Project Description

Imagine driving north along Scenic Highway 395. Past Mono Lake, up and over Conway Summit, the rugged terrain suddenly opens before you — revealing a vast valley, surrounded by snowy Sierra peaks.

Welcome to Bridgeport Valley, once known as “Big Meadows,” and one of the largest mountain meadow areas in all of California.

Many species of wildlife call this beautiful place home. From mule deer to pronghorn to the rare Bi-state Greater sage-grouse, species like these coexist alongside livestock and humans alike. Bridgeport Valley contains the largest wetland complex in California’s Eastern Sierra, so countless mammals and bird species use the irrigated meadows as a safe space to roam, forage, and raise their young.

No doubt about it: there’s something special about Bridgeport Valley. Those “Big Meadows” draw you back, year after year, generation after generation.

Fortunately, ranchers in Bridgeport know how unique this valley is — and many of them have chosen to partner with ESLT to conserve their land for the future.

Thanks to these forward-thinking landowners and to supporters like you, conservation here is growing by leaps and bounds. And that’s very good news — particularly because the threat of development in Bridgeport Valley is on the rise.

 

Permanently Protected in Bridgeport Valley

With growing community support and funding from state and federal partners, Eastern Sierra Land Trust has partnered with conservation-minded ranchers in Bridgeport Valley to protect these unique places for the future:

A Looming Threat

With drought and extreme weather becoming more frequent, Bridgeport Valley now faces economic pressure. Ranchers following the traditions of their parents and grandparents are struggling to make ends meet. And with rapid urban growth in Reno and Carson City now extending southward, realtors have been calling, interested in subdivisions that could slice apart the ranching fabric of Bridgeport Valley.

“Sometimes we are lulled into a false sense of security that these ranches — along with all their beauty, history, and wildlife — will be here in the future,” reflects Jeff Hunewill, the fifth generation in his family to work Bridgeport Valley’s Hunewill Ranch.

“But that’s not the case. Only with the support of our community can we make that a reality.”

Herding cattle on Hunewill Ranch in Bridgeport Valley

Hunewill Circle H Guest Ranch visitors herding cattle on the Ranch in Bridgeport Valley.

Finding Solutions in Conservation

Jeff Hunewill is one of several ranchers in Bridgeport Valley who wants to make sure that their land will stay intact for the future. Thanks to you and growing community support, Eastern Sierra Land Trust is able to partner with people like the Hunewills, providing them with tools and resources to preserve their land.

Together we can conserve this special place: for the families that work it, the visitors that treasure it, and for the wildlife that call it home. With your help, we can protect a way of life and a land we all love, and can continue to enjoy for generations to come.

Looking Ahead: the Future of Bridgeport Valley

The risk of subdivision is greater in Bridgeport Valley than in many other areas of the Eastern Sierra. And if the valley is developed, the scenic, agricultural, and wildlife values that our community stands to lose are substantial. This is such a special place — and so our team at Eastern Sierra Land Trust is doing everything we can to keep it that way.

ESLT is now working with several other ranchers and landowners in the Bridgeport area who are interested in preserving their land. Though details of these ongoing projects are confidential until the final transactions are completed, we can tell you this: now is a crucial time, and your help today will go towards protecting more of the open, irrigated ranchlands that make Bridgeport Valley truly spectacular.


 

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