The Sierra Fund is now 
Indigenous Futures Society.
News and project updates from 2009.
NEVADA CITY – On Thursday, December 3 The Sierra Fund submitted comments on the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Draft Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) scoping document regarding the environmental impact review…
NEW ORLEANS, 16 November 2009 – Elizabeth “Izzy” Martin, CEO of The Sierra Fund, was invited to speak on a panel at the national EPA Brownfields Conference, held this year at the Morial Convention…
SACRAMENTO, 23 November 2009 – The Sierra Fund’s Chief Executive Officer, Elizabeth “Izzy” Martin, was an invited witness at recent Congressional field hearings on “Abandoned Mines and Mercury in California.” The following day, November…
SACRAMENTO - The Sierra Fund’s annual holiday reception, held at the Cal/EPA Building Lobby in Sacramento on December 1, 2009 was a great success and underscored the important work of TSF and our partners…
Mark your calendar for the Planning and Conservation League’s conference “Greening California’s Landscapes: Smart Solutions for a New Era” to be held Saturday, January 30, 2010. The conference program features The Sierra Fund CEO…
NEVADA CITY CA, 19 November 2009 – The House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources has invited The Sierra Fund’s Chief Executive Officer, Elizabeth “Izzy” Martin, to provide official testimony as part of a…
A BIG Thank You to our Reception Sponsors:John and Patty BrissendenCalifornia Trout
SACRAMENTO, 11 November 2009 – In late October, the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) released for public comment their scoping document, as part of their environmental impact review of suction dredge mining…
WASHINGON DC, 9 November 2009 – The House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources has scheduled an oversight field hearing on “Abandoned Mines and Mercury in California.” The hearing is scheduled for Monday, November…
The Sierra Fund invites you to join us at our annual Holiday Reception, to be held in Sacramento Tuesday, December 1 from 5:00 – 7:00pm at the Cal/EPA building reception area on the 2nd…
SACRAMENTO, 20 October 2009 – The Sierra Fund has joined 27 other organizations in signing a Water Policy Letter to Governor Schwarzenegger, Senate President pro Tem Steinberg, and Assembly Speaker Bass, calling out three…
NEVADA CITY, 20 October 2009 - The Sierra Fund is pleased to announce that John Laird has agreed to join the board of The Sierra Fund. John will be formally seated at the December…
This year’s annual Calling Back the Salmon Ceremony (October 10) was another beautiful community event bringing together the ancient and more modern residents of our community. There is a new Calling Back the Salmon…
SQUAW VALLEY CA, 24 September 2009 – After years of planning, California Secretary of Natural Resources, Mike Chrisman yesterday announced the launch of a new environmental license plate campaign for the Sierra Nevada. Proceeds…
SACRAMETO, 9 September 2009 – Resources Secretary Mike Chrisman recently ordered the release of a newly compiled inventory of abandoned mine properties owned by the State of California. In releasing the report Secretary Chrisman…
AUBURN, CA - The Sierra Nevada Conservancy (Conservancy), is sponsoring the First Annual Great Sierra River Cleanup, September 19, on river systems throughout the Sierra Nevada Region. The event will involve hundreds of volunteers…
LAKE TAHOE, CA – The Sierra Nevada Alliance’s annual conference is coming up soon! The sixteenth annual conference will be held October 16-18, 2009 at the North Tahoe Conference Center in King’s Beach. Mark…
SACRAMENTO, 18 August 2009 -- Yesterday the California Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously passed AB 1115, authored by Assemblymember Felipe Fuentes, allowing CA state conservancies to apply for federal Land and Water Conservation Funds (LWCF)…
NEVADA CITY, 18 August 2009 – This month, The Sierra Fund’s Mining Project Organizer Mike Thornton completed a journey that took him to all 22 counties of the Sierra Nevada region in order to…
SACRAMENTO, 11 August 2009 – Last Thursday, August 6, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger took a positive step on behalf of the people of California and the State’s environment when he signed Senate Bill 670 (Wiggins)…
SACRAMENTO, 11 August 2009 – The Governor's budget, signed months late on July 28, had some good news in it for the Sierra. The final budget invests $20.2 million in the Sierra Nevada Conservancy,…
SACRAMENTO, 11 August 2009 – Due to the urgency clause in SB 670 signed by the Governor last week making it effective immediately, it is now unlawful to operate a suction dredge for mining…
SACRAMENTO, 6 August 2009 – President Pro Tem of the California State Senator Steinberg today announced the appointment of Robert “Bob” Johnston of Truckee, California, to the Board of Directors of the Sierra Nevada…
SACRAMENTO, 6 August 2009– Today, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger took a positive step on behalf of the people of California and the State’s environment when he signed Senate Bill 670 (Wiggins) into law, thereby placing…
In 2009, The Sierra Fund (TSF) staff interviewed federal land managers from the Sierra Nevada where recreational suction dredge mining for gold occurred, to learn how regulations of this sort of mining were enforced.
SACRAMENTO, 14 June 2009 – New protections for California’s people and environment are now only a signature away. Yesterday the State Senate joined the State Assembly in overwhelmingly passing SB 670 (Wiggins), a measure…
SACRAMENTO, 9 July 2009 – Today the California State Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of Senate Bill 670 (Wiggins, D-Santa Rosa), to create a moratorium on suction dredging. SB 670 has garnered solid bi-partisan…
NEVADA CITY, 9 July 2009 – The Sierra Fund is pleased to announce that our organization is the new home for an outstanding regional program. Effective July 1, 2009, The Sierra-Stanford Partnership has joined…
SACRAMENTO, 25 June 2009 – Yesterday, more than 30 Sierra representatives brightened the day in the State Capitol, bringing our Range of Light into each legislator’s office. The 7th annual Sierra Day in the…
SACRAMENTO, 17 JUNE 2009 – After an emotional hearing at the California Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee on Tuesday morning, committee members showed unanimous, bi-partisan support for SB 670 (Wiggins) with a vote…
For the first time, the California State Capitol Building is hosting an exhibit on the Sierra Nevada. The exhibit is on display from June 16 through June 26, 2009 in the lobby outside the…
SACRAMENTO, 11 JUNE 2009 - SB 670 by Senator Pat Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa), requiring the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) to temporarily halt issuing all suction dredge mining permits, has been scheduled…
Please RSVP now to participate in the 8th Sierra Day in the Capitol on Wednesday, June 24! We need YOU to stand up for the Sierra at this annual event—and come to the reception…
NEVADA CITY, 11 June 2009 - On Friday June 5, 2009 The Sierra Fund submitted specific comments on the proposed State Water Plan (SWP) now being circulated by the Statewide Integrated Water Management program…
SB 670 by Senator Pat Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa), requiring the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) to temporarily halt issuing all suction dredge mining permits, has passed off the California State Senate Floor…
SB 670 by Senator Pat Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa), requiring the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) to temporarily halt issuing all suction dredge mining permits, has passed out of Senate Appropriations Committee and…
According to a new study from the CA State Water Resources Control Board, mercury is the number one contaminant of fish in the state’s lakes. The second highest contaminant is PCBs. These findings reiterate…
To save resources, The Sierra Fund is publishing our 2008 Organizational Report online. Please click below to check out our year’s highlights and acknowledgements.
The Sierra Fund congratulates the cities of Grass Valley and Sutter Creek on receiving US-EPA funding to assess hazardous substances in their communities, including legacy mining toxins. Brownfields 2009 Assessment Grant Fact SheetGrass Valley,…
SACRAMENTO, 28 April 2009 – California's Senate Natural Resources Committee today passed SB 670 (Wiggins) with bi-partisan support, placing a temporary moratorium on the issuance of recreational suction dredge mining permits by the Department…
As money got tighter in 2009, The Sierra Fund got more creative in our own approach to philanthropy. Advised by our Board and Sierra conservation leaders, The Sierra Fund made philanthropic dollars work hard…
The Sierra Fund's 2008 IRS Form 990.
SACRAMENTO, 21 April 2009 – The CA Senate Budget Subcommittee on Natural Resources will be considering the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and Department of Water Resources (DWR) budgets on Thursday April 23…
“Do not eat!” That’s what the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) is recommending when it comes to certain species of fish in Gold Country water bodies heavily impacted by mercury from…
NEVADA CITY, 21 April 2009 – Community voting is now open for the “Show Your Impact” Adobe-TechSoup Design Contest—cast your vote now to help bring money to important Sierra organizations!The Sierra Fund has entered…
The Sierra Fund will join Sierra College, the Tsi-Akim Maidu Tribe, and many other community members to celebrate Earth Day this Wednesday April 22. Come join us from 11am to 5pm at the Sierra…
The Sierra Fund to talk about funding for cleaning up “Mining’s Toxic Legacy” and “Smart Growth” Assistance NEVADA CITY, 21 April 2009 -- Today The Sierra Fund (TSF) will continue its “Mining’s Toxic Legacy”…
NEVADA CITY, 9 April 2009 – Send a letter today in support of SB 670! This bill was introduced by Senator Pat Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) to place a moratorium on motorized dredge mining pending…
NEVADA CITY, 9 April 2009 -- The Sierra Fund is now collecting projects for our annual issue of Sierra Nevada Conservation Project Profiles. Check out 2008’s Conservation Project Profiles online for examples!If you have…
Andrea Lawrence was a Sierra hero. The Sierra Fund will miss her!From the New York TimesBy Douglas MartinPublished April 1, 2009Andrea Mead Lawrence, who as a 19-year-old newlywed at the 1952 Olympics rocketed down…
SACRAMENTO, 2 April 2009 – The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Resources considered the impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act at their hearing today. They directed staff to develop strategies for incorporating these…
NEVADA CITY, 2 April 2009 – The Institute for Sustainability at Sierra College Tahoe-Truckee, in partnership with Sierra Business Council and The Sierra Fund, will host a community educational event on Mining’s Toxic Legacy…
NEVADA CITY, 2 April 2009 – The Sierra Fund and the Sierra Nevada Alliance will be hosting the seventh Sierra Day in the Capitol on Wednesday June 24, 2009. Please mark your calendar now…
NEVADA CITY, 2 April 2009 – Micro-Grants of $100-$500 are still available to organizations willing to host a community education event about legacy mining toxins in the Sierra Nevada. Applications will be accepted until…
NEVADA CITY, 2 April 2009 – Last week, The Sierra Fund and Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) joined forces for a trip through Madera, Mariposa, Fresno, and Kern counties. This team outreach tour…
On March 19, the US-EPA released their Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) for 2007. Analysis of the TRI from EARTHWORKS concludes that metal mining is still the nation’s largest polluter. Read the full article here.EPA…
AUBURN, CA March 11, 2009 -- After nearly four years of preparation, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy License Plate Campaign is getting ready to roll! Prepare for the Bear – the Bear on the Sierra…
The Sierra Fund, joined by State Department of Toxic Substances Control, to talk about funding for cleaning up Mining’s Toxic Legacy and Smart Growth AssistanceNEVADA CITY, CA March 18, 2009 -- On March 23rd,…
NEVADA CITY, CA March 18, 2009 -- Last week Governor Schwarzenegger appointed John Lane to the California State Mining and Geology Board, part of the State’s Department of Conservation, for the seat of Environmental…
By: United Nations Environment ProgrammeNAIROBI February 20, 2009 -- A global crackdown on the poisonous pollutant mercury was agreed by environment ministers at the end of the UN Environment Programme's (UNEP) Governing Council.The landmark…
As an innovative community foundation for the environment, The Sierra Fund partners with private donors and public agencies to increase and organize investment in the land, air, water and human resources of the Sierra…
From the Sierra Nevada ConservancyFebruary 5, 2009 -- The Sierra Nevada Conservancy has started compiling information on funding opportunities, workshops, and resources that are applicable to the Sierra, and we are now sharing it…
Nevada City, CA, February 10, 2009 -- The Sierra Fund is pleased to report that our Mining’s Toxic Legacy Initiative reached more than 3,000 people in person in 2008, and well over a million…
Nevada City, CA 2/5/09 -- The Sierra Fund issued a statement today thanking Senator Feinstein for her successful effort to get language funding Abandoned Mine Lands into the US Senate Appropriations bill as part…
From EARTHWORKSWashington, DC, January 27, 2009 -- EARTHWORKS applauds Chairman Rahall's introduction of the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009 (HR 2262). Almost identical to the bill that passed the House in the…
New Survey Documents How Freeze on Millions of Dollars in ContractsDeals a Damaging Blow to Sierra EconomyJanuary 21, 2009(Sierra Nevada, CA) – A recent survey by the Sierra Nevada Alliance confirms that the State’s…
January 21, 2009 Today the Nevada City-based community foundation The Sierra Fund announces a new “Micro” grants program aimed at providing public education assistance to organizations across the Sierra concerned about “Mining’s Toxic Legacy.”Micro…
Commissions and nonprofits charged with conserving parks, wildlife, water and mountain areas of the state are at risk of laying off staff or closing since the state stopped funding last month.From the Los Angeles…
Sacramento, January 6, 2009 – Elizabeth Martin, CEO of The Sierra Fund, spoke to the State Water Resources Control Board at their January Board meeting in Sacramento, in support of a resolution to allocate…
From Sacramento Bee, 1/20/2009It's not news that salmon populations have declined drastically. Last year, regulators voted to ban all salmon fishing along the Pacific coast of California and Oregon. Their actions wiped out the…
January 15th, 2009 Nevada City, CAToday The Sierra Fund called on the Grass Valley City Council and Planning Commission to reject the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Idaho-Maryland Mine (IMM) located in…
In January of 2009, The Sierra Fund comments on the Idaho-Maryland Mine Project Draft Environmental Impact Report, and gave recommendations to the City of Grass Valley.
