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The Sierra Fund is now Indigenous Futures Society.

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2014

News and project updates from 2014.

TSF leads three more successful tours

Over the last three weeks, TSF has led three tours to showcase two flagship projects. Regulators from the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board and TSF Board Members got a chance to view the Combie Reservoir mercury removal facility on two occasions in early December, and yesterday three staff of the CA Department of Conservation, Office of Mine Reclamation (OMR) visited our project at Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park. Tours of these sites and others are planned as part of our Reclaiming the Sierra Conference. Click here for more details about these tours.

TSF’s 2014 Accomplishments

In the last twelve months, The Sierra Fund has taken significant strides in pursuit of our mission: to increase and organize investment in protecting and restoring the natural resources and communities of the Sierra Nevada. In addition to continuing our role as statewide leader for Sierra advocacy and action on legacy mines in California, we have stepped into a major new role as coordinator of a $5.5 million grant for a dozen projects in the CABY region, increased our staff capacity, completed the first phase of our mine assessment project at Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, and much more.

Deer Creek Tribute Trail & Bridge Opening a Meaningful Ceremony

Last month, The Sierra Fund hosted a powerful and well attended opening ceremony for the Nisenan Tribute Site, the newest addition to Nevada City’s Deer Creek Tribute Trail system. The event, held October 28, 2014 was centered around a ceremony by the Foothills Nisenan Nevada City Rancheria, and also included presentations from project partners, detailing the guiding vision and personal significance of the project to various project participants. With over 125 attendees, we were gratified by the turnout for the event.

Launching Reclaiming the Sierra 2015 – registration open & papers released

Early bird registration is now open for The Sierra Fund’s third conference, Reclaiming the Sierra 2015: The New Gold Rush, a conference to address historic mining impacts. The Sierra Fund’s bi-annual conference, hosted at the heart of the glitter and devastation of what was California’s original Gold Rush, is the state’s primary venue for collaboration and action around addressing the ongoing effects of historic mining. This outcomes-oriented event draws hundreds of people who are leaders in their field including policymakers, landowning and regulatory agencies, scientific researchers, water quality experts, reclamation firms, mining industry, public health specialists, and environmental advocates. Speakers and moderators have been involved in crafting four “Issue Papers” that distill the background and opportunities for action on four priority topics that will be featured at the conference:

TSF CEO featured at State of the Sacramento River Watershed Forum, October 30

The Sierra Fund CEO Elizabeth Martin will be a panel speaker at the 6th Annual State of the Sacramento River Watershed Forum, to be held October 30 in Sacramento. The aim of this year's Forum is to provide an opportunity for a more interactive and responsive conversation focused on current issues affecting the Sacramento River watershed. Izzy will speak on TSF's "Get the Mercury Out" campaign, as well as our efforts to explore the marketing potential of metals obtained in the restoration of legacy mine contaminants.

Join us Tues, Oct 28 for the Opening Ceremony for the Nisenan Tribute Site

Please join us at the Opening Ceremony for the newest addition of Nevada City’s Deer Creek Tribute Trail system: The Nisenan Tribute Site and Angkula Seo Suspension Bridge. When: Tuesday, October 28, 2014 11:00am - 12:30pm, Ceremony begins at 11:30am, including ribbon-cutting by California Secretary of Resources John Laird; Where: Nisenan Tribute Site, Appx. 20 min. walking distance from downtown Nevada City.

Tribute Trail Suspension Bridge Project Nearing Completion

The Deer Creek Tribute Trail is a trail network being developed around the Nevada City area. These trails not only pay tribute to history and local landmarks but also increase recreation opportunities and fire safety for our community. One of the most significant recent additions to the trail network is the new trail and 150 ft suspension bridge that crosses Deer Creek on property belonging to Nevada City, connecting two existing trail loops. This bridge and trail honor the Nisenan People, the original people of this area.

Support TSF’s Fish Tissue Sampling Program

The Sierra Fund’s science team is venturing into the world of fishing in the name of public health. But in order to expand our impact by analyzing more fish tissue samples, we need YOU to help. We are working to raise $7,500 over the next month to cover the costs of having the fish tissue analyzed at an EPA-certified lab in order to be used as official public health information. We will begin fishing this fall at Rollins Reservoir and with your help continue our efforts at other water bodies. Our goal is to raise enough money to catch and analyze 250 more fish for mercury. There are two ways you can help, and both take under a minute

IRMA requests comments on new standard for responsible mining – deadline extended to Nov 22

Between now and October 22, 2014, stakeholders who have an interest in mining issues may submit feedback on the IRMA’s draft Standard for Responsible Mining. The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) is a group that includes stakeholders from the mining industry, organized labor, nongovernmental organizations, impacted communities, and businesses, which has been working to establish a multi-stakeholder and independently verifiable responsible mining assurance system that improves social and environmental performance.

TSF supports Proposition 1: Water Bond

At their board meeting on Tuesday, September 9, 2014 the Board of Directors of The Sierra Fund voted unanimously to support the water bond that has been placed by the Legislature and the Governor onto the November 2014 ballot. “The Board took this position because we understand the urgent need for the State to invest in water quality and watershed restoration projects around the state. The water quality situation in some disadvantaged communities has reached a crisis and we must act,” noted Board Chair Tim Seward.

Water Bond (Proposition #1) contains The Sierra Fund’s language to remediate mines, and more

Earlier this month the state legislature passed a water bond, and the Governor signed this new version replacing the old water bond that had been first placed on the ballot in the fall of 2009. The Secretary of State has assigned the bond item the Number 1 for placement on the November 4, 2014 election ballot. Despite the intensity of the advocacy around the bill, The Sierra Fund was successful in catching the attention of decision makers about the very crucial issue of mercury contamination in the state that originates in upstream, legacy mines.

Rice’s Crossing Acquired: Six Miles of Yuba River Purchased

In 2008, The Sierra Fund, in partnership with a number of other agencies and organizations, won a $1 million grant from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy to acquire the Rice’s Crossing Property on the Middle Yuba River. That grant became one piece of the funding puzzle that has now been completed: the Bear Yuba Land Trust has now acquired this 2,706 acre parcel which spans 9.5 miles of the Yuba River, and was a high priority target in our partners’ vision for a 25-mile Yuba River Parkway.

TSF Releases Report on Pilot Environmental Health Outreach Program

The Sierra Fund is proud to release a new report detailing activities, results, and lessons learned from a year-long pilot outreach program in four Sierra communities. The short term goals of this program were to prevent and reduce exposure to mercury from locally caught fish in Sierra communities, and to raise awareness about mercury in the fish and other mine-related toxins, among community members, leaders, and healthcare providers. The long term goal is to build a movement to clean up sources of legacy mining pollution in the Sierra.

Sierra Water Workgroup Summit – June 12-13, 2014

The Sierra Water Workgroup Summit will be held this year in Kings Beach, CA on June 12-13, 2014. The Summit theme this year is drought and climate change. The 2014 Sierra Water Work Group Summit, sponsored by the State Bar of California, Environmental Law Section, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, and the Sierra Nevada Alliance. The Sierra Fund CEO Elizabeth Martin will is on the agenda as part of the Water Bond Plenary session, as well as the breakout session on the Sierra-Delta Connection. We hope to see you there!

Legislative Update on SB 1270 and 1259

The Sierra Fund is supporting two bills authored by Senator Fran Pavley in the current legislative session, SB 1270 and SB 1259. SB 1270, the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA) Reform Act of 2014 was held in the Senate Appropriations Committee without enough votes to muster passage, making the bill essentially dead for the year. SB 1259 Sedimentation Studies has moved to the floor of the Senate after unanimously passing both the Appropriations and Natural Resources Committees. This bill requires the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to gather data to study the loss of storage capacity behind California dams resulting from sedimentation.

Join us June 7 for Tribute Trail Maintenance Day

Join The Sierra Fund and Bureau of Land Management this Saturday, June 7, in a day of getting your hands dirty to restore one of our town's most used trails: the Deer Creek Tribute Trail. On Saturday June 7th, as part of the Bear Yuba Land Trust's (BYLT’s) National Trails Day activities, give back to the trail system you love by weed pulling, grading, and picking up trash. Meet at 9 a.m. at the Trails Day Headquarters, Rood Center. Bring your work clothes, closed toed shoes, sun hat, gloves and lots of water.

Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Partnership is Accepting Applications for Host Site Organizations for the 2014 – 2015 Program

The Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Partnership, a program of the Sierra Nevada Alliance, is currently accepting applications from Sierra Nevada conservation organizations and agencies to become a Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Partnership Host Site for our upcoming 2014 – 2015 program. This effective program places up to 28 highly qualified and motivated, full-time AmeriCorps members at conservation organizations and natural resource agencies serving the 400 mile long ‘Range of Light’. The deadline for host site applications is May 30, 2014.

Mining Reform Bill SB1270 Passes First Senate Hurdle

The Senate Natural Resources Committee yesterday passed SB 1270 (Pavley), the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA) Reform Act on a vote of 7 – 2. Elizabeth Martin, CEO of the bill’s sponsor The Sierra Fund, spoke as an expert witness on the benefits of the bill. Senator Fran Pavley, Chair of the Committee and author of the bill introduced the bill with the note that this is the first time that SMARA has been revisited since legislation championed by California State Senator Byron Sher in the 1990s.

Mercury expert to speak on human health impacts, May 2 in State Capitol

Jane Hightower, MD, author of the exposé Diagnosis: Mercury, will be the keynote speaker at an event highlighting the ongoing human health impacts of mercury in California’s environment. Dr. Hightower, a national expert on mercury, will speak about her research into the health impacts of consuming mercury-contaminated fish, with a special focus on the irreversible neurological impacts of this exposure to children during pregnancy and childhood. The event “Mercury and Human Health: An informational summit on the impacts of mercury exposure through fish consumption” will be held in the California State Capitol hearing room 2040 on May 2, 2014 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm. It will feature a presentation by Dr. Hightower, other guest speakers, and a question session. The event is hosted by nonprofit The Sierra Fund, with co-sponsors Senator Fran Pavley, Physicians for Social Responsibility/Sacramento, Sierra Health Foundation, California Indian Environmental Alliance and California State University, Chico.

Finance Manager Position open at TSF

The Sierra Fund is currently seeking an experienced Finance Manager and an Administrative Assistant to join our team of passionate and dedicated staff in our Nevada City office. The Sierra Fund has seen impressive growth of our programs and philanthropic services over the last year. We are proud and excited to be able to offer new positions for an experienced finance professional and entry-level admin staff, as part of long-term vision of building our organization and pursuing our mission. We welcome the new individuals to our team of passionate and dedicated staff members.

An informative evening in Quincy with The Sierra Fund

Last Thursday over sixty people showed up to the Plumas County Fairgrounds for an informational event about legacy mines in the Sierra Nevada hosted by a regional nonprofit organization, The Sierra Fund (TSF). The event was presented with the support of the County of Plumas and the California Indian Environmental Alliance. “We were thrilled to have such a broad range of participants attend the meeting,” said Elizabeth Martin, CEO of The Sierra Fund. “The number of people who attended and the great questions they asked clearly show that folks are interested in our region’s mining history and how it plays into our lives today.”

The Sierra Fund awarded $5.5 million for water projects

The Sierra Fund has received a grant of $5.5 million from the California Department of Water Resources for water quality and supply projects proposed as part of the Cosumnes, American, Bear, Yuba (CABY) Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM). The successful proposal, CABY Headwaters Resilience and Adaptability Program, was submitted last winter as part of the Department’s Proposition 84 Round 2 Implementation Grant Solicitation.