The Sierra Nevada Alliance exists to elevate and support Sierra ecosystems and communities.
Our mission is to be a hub for stewardship of the Sierra Nevada, which we achieve by empowering and collaborating with our partners.
Hatch Executive Director
Thank you for taking the time to explore our work accomplishments during the 2018-2019 fiscal year!
2019 marked our 26th year of protecting and restoring the Range of Light. Whether you’ve been with us since the beginning, five years, one month, or this is the first time you are learning of our work, we’re glad you’re here!
Together with you this year, we have:
F Maintained a robust AmeriCorps program with more than 16,800 watershed acres restored, more than 3,800 sites monitored, more than 195,000 individuals educated, more than 37,500 volunteers recruited, and more than 550,000 hours of service contributed since 2007.
F Continued to build our conservation Member Groups to over 40 organizations providing improved resources, trainings, and coordination.
F Hosted a memorable 25th Anniversary Conference with more than 130 local, regional and national thought-leaders coming together to discuss and plan “regional resiliency” for the Sierra.
F Marched forward with climate work, working with jurisdictions to inventory and develop climate action plans to reach the 100% community wide resolution goals we helped set.
F Obtained funding, thanks to the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, to develop a new forestry workforce development program for the Sierra.
None of this would be possible without you. We are only as strong as our partners, Member Groups, individual supporters, and volunteers. We are proud of our hard work and are excited about the new 5 Year Strategic Plan we’ve developed slated to begin in January 2020. Some of our horizon goals include:
F Work on expanding and building off of our AmeriCorps program;
F Provide an even greater supply of talented staff to implement the tremendous amount of on-theground conservation work needed to create the resilient Sierra we desire;
F Work more diligently on providing greater capacity-building resources for our Member Groups;
F Represent our Member Groups in the advocacy arena; and
F Build out more regional frameworks for watershed, forest health, wildlife, climate action and adaptive management planning for the region.
Thank you for taking the time to read our 2018-2019 Annual Report and learn more about the work we do! We hope you will lock arms with us, so that our impact is even that much bigger in the years to come. As we all know, the time is now to protect and restore the Sierra in order for it to be resilient to climate change, fire, inappropriate development, and all that threatens it.
Finally, I want to take this opportunity to personally thank and acknowledge outgoing Board Member Bob Barrett for his years of service on the Alliance Board. His work as Treasurer was priceless! Also, a huge bit of gratitude to our outgoing staff member, and Financial Manager, Cami Chavez, for her years of keeping the organization on track and fiscally sound. You both will be greatly missed!!
Executive Director, Sierra Nevada Alliance
Jenny Hatch,
Doug Carstens
Board President
Nicole Cartwright Vice President
Robert Barett Treasurer
Laura Beaton Secretary
Steve Haze
Robert Dean
Stephen Smallcombe
Lynn Baumgartner
Julia Kim
Jenny Hatch Executive Director
Sara Monson Education and Communication Director
Jodi Schmitz Administrative Assistant Crew Stover Watershed Associate
Sierra Nevada Alliance regional boundry
Nicole Lutkemuller Sierra Corps Program Director
Sam Ruderman CivicSpark Climate Fellow
Meredith Anderson CivicSpark Climate Fellow
Robert Barrett Many thanks to our outgoing board member
Cami Chavez Many thanks to our outgoing Financial Manager
In May, 2019 the Alliance updated its mission vision and purpose. The new mission states that: We are a hub for stewardship of the Sierra Nevada, which we achieve by empowering and collaborating with our partners. To best serve this mission, the Alliance has merged several existing program areas to create the Community Engagement Program. The Alliance’s Community Engagement Program supports the new mission by providing Member Groups, Sierra citizens, and allies with education, resources, and opportunities to engage in Sierra conservation and Sierra advocacy. In the 2018 fiscal year the Alliance increased community engagement through several projects.
Sierra Nevada Alliance’s 25th anniversary conference, took place on August 15th-17th, 2018. More than 130 local, regional and national thought-leaders came together to discuss, explore and create environmental, regional resiliency. Conference attendees assisted with a collaborative Prosser Creek Restoration Project, attended conference sessions, and celebrated the Sierra Nevada Alliance’s 25th Anniversary at a Farm to Table Dinner. Conference attendees identified a need for a new program that would increase the capacity of on the ground forestry work in the Sierra Nevada. Since the conference Sierra Nevada Alliance has secured funding from the CA Timber Regulation and Forest Restoration Fund through the Sierra Nevada Conservancy and has developed the Sierra Forestry Corps Program, which will place the first cohort of forestry fellows at host sites throughout the Sierra in January of 2020.
Following the conference the Alliance initiated a monthly webinar series. The Alliance works with local organizations to offer monthly webinars on topics including Sierra science, conservation, environmental education, nonprofit management, and organizational capacity building. Webinars teach Member Groups, citizens, and allies about important Sierra topics, and provide information to support the work of Sierra conservation organizations.
In March, the Alliance also began traveling to the sub regions of the Sierra to deepen collaboration. In addition, the Alliance partnered with the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, in March, to host a Free Grant Writing Workshop for Sierra conservation professionals in Auburn. Fifteen conservation professionals attended the workshop, presented by Sierra Nevada Conservancy’s Elissa Brown. Attendees learned the basics of grant writing and had the opportunity to begin to develop a grant proposal. Two additional grant workshops are set for the Eastern and Southern Sierra subregions in late 2019/early 2020.
Throughout the 2018 fiscal year Alliance continued to communicate Sierra conservation events, jobs, advocacy issues, and resources in the bi-weekly Sierra Resource Newsletter, and through the Alliance social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. In the coming year, the Alliance will be remodeling the Alliance website to make it easier for conservation groups to share their events, advocacy efforts, jobs, and volunteer opportunities.
Sierra Nevada Alliance Member Groups continue to be an important part of the Sierra Nevada Alliance. The Alliance offers Member Groups several benefits to support their work and build their capacity. Member Groups come together to provide a unified voice for the Sierra.
v Alpine Watershed Group v American River Conservancy v American Rivers v Bishop Paiute Tribe v California TroutHeadwaters Program v California Urban Streams Alliance v California Wildlife Network v California Watershed Network v California Wildlife Foundation/ California Oaks v Community Action Project v Center for Human Rights and Environment v Center for Sierra Nevada Conservation v Defenders of Wildlife v Eastern Sierra
Land Trust v Forest Issues Group v Forest Trails Alliance v Gold Country Fly Fishers v Mono Lake Committee v Mountain Area Preservation v North Fork American River Alliance v Resource Renewal Institute v Restore Hetch Hetchy v Sequoia Riverlands Trust v Sierra Club Maidu Group v Sierra Club Mother Lode Chapter v Sierra Club Placer Group v Sierra Club Sierra Nevada Group v Sierra Club Tahoe Area
v Sierra Club Yahi Group
v Sierra County Land Trust v Sierra Foothills Audubon Society v Sierra Streams Institute v Sierra Watershed Education Partnership v Snowlands Network v Sugar Pine Foundation
v South Yuba River Citizens League v Tahoe Environmental Research Center v Trout Unlimited Truckee v Truckee Donner Land Trust v Upper Merced River Watershed Council v Washoe Meadows
Capacity Building and Professional Development for your organization
F Monthly Webinar Series and Associated Benefits:
Sierra Nevada Alliance teams up with experts to bring you monthly webinars on topics relating to capacity building, fundraising, networking, environmental challenges in the Sierra and more.
Sierra Nevada Alliance coordinates a series of workshops for Member Groups in different places throughout the Sierra. In 2019, the Sierra Nevada Alliance teamed up with the Sierra Nevada Conservancy to offer grant writing workshops in Auburn and June Lake.
Gain invaluable support by building your staff with an AmeriCorps member. The Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Partnership (SNAP) works to assess and restore impaired watershed habitats and to increase community stewardship of Sierra Nevada watersheds through education and volunteerism. Each year, the Alliance coordinates the placement of 28 full time AmeriCorps members with conservation organizations throughout the Sierra. Member Groups pay $11,500 to host a SNAP member, while non-Member Groups pay $12,500, and agencies pay $13,750.
Sierra Nevada Alliance Member Groups are invited to table at all Sierra Nevada Alliance Events, and will receive discounted entry for all employees. Our events provide an ideal opportunity to connect with an environmentally minded audience, as well as network with environmental professionals.
F Make Your Voice Heard:
The Alliance participates in coordinated groups and advocates on behalf of the Sierra region. We meet with representatives at the state capitol, and work with lobbyists to represent the interests of the Sierra. We look to Member Groups to guide our positions. This year we will be increasing our involvement in advocacy, and will actively communicate our efforts with our Member Groups, as well as seek input from Member Groups to direct our positions.
F Create a Regional Movement:
The Alliance looks for opportunities to band Member Groups together on regional and statewide efforts to protect and restore the land, water, and air of the Sierra Nevada. For example, our network played a leading role in establishing the Sierra Nevada Conservancy.
F Shape the Future of the Alliance: Member Groups elect the Board of Directors through a democratic process that shapes Alliance actions and conservation efforts. The Alliance is accountable to its members. Member Groups are encouraged to serve directly on our Board of Directors as well!
F Use Sierra Nevada Alliance Newsletter, and Social Media, to Widen your Audience: Post member group alerts, job announcements, events, and achievements in our biweekly newsletter, the Sierra Resource, which reaches over 1,000 individuals. Gain exposure for your organization and events on our media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, with 2,400 followers.
F Be Part of our Online Conservation Directory: Member Groups will be highlighted on Sierra Nevada Alliance’s online directory. Their profile will include information about their organization, their focus, notable projects and programs, how to learn more about them, and how to get involved. Use this as a resource to connect with like-minded organizations for collaboration, or utilize it as a tool to encourage interested parties, public or otherwise, to engage with you.
F Receive a subscription to our electronic bi-monthly Sierra Resource E-Newsletter: With the latest articles on Sierra conservation news, events, grant opportunities, and notices – we stay up on issues and opportunities from around the state and nation that impact your efforts.
F Gain Free Sierra Nevada Alliance Reports, Directories and Toolkits: View resources at: https://sierranevadaalliance.org/publications/ .
F Attend the Annual Member Group Meeting: Sierra Nevada Alliance hosts a yearly meeting for Member Groups. Member Groups are invited to send representatives from their organizations to attend the member group meeting. At the meeting members will have the opportunity to provide input about the future direction for the Alliance, network with other members, and attend educational sessions.
F Send Action Alerts: Use the Alliance to send out action alerts and petitions to the entire Alliance network including more than 1,000 active individuals who share a passion for natural resources and rural communities.
F Create Stronger Campaigns: Whether it be writing a letter to a board or commission, signing on to a collective position letter, or testifying in support of your issue, the Alliance supports Member Groups’ campaigns whenever possible. In addition, the Alliance will work whenever possible to facilitate partnerships for greater efficiency, especially amongst like-minded conservation groups (i.e.; watershed groups)
Since 2007, 341 SNAP Members have
F Restored more than 16,800 watershed acres;
F Monitored more than 3,800 sites;
F Educated more than 195,000 individuals;
F Recruited more than 37,500 volunteers; and
F Contributed more than 550,000 hours of service.
The Alliance’s Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Partnership (SNAP) completed its 12th year and launched the 13th year of this incredible program! The two SNAP Programs that ran during this fiscal year (2017-18 and 2018-19) consisted of fifty-seven members at eighteen nonprofits, environmental agencies and tribes in sixteen cities across the Sierra. Members served from Oroville to Visalia, from Tahoe to Bishop – restoring and assessing watersheds, education Sierra residents and visitors, and building community stewardship through volunteer support. SNAP was also awarded its fifth three-year grant from California Volunteers, ensuring that SNAP members can continue serving the Sierra into 2021.
Taylor Faye Benedict majored in Environmental Science with a focus on ecological restoration from Humboldt State University in May of 2017. After graduation, she was looking to gain experience in the field and make lasting professional connections when she was referred to ARC by a retired watershed council director. She reached out to the American River Conservancy to gather more information about the restoration work they do locally and ended up getting hired. Rather than the usual path of becoming an AmeriCorps member, being accepted into the SNAP program and then vying for a spot at the host site, she knew she wanted to work for ARC and then got involved with SNAP. Since joining the program, Taylor Faye has been very excited to be a part of this partnership and being able to take part in making a difference throughout California. She loves the opportunity to work with so many people that share a love of protecting natural resources and the great outdoors.
Program administered by CaliforniaVolunteers and sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Taylor Faye’s major projects for the stewardship branch at ARC included working in the Giving Garden and native plant demonstration garden at Wakamatsu Farm, sowing seasonally appropriate produce to donate to the local soup kitchen and food bank and tending to the variety of native grasses, shrubs and trees. Taylor Faye also led volunteers on restoring the riparian corridor off of the emergency spillway and the ≈1 mile-long trail that circles the lake at Wakamatsu with native tree plantings and native wildflowers. Near Pollock Pines, she worked on habitat improvement for red-legged frogs with volunteers helping to remove Himalayan blackberry bushes and planting natives to help control erosion on steep banks and to keep invasive spread to a minimum. ARC has also been in the process of creating a multi-use public trail near Salmon Falls Ranch which included planting 70 oak trees and preparing and maintaining a ≈1 mile-long trail called the Acorn Creek Trailhead, which opened to the public on May 4th, 2018.
Taylor Faye served two terms with SNAP, in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Her favorite contribution to ARC was helping write a management plan for one of the local ranches which includes a botanical survey of native plants growing on the property. She also worked alongside American River Conservancy’s Stewardship Director Elena DeLacy to teach a naturalist certification course to better acquaint the community with local varieties of plants and wildlife. Taylor Faye also led two years of the Great Sierra River Cleanup, along with several smaller river clean ups with community members to clean out old debris and junk left in the American River.
On September 21st, the Alliance closed out the 13th year of the Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Partnership program. Upon completing the first year of the fifth three-year AmeriCorps grant the program has been awarded, we want to share some highlights from this year’s cohort and commend the incredible impact that these 28 members have made in the Sierra. Together, these SNAP members committed over 47,000 hours of service with 15 different organizations and agencies. Four members are staying on for the 2019-20 SNAP term, to continue creating positive change across the Range of Light.
The 2018-19 SNAP term began on October 21st, 2018, with orientation at Sagehen Creek Field Station in Truckee, where 23 new members joined five returning members for a week of training and service. Coming together from 14 states, members completed a restoration project with Tahoe RCD in South Lake Tahoe’s Johnson Meadow, and helped to lead a huge environmental education day for North Tahoe Middle School with Sierra Watershed Education Partnerships. In April 2019, the group came together again for spring training and service projects in Coloma, CA. We stayed at Environmental Traveling Companions’ beautiful river camp along the South Fork American River, reciprocating their generosity by helping with trail improvements. Members also served in partnership with the American River Conservancy, working on trail and garden projects at Wakamatsu Farm and leading environmental education stations for the annual Nature Bowl, an environmental education “competition” in partnership with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The final group projects took place in August 2019 in Markleeville, where members built a new section of the Tahoe Rim Trail with the Tahoe Rim Trail Association and helped Alpine Watershed Group and California State Parks with invasive species removal in Grover Hot Springs State Park. SNAP members also collaborated with Alliance staff to coordinate the first annual SNAP Alumni event, a gathering for SNAP members past and present to network and celebrate their accomplishments. This legacy will continue to be an annual event going forward, so stay tuned if you want to connect!
Throughout their 11 months of service, the 2018-19 SNAP cohort has made an incredible impact on the watersheds and communities they serve in the Sierra. While we haven’t compiled the final statistics for the term yet, tallies as of our mid-year reporting are quite impressive. With summer as the main season for restoration work, we expect the final totals to be significantly greater than those reported here. As of April 15, 2019, members had:
F Restored over 225 acres, on 116 different projects
F Educated over 31,000 children and community members
F Engaged over 1000 new volunteers
F Raised over $37,000 in cash resources and over $73,000 in in-kind resources for their service projects at host sites
The 2019-20 term brings with it some changes in our partners, positions and projects. We bid farewell to some of our host sites, as their organizations transition and grow: Alpine Watershed Group, River Wranglers, Sierra Watershed Education Partnerships, California State Parks, US Forest Service, and American River Conservancy will not be hosting members for this coming term, but we hope to continue collaborating in other ways. We welcome to the SNAP Host Site family: Forest Trails Alliance, Butte County RCD, South Tahoe PUD, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, and Tahoe RCD. The Alliance will also be hosting a new SNAP position, a Regional Recruitment Coordinator, to help us with our efforts to expand recruitment capacity, create a more inclusive and equitable recruitment and hiring process, and mobilize our alumni network. We have also begun an intensive evaluation process, which is allowing us to refine our data collection methodology and share the results of our program more widely. We welcome your feedback and inquiry into the program and look forward to an incredible year #14 of SNAP!
We are incredibly grateful to the generous funders who help to support the SNAP program: CaliforniaVolunteers, the Joseph and Vera Long Foundation, the Rose Foundation, Patagonia, and ExtremeTerrain’s Clean Trail Grant Program.
Over the past year, the Sierra Nevada Alliance hosted two CivicSpark Americorps Climate Fellows, Meredith Anderson and Sam Ruderman. The pair successfully completed their first year and accomplished a suite of projects focused on moving the needle on climate initiatives in the Lake Tahoe/Truckee area, with the goal in mind of building Alliance technical skillsets and our ability to model this work across communities in the greater Sierra Nevada region Their work focused primarily on projects for the City of South Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
In 2017, the City of South Lake Tahoe became the first jurisdiction in the Sierra Nevada to pass a 100% Renewable Resolution, paving the way for other jurisdictions to follow. The Resolution committed the City to a number of renewable energy and emissions reduction goals, which laid the groundwork for the projects that Meredith and Sam worked on. Most notably, the Fellows completed the first ever government operations greenhouse gas emissions inventory and an updated community-wide inventory for the City for 2015. The results of this inventory will be used to inform emissions reduction strategies in the climate action planning process starting in 2019. The Alliance aims to not only pass these community sustainability resolutions, but also to build the capacity to accomplish them!
The Fellows also collaborated with stakeholders throughout the Sierra on the SEED (Solar Energy and Economic Development) Fund project, a regional collaborative solar procurement program designed for public agencies. Meredith and Sam have returned to the Alliance for a second service year to continue these projects and others, such as developing a climate action plan for the City of South Lake Tahoe and working with other agencies such as school districts and utility districts for greater regional coordination. The Alliance is thrilled to have them returning.
The Alliance would like to extend heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported our work in 2018-2019. Together, we have accomplished a lot on behalf of the Sierra.
($500+)
Alan Miller
Ann Dey
Bob Barrett
Carol Lehnert
Daniel Martin
Doug Carstens
Hollis Lenderking
James and Deborah Schreier
Jan Chatten-Brown
Jeff and Margaret Hatch
Joan Boothe
John and Patty Brissenden
Justin Denney
Lauren Ranz
Pamela Flick
Patricia Angell
Pierre and Laura Zado
Ralph Koldinger
Richard Taylor
Robert C. Braddock
Sam Mudie
Steve Haze
($100-$499)
A.R. Gutowsky
Andrea and Michael Cassidy
Ann Harmon
Anna Cederstav
Avi Zollman
Blair and Dave Paterson
Bruce Penrod
Christal Waters
Christina Witsberger
Christopher Pederson
Craig Ritchey
Dale and Linda Sanderson
David Miller and Jeanne Rosato
David Graber
David Lass
David Reneau
David, Sally and David Brew
Deborah Miller
Debra Dodson
Don Rivenes
Don Stevens
Ed Cohen
Ellen King
Esther Feldman
Faith and Piers Strailey
George and Brenda Milum
George and Peg Tanner
Gerald and Rosette Koch
Gianna Leavers
Glenn Moeller
Gloria and Jim Hildinger
Gordon Polon
Grace Anderson
Harold and Pam Singer
Jackie Morgan
Jake Hudson
James and Diana McWilliams
James and Sally Meakin
Jane Hamilton
Janet and K Baumgartner
Jeff Erdoes
Jesse Golden Joel Masser
John Dickinson
John Friedrich
John Sorensen
Joy Waite
Judith Hildinger
Justin Chatten-Brown
Karen and Brooks Martin
Kathryn McCamant
Krista Tranquilla
Larry and Barbara Tidball
Laurel Ames Les Wright Lilly Reid
Lisa Gessow Maria Mircheva
Marshall Hamilton Melinda Steuer
Michael Wier
Mignon and Gerald Gregg
Mo Loden
Norine Hegy Norris Clement Parker and Joan Wood
Paul Ogden
Peter Sinclaire
Peter Lund Rachel Hooper
Randy and Karen Barrow
Richard and Carol Matera
Richard Harvey Robert Kirkwood
Sandy and Peter Briggs
Scott Kruse
Spreck Rosekrans
Steven White
Thomas Harder
Tom and Mary Feige
Tom Gaman
William Patterson Ziggy and Jesse Bregman
piKa protectorS
($50-$99)
Adam Livingston Barbara Meral
Bev Britts
Bill Gardner
Caroline Hickson
Catherine Schoen
Christopher Boone Clifford Anderson
David Long
Dean Prigmore
Denis De Luchi
Drew and Margaret Robarts Elayne Damron
Flint Ellsworth
Geoff McQuilkin
Gerald and Arlene Bachecki Gerhard E. Hahne
Greg and Diana Harford Gregory and Pamela Nelson
Harry Lum
James and Lynette Lytthans
Jane Ann Lamph
Jim and Gay VerSteeg
Joan Wright
John Moore
John Robben
Judy Guinn
Judy Suter
Justin Almeleh
Katie Rutherford Kirk and Alice Hanson
Laurel Prevetti
Laurie Skaggs
Linda and David Brown
Linda Kilb
Lisa Scoralle
Lois Harter
Michael Cohen Michael Wellborn
Did you know there are many ways to contribute to the Alliance? Whether you’re interested in becoming an individual member, sponsoring an event or making a planned gift, we have a multitude of giving options that are flexible and convenient for everyone. Every dollar makes a difference and serves as the lifeblood of our organization. Your much-needed gifts sustain and support Sierra-wide conservation and restoration. Visit our website to learn more!
www.sierranevadaalliance.org/donate/
Mike Grace
Pam and Loyd Evans
Patricia Schulz
Peter Vorster
Peter and Nancy Hussmann
Richard Kannisto
Robert Kelly
Sharon Cavallo
Stephanie Mooers
Stephen and Joyce Arnon Suzy Allione Terry Maul
Thomas and Rosemary Jensen Warren Marr
Warren Watkins
William and Diane Nico William and Karen Babula
Arntz Family Foundation
Patagonia
Tahoe-Truckee Community Foundation
The Long Foundation
The Rose Foundation
Chatten-Brown & Carstens
Defenders of Wildlife El Dorado Water Agency Mono Lake Committee Rose Foundation
Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP
Sierra Nevada Conservency Sierra Watch Sorensons The Sierra Fund
Squaw Valley Institute
Alpine Watershed Group
American Rivers
American River Conservancy Bishop Paiute Tribe
California State Parks
Center for Sierra Nevada Conservancy Eastern Sierra Land Trust
El Dorado County and Georgetown Divide Resource Conservation Group
Sequoia Riverlands Trust
Sierra Streams Institute
Sierra Watershed Education Partnerships
South Yuba River Citizens’ League
Trout Unlimited
Tuolumne County Resource Conservation District
Tuolumne River Trust
UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center
US Forest Service Feather River Ranger District
1991 Tom Knudson’s Pulitzer Prize winning series of articles entitled “Sierra in Peril” prompts statewide attention to the oft forgotten Sierra.
1992 First Board Meeting of the Sierra Nevada Alliance and the Alliance is incorporated in 1993 as a charitable organization.
1993 Laurel Ames is hired as the first Executive Director and 10-12 member groups join!
1994 First Annual Conference at Mammoth Lakes. Alliance conference grows over the years to over 200 participants and keynotes from renowned authors, state leaders, and national conservation directors.
1995 Engages public participation in the congressionally funded Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project.
1996 Sierra Nevada Alliance receives first private foundation grant.
1997 Sierra Futures Fund begins and over next 5 years $30,000 mini-grants are given to 25 groups.
1999 Alliance Co-Sponsored Range Rides with California Cattleman’s Association and California Rangeland Trust and supports the West Point Renewal Project with Foothill Conservancy.
Alliance releases first major publication, Watershed Council Toolkit
2000 The Watershed Principles created by the Alliance and Regional Council of Rural Counties are adopted by the State.
Sierra Nevada Alliance begins convening the first meetings of land trusts in the region that spawns the SierraCascade Land Trust Council
2001 The first Watershed Director is hired.
The Sierra Land-Use Handbook is released.
2002 Alliance completes 8 regional meetings in one year.
Sierra Nevada Alliance joins Ski Area Citizens Coalition and releases First Ski Area Citizens Coalition Report Card in Sierra and California garnering statewide media attention. This goes on to become an Annual Event, garnering national attention and over 500 articles on ski area environmental performance over the years.
2003 Alliance produces and releases at news conferences throughout California Troubled Waters of the Sierra showcasing how all Sierra rivers are impaired and polluted and calling for increased state investment in watershed restoration and protection in the region.
The Alliance established a new electronic alert system, issuing alerts to hundreds of individuals and groups on cutting edge conservation issues from our network of activists around the range. This continues through FY 12-13, providing over 200 alerts since it began.
2004 After three years of legislative effort, The Sierra Nevada Conservancy legislation passes thanks to Alliance, The Sierra Fund, Sierra Business Council, Sierra Cascade Land Trust and other allies! The Alliance receives award from The Sierra Fund for helping create the new Conservancy.
2005 Completes training of over 150 water quality monitors on 7 watersheds in the Sierra with the assistance of SYRCL. This goes on over the years, creating over 9 ongoing watershed monitoring programs throughout the Sierra.
First Sierra Climate Change Toolkit released. Over the years three editions are released and over 2000 copies distributed. Publication recognized by state and United Nations as cutting edge resource on climate adaptation. Over 20 groups take the pledge to champion GHG reductions and climate change adaptation.
Sierra Nevada Alliance releases report Planning for the Future, chronicling growth and development threatening our rural way of life and ecosystems. News conferences held throughout the State, with stories appearing in over 80 newspapers including: San Francisco Chronicle, LA Times, and Washington Post.
2006 Celebrates Mariposa General Plan adoption that helps save 37,000 acres of open space and includes model elements. The plan was helped to pass thanks to the teamwork of the Mariposans for the Environment and Responsible Government (MERG), the Alliance, Laurie Oberholtzer and Tom Infusino.
2006 Releases State of Sierra Waters: A Sierra Nevada Watersheds Index. Simultaneous press conferences were held in San Francisco, Sacramento and Reno and a total of fourteen televisions stations, seven radio stations, and sixteen newspapers carried the story (including a front-page, above-the- fold article in the Reno Gazette-Journal).
The following is a brief timeline of some key highlights of our 25 years:2007
Alliance hosts first Sierra IRWM Conference in Sacramento, bringing together IRWM leaders for the first time. Alliance celebrates completion of first Clean Water Act 319h grant, in which we regranted funds to more than 25 watershed efforts in the Sierra, produced a restoration guide, and provided funding and guidance for community demonstration projects, which included tours for hundreds of Sierra residents.
Alliance releases report at four news conferences called Dangerous Development: Wildfire and Rural Sprawl in the Sierra Nevada, which reviewed how wildfire and population growth are on a collision course and how current land-use policies fail at-risk communities. The story reaches a national audience through an NPR story and AP stories nationwide, in addition to ten local TV stories.
Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Partnership founded. SNAP members complete first year monitoring 389 sites, restoring over 4100 acres, educating 30,000 individuals, and recruiting over 3300 volunteers.
2008
Alliance watershed program launches new Sierra Nevada Yard and Garden project, beginning distribution of new Guide and training community homeowner consultation programs. This continues on throughout the years, creating demonstration gardens, home consultation programs, distributing over 2500 guides, and working with Truckee, providing over 180 unique workbooks for homeowners resulting in over 100 best practices being implemented.
The Alliance releases new resource with the Local Government Commission called Planning for Water-Wise Development in the Sierra and then conducts six Land & Water policy forums throughout the region, as well as presentations at the Calaveras Planning Summit, 2009 National River Rally in Baltimore, and the Sierra Business Council conference.
The California Adaptation Strategy adopted principles for adaptation that were symbiotic with Alliance principles to ensure we protect natural resources while sustaining healthy communities.
The Alliance also launched a new collaborative effort called the Sierra Water Work Group to champion Sierra water issues and coordinate among plans, agencies, and NGOs and share strategies and best practices for protecting Sierra waters. The SWWG continues to this day and now the Alliance hosts an annual Summit on integrated water management for local and state water agencies, conservation leaders, tribes, and attorneys.
2009
The Sierra Spokes free sustainability e-newsletter was launched.
The Regional Climate Change Program helps shape a strong Sierra Nevada Conservancy’s Climate Action Plan for the entire Sierra region, the first of its kind!
The Alliance’s leadership with our Sierra Climate Change Adaptation Principles inspired the California Adaptation Strategy to adopt similar principles for the entire state.
2010 The Sustainable Sierra Communities Program secured an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer and designed a new model sustainability project, EmPower El Dorado, that helped homeowners save money and protect their health, as well as saving energy and water. This project reached over 200 residents and provided consultations to 49 homeowners on ways to improve their home, producing lessons on how to replicate this effort in the Sierra.
2011 The Regional Climate Change Program founded the first Sierra Community Organizer Academy which 25 activists attended to learn effective campaigning. This becomes an Annual Sierra event and trains over 75 conservation leaders as of 2013.
The Regional Climate Change Program also organized a Sierra Meadow Forum with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, sharing cutting-edge strategies to restore the meadow ecosystems of the region.
2012 Celebrates that through partnership with the Truckee River Watershed Council, our Truckee River Friendly Landscaping project had over 100 river-friendly practices implemented by homeowners, over 180 unique home workbooks provided to homeowners, and over 1800 Sierra Yard and Garden Guides distributed throughout Truckee.
2013 We celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Alliance with Bill McKibben as as the keynote speaker at our annual conference.
2015
SNAP Member Sara Kokkelenberg was named the Catherine Milton California AmeriCorps Member of the Year.
2016 We concluded the 10th year of the SNAP program.
2017 The Alliance organized and facilitated community grassroots coalitions that achieved 100% renewable energy resolutions from the cities of South Lake Tahoe, Nevada City, and Truckee.
2018 Received our fifth 3-year SNAP grant, supporting continuation of the program into 2021.
2019 Received seed funding from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy and initiated a forest health workforce development program.
Fiscal Year 2018-2019
June 30, 2019
Cash $ 162,335
Accounts Receivable $ 103,980
Property and Equip $ –Restricted Cash $ –Prepaid Other $ 3,627
Total Assets $ 269,942
Accounts Payable $ 575
Accrued Payroll $ 27,787 Deferred Revenue $ 133,505
Total Liabilities $ 161,867
With restrictions $ 1,000 Without restrictions $ 107,075 Temporarily Restricted & Net Assets $ 131,204
Total Liabilities and Net Assets $ 108,075
July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019
Sierra Keepers/Board/Major Donors $ 23,635 Conference and Events $ 28,105 Contributions $ 17,079 Foundations $ 77,974 Grants $ 746,830 In-Kind $ 515 Member Groups $ 9,025 Sales/Miscellaneous $ 5,556
Total Revenue $ 908,719
Personnel and Benefits $ 197,540
Conference/Events and Facilities $ 26,534 Consultants & Sub Contractors $ 59,433 In-Kind $ 515 Operating $ 65,876
Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Partnership $ 580,973 Travel/Training $ 1,476
Total Expenses $ 932,348
Sierra Nevada Alliance
P O Box 7989 South Lake Tahoe, CA 96158
