Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship Needs Your Help

As you are probably aware, Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship is in the midst of the Phase 1 planning of their massive legacy project to build 300 miles of motorized singletrack trails in the Sierra Nevada mountains. SBTS is a huge ally to RAD and every lover of singletrack.  The Executive Director and their Trail Whisperer have personally devoted their time to give us the invaluable help we've needed to get the Peavine Maze Connectivity Project off the ground, which will link the trails in Reno and Verdi to this incredible network.

You can personally help this project right now, right from your couch.  SBTS is in the process of rallying community support for the project and they are asking everyone to complete a survey regarding the plan to illustrate the need for the project.  Please read the below message from SBTS's Executive Director and complete the survey he has linked to.

We are building trails to grow our economies.
The Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship is partnering with the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, National Forests, cities and counties to develop a regional Connected Communities Trails Master Plan. Together, community members, land managers and local government agencies will create a Trails Master Plan with a vision to enhance recreation on public lands, preserve and celebrate the character of mountain communities, create new opportunities for economic prosperity and contribute to shared stewardship, all benefiting economically disadvantaged communities in Plumas, Sierra, Butte and Lassen Counties.

Your support will shape the future of The Lost Sierra.
Local support is instrumental in the success of The Connected Communities plan. The more support we can show the bigger the impact we will have on the communities. Our goal is to create a united voice to speak for our land and our economies.

Your local knowledge is needed.
We want to engage community members in the planning process and get an understanding of where and how community members use local trails and where they would like to have additional access to surrounding public lands. Please take 2-3 minutes to fill out an electronic survey. Your response will be extremely helpful in our planning process. Link to Connected Communities survey - https://sierratrails.org/connected-communities/

The Lost Sierra Connected Communities plan will: 

• Plan a world-class trail system connecting the “Main Street” of 15- northern Sierra communities: Loyalton, Sierraville, Sierra City, Downieville, Quincy, Graeagle, Portola, Taylorsville, Greenville, Chester, Westwood, Susanville, Jonesville, Truckee and Reno. 
• Provide a repeatable process through project documentation and storyboarding for how communities can partner with land managers and local government agencies to develop sustainable recreation and economic resources on public lands.
• Support severely disadvantaged communities through recreation-based economic growth, new business opportunities and local job creation.
• GIS Map and show designated types of use on existing trails and roads connecting communities, campgrounds, fire lookouts, lakes, streams and other points of interest.
• Showcase the headwaters of the Yuba and Feather Rivers, which are critical watersheds delivering more than 65% of California’s clean drinking water.
• Attract individual adventure seekers and families to mountain communities looking for high quality of life and a lifestyle tied to the outdoors. 
• Bring visitors into towns for services and accommodations, and allow residents to easily access the surrounding public lands (without the use of a vehicle) via a “Main Street Trailhead”

Timing of the Lost Sierra Connected Communities is Critical:

• The Plumas, Tahoe and Lassen Forests are in the process of updating their Forest Land & Resource Management Plans, all of which are nearly 30- years old and have no mention of “trails” or “recreation” as a type of use or resource. 
• The U.S. Forest Service, National Strategy for Sustainable Trail Systems identifies the need to plan, maintain and construct trails with partnerships.
• The U.S. Forest Service, 10-Year Sustainable Trail Stewardship Challenge specifically identifies the need to complete Trail Master Plans on each forest.

Now is the time to make your voice heard. Thank you for your time and effort.

Greg Williams
Executive Director
Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship
www.sierratrails.org