Northern Sierra Partnership

The Northern Sierra Partnership is a coalition of local business, conservation and private landowner groups working to protect the natural resources and traditional lifestyles of the Northern Sierra.

Click here to watch a quick video of the partnership.

The Northern Sierra Partnership brings landowners, government agencies and local industries together to develop coordinated strategies and innovative land management practices that will ensure the region’s vital forests, rivers, lakes and watersheds remain healthy and productive for future generations.

Keeping the Northern Sierra open, healthy and productive not only protects the diverse plant and animal species of the region, but also ensures local ranchers, outdoor businesses, Indian tribes and others who have relied on the land for generations will continue to thrive and benefit from the region’s natural resources.

A unique alliance of five non-governmental organizations, the Northern Sierra Partnership links landscapes, people and local economies through vision, innovation, and collaboration for a sustainable northern Sierra Nevada

• The northern Sierra Nevada provides a significant source of drinking water to California and Nevada and is one of the most productive carbon sinks on the planet

• The region is home to vibrant communities, globally important biodiversity, and scenic landscapes visited by hundreds of thousands of outdoor enthusiasts each year

• The region faces growing threats from inappropriate development, catastrophic wildfires, uncoordinated land management, and climate change

• The 10-year goals of the Northern Sierra Partnership are to protect over 100,000 acres, to attract $100 million in private funding (leveraging $300 million in federal, state and local funds), and to increase political and cultural support for land and water conservation in the region.

The five organizations working to develop the Northern Sierra Partnership are:

The Trust for Public Land
www.tpl.org
The Sierra Business Council
www.sbcouncil.org
The Feather River Land Trust
www.frlt.org
The Nature Conservancy
www.nature.org
The Truckee-Donner Land Trust
www.tdlt.org

The Northern Sierra is one of the world’s most unique and diverse natural areas, providing vital resources to local communities and critical habitat for endangered species.

Water: The Northern Sierra is California’s largest source of drinking water and provides the majority of water to the Nevada cities of Reno and Sparks.

Wildlife: More than 200 bird species and the majority of California’s mammal species rely on this region for survival – including mountain lions, mule deer, bighorn sheep, cutthroat trout and the endangered willow flycatcher.

Recreation: The mountains, forests, rivers and lakes of the Northern Sierra provide millions of outdoor enthusiasts incredible hiking, skiing, fishing and camping opportunities year round.

Economy: Ranchers, outdoor businesses, and timber companies have relied on the region’s open spaces and healthy forests for their livelihoods for generations. Now the economy is diversifying and providing opportunities for alternative energy and new resource restoration economies.

Fighting climate change: The vast forests of the Northern Sierra play a critical role in the fight against climate change by absorbing massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The Northern Sierra faces growing threats that jeopardize its beauty, health and productivity.

Fire: Wildfires threaten communities, wildlife habitats and air quality.

Uncoordinated land management: Lack of coordination and communication between private landowners, government agencies and businesses has left some of the region’s most beautiful and productive natural areas open to inappropriate development and overcrowding.

Climate Change: Climate change threatens to kill off the region’s unique plant and animal species, diminish water supply and threaten one of the largest carbon sinks in the world.

Fragmentation: Poorly managed development and subdivisions of land are threatening the traditional Western lifestyles of ranchers, Indian tribes and others who have lived off the open land for generations.

Partnering with local landowners, communities, businesses and government agencies, the Northern Sierra Partnership is working to keep the Northern Sierra healthy and productive for future generations. Through innovative land management strategies, private landowners are joining with conservationists to ensure the Northern Sierra’s lands remain open, beautiful and productive. Sustainable forestry practices will protect local economies, forest areas and wildlife. Newly coordinated land management strategies will protect homes, communities and wildlife from deadly wildfires. Protecting the Northern Sierra’s natural resources will ensure that ranchers, outdoor companies and other businesses will continue to thrive across the region.