Explore the Northern Sierra on a One-of-a-Kind Tour! All OWAC writers are invited to get out in the forest this summer and fall with a hands-on, outdoor educational tour from the Sierra Institute for Community and Environment. The Institute’s Center of Forestry, now in its fourth year, is offering eleven unique programs designed to introduce local residents and visitors to the challenges and opportunities of natural resource management in the northern Sierra Nevada. These one-day tours focus on the achievements of local forest and watershed management groups and their connection to the health of rural communities. Tours also delve into current and historical land uses in Plumas County. Each tour visits one or more sites where local experts share their knowledge and experience, participate in discussions, and answer questions. The tours offer a space where controversial topics, such as northern pike eradication at Lake Davis and copper mining near Indian Valley, can be discussed openly with local resource management professionals and other experts. Unlike the common practice of pitting two sides against one another, Center of Forestry tours start with the idea of a “working landscape,” a place where people live and work. These landscapes – forests, ranches, and watersheds – underpin the economic survival of rural communities in the northern Sierra Nevada, while also serving as critical habitat for wildlife and as the headwaters for much of California’s water supply. Please join us on one of our 2008 tours and share the experience with your readers: June 20 – Humans on the Land: in the morning, visit Lake Davis and learn about the California Department of Fish and Game’s eradication of Northern Pike; in the afternoon, discuss conservation easements and land management on the scenic Maddalena Ranch. June 28 – Habitat for Birds and Humanity: visit a mist-net station with a local wildlife biologist and learn why the Almanor Basin offers premier Sierran bird habitat. August 2 – Maidu History of Indian Valley: tour Indian Valley with a local Maidu guide, who will point out historically significant sites and teach us the history of the Valley. August 9 – History of the Genesee-Beckwourth Road: follow an old wagon road and discuss current and historic natural resource management projects along the scenic route. September 5 – Ecosystem Services and the Almanor Basin: learn about hydroelectric power, carbon sequestration, and many of the other “services” working landscapes provide. September 12 – Sustainable Forest Management: find out how Collins Pine, recently featured on NBC nightly news, manages its forest to create a sustainable harvest and a healthy forest ecosystem while supporting a local community from generation to generation. September 20 – Restoring Culture, the Land, & Watersheds: learn about the history, management, and restoration of the beloved Genesee Valley. October 11 – Mining in Moonlight Valley: learn about the past, present, and future of copper mining in Moonlight Valley with the Moonlight Project’s chief geologist. October 24 – Water, Power, and Fish: explore PG&E’s “Stairway of Power” from the penstock at Prattville intake to the powerhouse at Butt Valley Reservoir and on to the North Fork of the Feather River. The Sierra Institute for Community and Environment is a non-profit research and education organization dedicated to advancing rural community well-being and sustainable ecosystem management. The Institute’s Center of Forestry tours offer an opportunity to get off the beaten path and explore a mix of people, places, and projects in the northern Sierra Nevada. In addition to the tours, the Center of Forestry works to inform national policy as well as create natural resource curriculum in local schools.
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