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Programs - Sustainable Sierra Land Use Campaign
Goal:
The Sustainable Sierra Land Use Campaign protects Sierra lands, water, wildlife and rural communities by shaping smart land use planning in all Sierra Nevada counties.Strategy:
We work with local land use groups across the Sierra to build and support a regional smart growth movement. Key strategies include:Promote good county general plan policies;Support efforts to fight bad development proposals;Improve understanding of regional trends;Build networks and collaborations between land use groups.
Table of Contents:NEW! 2010 Sierra Conservation Directory
Planning for Water-Wise Development in the Sierra. A Water and Land Use Policy Guide.Report Finds that Sprawling Development is Increasing Wildfire Danger in the Sierra.Mariposa County's General Plan is the Best in the SierraOverview of the Sustainable Sierra Land Use CampaignResources Available for Download
December 2009: This is a directory of organizations that work on conservation issues in the Sierra Nevada. The Sierra Nevada Alliance prepared this directory to assist Sierra conservation organizations, agencies, interested public and the media with locating and contacting conservation organizations in the region. It should also be used as an informational resource for those interested in learning more about the kind of conservation work being undertaken throughout the Sierra Nevada.Planning for Water-Wise Development in the Sierra. A Water and Land Use Policy Guide
August 2008: Few things are more important to water and the health of watersheds than how and where we accommodate future growth. Therefore, community planning plays a central but often overlooked role in watershed protection and sustainable water management. Planning for Water-Wise Development in the Sierra, a guide co-authored by the Local Government Commission and Sierra Nevada Alliance, provides local conservation groups, local government and the public useful information about the connection between development and water – water quality, water supplies and the health of the Sierra’s watersheds. The guide presents planning strategies that promote development patterns and practices better aligned with water protection goals. It’s focus is on land-use decisions made by city and county governments, and on encouraging better integration between local governments and water management agencies. To download the guide as a pdf:
For a hard copy of the document contact the Alliance: info@sierranevadaalliance.org Report Finds that Sprawling Development is Increasing Wildfire Danger in the Sierra
September 2007:The Sierra Nevada Alliance released the results of two years of research quantifying for the first time the extent of past and potential growth in wildfire-hazard areas of the Sierra. The Alliance research discovered that between 1990 and 2000, the number of people living in extreme or very high fire threat areas of the Sierra increased by 16%. That trend will only accelerate in the next 20-40 years, as more people move into dangerous parts of the Sierra. The new report, entitled Dangerous Development: Wildfire and Rural Sprawl in the Sierra Nevada, finds that fully 94% of the land slated for new home development in the Sierra is considered very high or extreme fire threat by CalFire. The Sierra’s population is expected to triple to up to 1.5 million residents by the year 2040. To read the news release click here: Dangerous Development News Release To download the full report, click here: Dangerous Development: Wildfire and Rural Sprawl in the Sierra Nevada Mariposa County's General Plan is the Best in the Sierra
January 2007: The Mariposa County Board of Supervisors adopted a new General Plan that contains many model policies for how Sierra counties can accommodate growth while protecting scenic landscapes and natural resources. Mariposa County’s new General Plan – the “blueprint” for future growth and development over the next 20 years – protects 425,000 acres of ranches and oak woodlands west of Yosemite Valley that might otherwise be lost to urban sprawl.Read press release here Ranchers, Environmentalists Welcome Plan to Protect Ranchland in Sierra Foothills -
New general plan protects 425,000 acres from sprawl development Download excerpts from the new plan here Mariposa General Plan Policies See the entire plan from Mariposa County's website Mariposa General Plan Overview of the Sustainable Sierra Land Use Campaign
The Sierra Nevada is the third fastest growing region of California. According to the California Department of Finance, the current population of 600,000 is expected to triple to somewhere between 1.5 and 2.4 million residents by 2040. The bulk of Sierra growth is taking place in the unincorporated areas and county governments have the primary responsibility for regulating land use and guiding human settlement patterns. Due to poor planning, population growth in the Sierra too often comes at the expense of working landscapes, ecosystem health and community character. Approximately 35,000 acres of large ranches and forest holdings are converted to residential development every year. Sierra Nevada Alliance’s Sustainable Sierra Land Use Campaign works to advance sustainable land use planning in the Sierra Nevada region. We work with local land use groups across the Sierra to build and support a regional smart growth movement to protect working landscapes, preserve lands important for wildlife, watersheds, and ecosystem integrity, and maintain historic town-centered patterns of Sierra communities.
Goal: To protect working landscapes, preserve lands important for wildlife, watersheds, and ecosystem integrity, and maintain historic town-centered patterns of Sierra communities. 1. Protect working landscapes: Maintain ranch, farming and timber lands in the Sierra and minimize conversion to rural sprawl. 2. Preserve lands important for wildlife, watersheds and ecosystem integrity. Identify and protect important natural resource lands including wildlife habitat and migration corridors, riparian corridors, groundwater recharge zones, oak woodlands and unique plant communities. 3. Maintain the historic town-centered pattern of Sierra communities: Ensure that new development mirrors historic Sierra development patterns. Accommodate population growth by developing neighborhoods that use land efficiently, provide a range of housing types, and are town-centered, compact and walkable. 4. Build a regional smart growth movement. Work to ensure that every Sierra community has active, effective advocates to monitor local land use and take action on important issues. Resources Available for Download
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- Land Use Directory 2008 (307kb PDF file)
The directory provides a list and short description (including contact information) of land use planning groups working in the Sierra Nevada. The 2008 directory also includes a list and description of large projects (over 500 units) proposed within the region.
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