Sierra Nevada Conservancy

The Sierra Nevada Conservancy is the largest conservancy in the U.S. state of California,[1] and the largest state conservation effort of its kind in the nation.[2][3]

The nonregulatory, nonprofit organization functions under the State Resources Agency. The conservancy creates grants for economic, recreation, and resource preservation in the greater Sierra Nevada area. In addition, it offers educational symposiums.[4]

Since 1973, seven other state conservancies were formed in California. The Sierra Nevada Conservancy was established with the passing of Assembly Bill 2600 in 2004, and is supported by the Sierra Nevada Alliance. Its creation was spearheaded by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and co-sponsored by Assemblymembers Tim Leslie and John Laird. In 2006, voters passed Proposition 84, with some of the funding appropriated to the Sierra Nevada Conservancy for safe water supply and quality, flood control, park improvements and natural resource protection.

The conservancy's jurisdiction covers approximately 25,000,000 acres (101,171.41 km²; 39,062.50 sq mi) in the counties of Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Tehama, Tulare, Tuolumne, and Yuba. Including 3500 plant species, and 720 animal species, it supports half of California's plants, half of the state's reptile and amphibian species, and two-thirds of the state's bird and mammal species.[3]

The conservancy has offices in Auburn, Bishop, Mariposa, and Susanville. It is governed by a 13-member board, and there are three non-voting members.[1] In November 2005, Jim Branham was appointed as the organisation's first Executive Officer.[5]