Tribe And Others Receive Funds For Local Forest Resiliency Efforts

Sierra Nevada Conservancy Courtesy Photo

Sonora, CA — The Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) is awarding $27.5 million for wildfire recovery and forest resiliency projects, including a notable amount coming to the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians.

At its most recent meeting, the state agency (SNC) approved a $920,000 grant to the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians to complete the environmental planning efforts for a 2,895 acre forest health project on tribal land. The Tribe’s land management plan aims to reduce fuels to protect forests and infrastructure from wildfires and drought.

In addition, the Upper Mokelumne River Watershed Authority has received a $723,000 grant to help develop a landscape-scale plan to improve forest health on 40,000 acres spread between the Stanislaus and El Dorado National forests. The project area includes parts of Tuolumne, Calaveras, Stanislaus, Amador, Alpine, and El Dorado counties.

In nearby Amador County, the Upper Mokelumne River Watershed Authority will receive $4.7 million to improve forest health on 1,595 acres in the El Dorado National Forest.

The grant money was allocated by the state in 2023 and Sierra Nevada Conservancy CEO Angela Avery says, “It is amazing to know that less than one year later most of those funds have now been awarded to the incredible partners and projects that continue to keep our communities safe and our forested landscapes more resilient to disturbances such as wildfire, drought, disease and insects. I can’t thank our partners, staff members, and our (SNC) Board enough for making this happen so effectively and efficiently.”