As the Siskiyou Land Trust staff continues to work remotely through the summer of 2021, we’ve been busy with our largest project slate in the history of the organization! Conservation easements and land purchases are on our priority list with projects located around conservation anchor points in the Scott Valley and expanding to new areas in the Shasta Valley, Yreka and the Fall River watershed. It’s exciting to see our work reaching into critical headwaters in Siskiyou County.

We’ve missed seeing our supporters and partners at in-person events and workdays and we hope that we’ll be able to return to working together in person in the coming year. In the meantime, here’s a look at the projects we’re spending our time on:
  • Scott River Headwaters The last of three conservation easements on commercial timber lands below the Russian and Marble Mountains Wilderness Areas has its funding in place.  This is our third project with Ecotrust Forest Management. In total, the three easements will conserve just shy of 40,000 acres in the mountains west of the Scott Valley. Grant awards have been announced and as soon as we’re under contract with both federal and state agencies, we can get this easement process underway.
  • Two Scott Valley agricultural easements are nearing close: Both the Spencer 2 and Fowle Ranch CEs will close soon, which means we’ll be out in the fall this year to document present conditions on those lands before the conservation easements are recorded.
  • New agricultural CEs underway in the Shasta and Scott Valleys: SLT staff have been developing projects on four ranches with willing landowners, and preparing for writing grant applications this fall. These projects will require a second source of funding, so they are still in the early stages.
  • Land purchases to protect Yreka phlox: In partnership with state and federal agencies, SLT is facilitating land purchases to protect the endangered, and recovering, plant that is endemic to a small area outside of Yreka.
  • Monitoring our easements: This year we began monitoring the CEs that closed last year on the Wildcat, Whiskey and Bouvier Ranch projects, in addition to our existing CE portfolio. Monitoring includes staff meeting with landowners to discuss any changes in use and to the land, as well as projects planned or underway. Then we go out to revisit the monitoring sites that we set on the properties when creating the initial baseline condition report.  By taking photos at these locations we create an ongoing visual record of the property that we will reference in future years.  Annually we report activities and changes on the properties to the agencies that funded the CEs.  We’re now monitoring well over 30,000 acres, making our ongoing stewardship role larger than it has ever been.
  • Preparing to launch the NRCS RCPP project: The Natural Resource Conservation Service selected SLT for one of its Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) grants this past spring. Now we’re working with NRCS staff to get under contract, with the aim of launching public outreach events late this year to educate landowners and the community about the opportunity to place conservation easements on agricultural lands under this five-year program.

A Call for Volunteers 
If you’re inspired to action after reading all the SLT activities above, there’s a volunteer opportunity this coming weekend on Sisson Meadow pathways here in Mt. Shasta.

Come join folks from Mt. Shasta Rotary and SLT for a workday this Saturday, August 28th, 9am, behind the library on Alma Street. We’ll be clearing back the edges of the Rotary trail in preparation for having it resurfaced the following week. We’ll need rakes, flat shovels, weed-whackers, loppers, wheel barrows, leaf blowers, and other hand tools to cut back the sweet peas and other vegetation from the trail’s edge. Don’t forget gloves, water, a hat, and a smile! Come for an hour, or come until it is done. Questions? Call Glenn Harvey at 530-925-9287 or glennharvey54@gmail.com. See you there!

Mapping with Mandy
We’ve been enjoying having our first summer intern, Mandy Twitchell, work with us on various mapping projects. Mandy has offered her skills and enthusiasm to help us develop maps we’ve been dreaming of for years, as well as work on CE maps and stewardship data collection.  Currently in grad school, she will complete the Professional Science Master’s Program in Environmental Science at at Oregon State University, Mandy brings expertise in GIS mapping, helping SLT complete Conservation Easement projects using the challenging ArcGIS mapping software. “I feel very good about putting my energy and love into an organization that does so much good for the lands in Siskiyou County. I love it here…the mountains, trees, rivers, and lakes are very special to me, so it feels great to play a small part in this organization.”

Discover more about Mandy (or Mandolinn, as her friends call her) at The Solo Hiker on youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkQLJqRD8Yb6glttrNuTl3A and @the.solohiker on Instagram.

Meet Bruce Berlinger, newest member of the SLT Board of Directors   Bruce joined the Board in July of 2021. As COO and principal partner in McCloud Partners, LLC., owners of the former McCloud Lumber Mill property, Bruce brings extensive experience in operations, finance, land stewardship, strategic planning and management skills along with his deep interests in helping to preserve the natural beauty of Siskiyou County.  Read more about Bruce on SiskiyouLandTrust.org

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