forest health and community resilience in the Eastern Sierra

Funding awarded to enhance forest health and community resilience in the Eastern Sierra

Whitebark Institute awarded $7M grant

Bishop, Calif., October 30, 2024 – Whitebark Institute has been awarded a $7 million grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) as part of a larger initiative to protect and restore forests and watersheds in California. This grant is part of NFWF’s $53 million commitment to enhance headwater resilience and mitigate wildfire risks across California.

“This funding is a game-changer for our efforts in the Eastern Sierra’s unique ecosystems and communities,” said Laura Beardsley, Executive Director at Whitebark Institute. “With this generous investment from NFWF, we can significantly increase local capacity to address wildfire risks and improve the future for our communities, forests, and watersheds.”

Whitebark Institute, the Inyo National Forest (INF), and other partners will use the funding to support several Eastern Sierra climate resilience efforts, including:

• Restoring Healthy Forests to Reduce Wildfire Risks: As part of the Eastern Sierra Climate & Communities Resilience Project (ESCCRP), funding will restore forest health and reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildfires that threaten communities, watersheds, and wildlife in Mammoth and June Lakes.
• Planning and Environmental Analyses: Whitebark Institute and the Forest Service will engage partners and community members in developing proposed actions for fuels reduction and restoration on a landscape level as well as environmental compliance.
• Community Engagement: Tribes, local communities, small businesses, and visitors will be engaged, with funding from this grant, in wildfire prevention, preparedness, and forest health initiatives.

“The work funded by NFWF will reduce risks to vital natural resources and support local economies that depend on tourism and sustainable recreation,” said Inyo Forest Supervisor Lesley Yen. “We are thankful for partners like the Whitebark Institute who are working with us to improve the resilience and sustainability of the Eastern Sierra.”

For more information about the ESCCRP, visit: www.eswildfirealliance.org/program/esccrp

About the Whitebark Institute:
Whitebark Institute is a non-profit organization focused on improving the health of Eastern Sierra forests, surrounding landscapes, and communities to ensure they can adapt and flourish in response to future wildfires and other impacts of our changing climate. Learn more at www.whitebarkinstitute.org.

About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation:
Chartered by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats. Working with federal, corporate, foundation, and individual partners, NFWF has funded more than 6,800 organizations and generated a total conservation impact of more than $10 billion. Learn more at www.nfwf.org.

About the Inyo National Forest:
Established in 1907, the Inyo National Forest extends 165 miles near the California and Nevada border between Los Angeles and Reno, covering almost 2 million acres, mostly on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada. The mission of the U.S. Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/inyo

News Staff