Summers Meadows

Photo: Summers Meadows property on Twin Lakes near Yosemite National Park.

In an effort to explain The Conservation Fund and my job, here's an example of one of our latest projects we completed: Summers Meadows, California.

On the eastern edge of central California between Yosemite National Park and Bridgeport, the 880-acre Summers Meadows property was the largest single private property within the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest on the east slope of the Sierra Nevada Range. The property on the glacial Twin Lakes with a view of towering mountains is important for backpackers, hikers and campers and the protection of Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep, deer, grouse and quail.

Photo: Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep

During 2009-2011, our southwestern director worked with a willing-seller landowner and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) in order for the property, a priority for the agency, to be transferred to the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

In order for the USFS to buy the property, they needed $2.4 million. The USFS cannot contract or buy from a landowner until they have the money in hand, and the money comes from Congress during its yearly appropriations bill. While USFS can list a project in its budget, federal agencies are prohibited from lobbying for funding.

This is where The Conservation Fund comes in. The Fund can contract with landowners and lobby. The USFS approached us and asked for our help. Our non-profit's mission is to conserve land on behalf of agency or private partners and this deal fit. We spoke with the landowner and negotiated a contract with him, securing the deal for a time.

I am The Conservation Fund's "western lobbyist," so I met with the staff of California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and told them about the opportunity for USFS to purchase this priority parcel in their state. We had several meetings over the years and I would bring in photos and fact sheets and discuss real estate/legislative details in order to compel them to request funding for this project. It's a beautiful project, but A LOT of California is beautiful, and many projects were competing for funding. The Senators would select only a few conservation requests.

During the Spring of 2010, Senator Feinstein sent in a request Congress to appropriate the money. In the Fall of 2010, Congress passed its "Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Bill," which included a line-item for $2.4 million for USFS to acquire Summers Meadows. A large real estate deal like this takes time, and The Conservation Fund spent the next months finalizing the details so that USFS could purchase the land. In March 2011, USFS bought the property and it is now in public ownership. We celebrated.

Photo: Summers Meadows, California!!

I work on dozens of these western conservation deals a year, which is very rewarding. I enjoy working with an expert staff, learning the process, and visiting Capitol Hill to discuss these important, beautiful, land and water saving properties. Each project has up to hundreds of components and nothing is guaranteed until the project is completed. Changing politics and the risks of land deals keep us on our toes through this month-to-month, year-to-year process. Each time a property is protected is truly a success to be celebrated. The Summers Meadows property is now YOURS! It is public land.

Link: News story about Summers Meadows.