Inner Coast Range Conservancy Program

Tuleyome is spearheading the establishment of the Inner Coast Range State Conservancy (ICRC) that will be modeled after the successful Sierra Nevada Conservancy.

Inner Coast Range includes world renowned geological, biological, and cultural resources, large areas of public land, resourceful people, and resilient rural communities. The region is an important part of the State’s economy, providing substantial agricultural products, timber, water, fishery, and other biological resources, ranching, tourism, and recreation.

In cooperation with local governments, private businesses, nonprofit organizations, and the public, a Northern Inner Coast Range Conservancy can accomplish all of the following:

1. Provide increased opportunities for tourism and recreation;
2. Protect, conserve, and restore the region’s physical, cultural, archeological, historical, and living resources;
3. Aid in the preservation of the working landscapes;
4. Reduce the risk and severity of natural disturbances, such as wildfires, and restore resiliency to natural landscapes;
5. Protect and improve water supply and water and air quality, and improve water use efficiency;
6. Assist the regional economy through the operation of the this program;
7. Identify the highest priority local projects and initiatives for which funding is needed;
8. Undertake efforts to enhance public use and enjoyment of lands owned by the public; and
9. Support efforts that advance, in a complementary manner, environmental preservation and restoration as well as economic well-being of the region’s residents.

A Conservancy can help to implement regional stakeholder initiatives such as the federally funded California Headwaters Partnership; the FireScape Mendocino collaborative process; fuels management, forest restoration, fisheries habitat enhancement, water quality protection and enhancement, and recreation programs of Resource Conservation Districts and local governments throughout the region; and the work of similar locally based and solution-oriented collaboratives.

The northern inner Coast Range region is largely under-served among similar programs in California and merits a Conservancy program as a matter of fairness and equity, and the Inner Coast Range Conservancy will bring additional funding and capability for implementing locally valued programs to the region.

The Conservancy is non-regulatory. No powers are granted over city or county land use, or over water rights held by others. Governance of the Conservancy as proposed included an Advisory Board made up of one representative each from six of the counties that chose to be included, which assures consideration of local priorities. The Conservancy will not exercise the power of eminent domain. The Conservancy will make no expenditure that either directly supports or deters the planning or implementation of the Sites Reservoir project.

Tuleyome believes that there is still a missing connection between the needs of the people, communities, local governments, and the environment in the northern inner Coast Range region and the state funding that could be delivered to these areas in an effective, locally prioritized fashion.

We’ll be working hard over the next six months to reconnect with local governments, non-profit organizations, and others in the region to listen to their concerns and address them as appropriate for inclusion in a future Conservancy effort.

Additional Information:

• Fact Sheet: California State Public Conservancies
• Fact Sheet: Sierra Nevada Conservancies
• Q&A: Inner Coast Range Program
• Draft Boundary Map

For additional information contact Sandra Schubert at sschubert@tuleyome.org.