Our role in The Northern Sierra Partnership

The Sierra Nevada possesses exceptional natural, cultural, and recreational resources including:

• Clean water furnished to 65% of California’s residents
• One of the most carbon-rich forests on the planet
• Globally significant lakes, rivers, wetlands, forests, and wildlife species
• Scenic landscapes visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year
• Family ranches and working forests that provide livelihood for local people

The Northern Sierra Partnership has been in development for more than a year seeking to align economic and community goals with land conservation and climate change adaptation strategies. With Governor Schwarzenegger’s announcement of the Partnership in October 2008, the five leading organizations can begin to implement the vision of a connected landscape, restored forests, improved water quality, and sustainable land-use from south of Lake Tahoe to Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Sierra Business Council’s (SBC) role in the partnership is to plan and manage selected public policy initiatives, drawing on our experience linking the health of our environment, economy, and people.  The policy initiatives will focus on:

• Protecting and restoring waters the regions lakes, rivers, and wetlands
• Restoring forest health while also reducing the risk of fire, maintaining sustainable timber harvest, and storing carbon
• Promoting sustainable land use and enhancing community prosperity
• Implementing the California Climate Action Plan in the northern Sierra

Sierra Business Council will achieve these goals through on-the-ground project implementation, land use and policy research, and policy education and advocacy.