Manzanar is a part of our nation's past that many have tried to sweep under the rug. And yet there are countless stories baked into the dirt beneath the tall white monument that now stands at the Manzanar National Historic Site: stories of the Native Americans who lived there first; stories of the orchards and ranches that once filled the valley; stories of the Japanese Americans who were forced from their homes …continue reading
Inyo County is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, and in its honor, Eastern Sierra Land Trust will be exploring Inyo's past in a 5-part speaker series aimed at bringing to light the rich cultural and natural history of the area... Press Release [PDF]
In the final days of 2013, Eastern Sierra Land Trust (ESLT) received a generous gift of an important conservation property located in the hills south of Bridgeport. This 40-acre parcel, which includes a length of Green Creek, was gifted to ESLT by the David and Elva Sinai Foundation Inc. of Reno, Nevada. By partnering with ESLT, the trustees of this family foundation have ensured that this special place will remain as open …continue reading
Did you know that lands preserved by ESLT in partnership with private landowners have included what was once the highest elevation production orchard in the Country, the first farm established in Hammil Valley (also a railroad stop), and a portion of one of the earliest ranches in Big Meadows, which we now know as Bridgeport? Apple orchard in Swall Meadows Working in land conservation we spend a lot of time …continue reading
When Bob Naylon traveled to the Eastern Sierra in the 1980's, he was looking for a large open piece of land to call home. "I found this piece of Swall Meadows and it was beautiful," Bob says, "and I bought it." Over time, Bob and his wife Lee began to think about options to keep their property from development. "I have always been interested in land conservation, and it finally came to …continue reading
Local Mono County landowner, Jan Simis, has permanently preserved her 135 acres for future generations. Press Release
In February, 2001, ESLT gained 501(c)3 nonprofit status as the first and only local land trust in the Eastern Sierra. But how does a land trust begin? According to Rick Kattelmann, one of the founding members and a former Mono County Planning Commission member, "I remember ten years of assorted conversations, casual talk about how the Eastern Sierra could use a land trust." And then in 2000, seven Mono County citizens, including …continue reading
For those who live, work, and play in the Eastern Sierra, its easy to know why people want to preserve and protect this unique place. Conservation Easements, used by the ESLT and other land trusts, are a handy tool to do just that (www.easternsierralandtrust.org/Pages/Agreements.htm). However, unbeknownst to many is that land trusts and conservation easements are home-grown, American ideas. Who can't appreciate something as American as land conservation? While the ancient Romans …continue reading
The removal of junked cars and piles of debris that once marred the views north of Mono Lake, in addition to an agreement that will keep the land from ever being subdivided into ranchettes, were grounds for a celebration on Saturday, July 26th. Residents from the Eastern Sierra and from across the state gathered in Mono Basin to applaud the restoration and generous donation of a 480 acre conservation easement to the …continue reading
More than one hundred people joined the Eastern Sierra Land Trust this past Saturday (5/10) to celebrate the completion of a spectacular 900 acre conservation easement on the Benton Hot Springs Ranch in northeastern Mono County off SR 120. Press Release [PDF]