People who love the Sierra Nevada took time out of their lives to attend the Sierra Day in the Capitol on Tuesday, May 6, 2008 to tell state leaders about why the mountain range is important to all Californians. More than two dozen leaders from throughout the state participated in the day of education and action in the State Capitol sponsored by the Sierra Nevada Alliance and The Sierra Fund.
Citizen lobbyists handed out material about the Sierra, including information about how money that has been allocated in the past for activities in the Sierra Nevada had been invested. A leaflet created just for this day by Nevada Union High School student Jake Pasner highlighted public investment in land acquisition, water quality, watershed restoration and fire safety.
Also in the packet for legislators was a new compilation of “Sierra Conservation Project Profiles” detailing a dozen different projects seeking funding that are all ready to go up in the Sierra. These projects ranged from planning for global climate change to cleaning up legacy mining toxins in the region.
The Sierra Day reception was attended by Assemblyman John Laird and a number of Capitol staff people, as well as Sierra Nevada Conservancy Vice-Chair Robert Weygandt (Placer County Supervisor) and SNC Executive Officer Jim Branham. They accepted awards from the Alliance and The Sierra Fund thanking them for the efficient and effective grant program that the Board directed and the staff implemented in giving out Proposition 84 funds.
Weygandt and Branham receive awards on behalf of the SNC Board and Staff, presented by Izzy Martin of The Sierra Fund – photo by Robert Trent
A BIG thank you to Sierra Day in the Capitol co-sponsors:
Alpine Watershed Group
Ebbetts Pass Forest Watch
El Dorado Irrigation District
Mountain Meadows Conservancy
Planning and Conservation League
For copies of the materials handed out as part of Sierra Day contact Kerry Morse at: Kerry.Morse@SierraFund.org or (530) 265-8454 x13.