We extend our heartfelt thanks to the entire team for their dedication and hard work in building this Conservancy and bringing this publication to life. Special recognition goes to Ashleigh MacLeod for her outstanding design and editorial contributions.
We also acknowledge the exceptional work of our staff writers—Spencer Collom, Michael Piatti, Alex Fahey, and Tim Davis—whose words enrich our pages. A special mention to John Dittli, whose photography truly captures the essence of our stories following the John Muir Trail. Looking south, about halfway up the northbound ascent to Muir Pass, an unnamed lake and meadow provide a most splendid
RESTORE
REWILD
REFRESH
This year’s annual report is a collection of stories, articles and images that reflect the journey of this Conservancy. As we look back on the last two years of incredible growth, we are proud to share our achievements and the positive impact we have made. Spectacular photography following the John Muir Trail suggests the expansive geography and provides context for the efforts we have undertaken.
Our mission is now at its full scope. We are working in all the areas we had hoped would be congruent and yield efficiencies. Backcountry riparian restoration and infrastructure renovation still anchor the effort. Over 100 years of development and recreational use have taken a toll that must be reversed.
The recent partnership with the North Fork Mono Tribe, whose presence in this region is documented over 1,500 years, has added the ancestral stewardship needed to move forward at scale. Supported by AI-enabled satellite imaging tools, and excellence in environmental sciences, our meadow restoration efforts have reached a new elevation.
Our mission now includes these meadow expansion techniques, support of endangered species, and notable historical conservancy. It is a rich tapestry. As you browse these pages, we hope you enjoy learning about how we brought all the threads together and found purpose.
Focusing environmental recovery of critical landscapes is essential now. We have not stabilized global temperature rise, and cannot stop rising sea levels due to melting polar regions. Ecological systems surrounding communities and agricultural centers are vital to sustaining the natural resources we depend upon to live.
The central Sierra Nevada is one such system, a prime water source and biodiversity “hot spot”. It is also the birthplace of environmental policy that shaped this nation and raised global awareness. We Californians all depend on this region for the water we drink and the food we eat. Its contribution to history and environmental awareness continues to resound as the decades pass.
Many people helped along the way with ideas, insights and sound advice. A journal of gratitude seemed appropriate to recognize just a few.
Please enjoy this magazine. We welcome the opportunity to discuss our mission with you in all its dimensions.
The JMT going south in Evolution Valley, on the banks of Wanda Lake. We are moving this trail segment uphill to more durable ground and will restore the river banks. Scheduled to start in 2025
A MISSION EXPANDED & REFINED
A newly founded nonprofit like this Conservancy takes time to find its path and rhythm. We had to listen carefully, build trusting relationships, find the opportunities, and move forward either quickly or with measured steps. Along with careful thought, hard work and sound governance, it seems timing and good luck were in our favor!
With a solid team and all of our objectives now in place, our mission ( what we do ) has expanded and come into focus, and our vision ( what we aspire to achieve) is fully refined and in tune. We thought it would be important to capture this in a new mission and vision statement.
Welcome to the expanded and refined mission of the JMT Wilderness Conservancy!
Mission & our
Working to restore the watersheds, wilderness, and wildlife in the high Sierra Nevada following the John Muir Trail (est. 1915) for all life in California.
Vision
To advance enduring alpine & forest stewardship along John Muir’s “Range of Light”
Marla Stark President & Chair Former Chief Legal Counsel, Wind RiverSystems Inc.
Doug Collom
Adjunct Professor, Wharton School of Business; Former Partner, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Board of Directors
Sierra Grossman Vice President, Corportate & Social Responsibility, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Rob Dunbar Professor Stanford University, Doerr School of Sustainability; Senior Fellow, Woods Institute for the Environment.
Herb Fockler
Seinor Of Counsel, Wilson Sonsini Goodrish & Rosati
Lyle Smith
Adjunct Lecturer, Stanford University; Former Silicon Valley Engineering Executive
Tim McAdam General Partner, Technology Crossover Ventures (TVC)
John Fore Former Partner, Wilson Sonsini Goodrish & Rosati
Matthew Adams Trustee, Ansel Adams Gallery, Yosemite National Park; Ansel Adams’ grandson.
Ron Bernal Venture Partner, NEA; Former Partner Sequel Venture Partners, Sutter Hill Ventures
A spectacular reflection of Banner Peak on a quiet still morning!
Photo: Gillian Collom
“To cherish what remains of the Earth and to foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival.”
- Wendell Berry
Making It Wild Again
Why Alpine Meadows?
Ecologists often refer to meadows as “green glaciers.” Their function (or malfunction) has compounding effects to the surrounding forest. When meadows are abundant and functioning well, they serve as all of the following:
• Snowmelt control, water storage, and groundwater recharge.
• Wildlife habitat in a biodiversity “hot spot.”
• Super carbon sequesters.
• Sediment catchments that clarify downstream waters.
• Natural wildfire breaks and deterrents.
Evolution Meadow. Kings Canyon National Park. 2016 JMT hike, from Kesearge Pass to Florence Lake, a quiet morning start with deer grazing in the meadow. Photo: Marla Stark
Now in a State of Prolonged Decline
Our meadows are smaller, fewer, and further between. Many have been reduced to deep, fast-flowing streams. More have effectively disappeared, as confier trees quickly crowd and displace meadow vegetation.
Snowmelt now charges down the mountain slopes and little water is absorbed. The forests dehydrate quickly. Endemic wildlife goes elsewhere. “Mega Fire” seasons are the new paradigm.
A seriously braided and downcut series of trails. These will dry out and eventually shrink the meadow. Photo: John Dittli
This area around Evolution Lake is scheduled for meadow restoration beginning in 2025.
The Vanishing Alpine Meadows
In recent history, 65% of alpine meadows in the Sierra Nevada have been lost. This stark statistic underscores the profound impact of human activities on these vital ecosystems, with each action compounding to push the Sierra Nevada forests to their limits. The cumulative impact of these human actions—displacement of indigenous practices, near-extinction of beavers, degradation from ranching and roads, and the intensifying fire seasons—has brought us to a critical juncture. Losing over half of alpine meadows is not just an environmental issue; it is a call to action for conservation and restoration.
traditional controlled burns marked the beginning of this ecological decline. Indigenous tribes had long practiced forest stewardship, using fire as a tool to manage the landscape and prevent the buildup of dense vegetation that could fuel wildfires. With their forced relocation, this crucial element of forest management was lost.
1848-1855: The Gold Rush, Grazing,
The California Gold Rush further disrupted the natural balance, bringing with it extensive and punishing grazing by sheep and cattle, and a fur trade that nearly exterminated the beaver population. Beavers play a crucial role in alpine meadow ecosystems, building dams that naturally slow and spread river waters. These hooved locusts and the beaver’s near-extinction led to the degradation of these meadows, as rivers increasingly flowed unchecked and unregulated.
Hooved Locusts
1800s-1900s: Ranching, Roads, and Hydrological Changes
Ranching and the construction of roads in the 19th and 20th centuries compounded the problem. These activities further degraded the forests and meadows, driving snowmelt and surface water on an ever-speedier trip to the Pacific Ocean. The natural hydrology of the region was altered, exacerbating the loss of alpine meadows and impacting the overall health of the ecosystem.
2000s-Present: The Modern Fire Season Crisis
Today, we face a new and daunting challenge: the increasingly severe fire seasons. The dense forests, now missing their natural fire breaks due to the lack of controlled burns and the devastating loss of meadow acrages, are more susceptible to unfathomable mega-fires. These fires are not only more frequent but also more destructive, ravaging the remaining forests and meadows and further destabilizing the region’s ecology.
Over the last 200 years, human interventions have blighted our meadow ecosystems across the Sierra Nevada. These actions are not a normal process of nature. To re-claim the original meadows in number, size and scope is now an urgent priority. This requires more active restoration techniques.
Meadows like this showcase characteristics of a well-functioning wetland ecosystem, providing habitat for species like the
and allowing for the slow release of water down from the
throughout the
endangered Sierra Nevada Mountain Yellow-Legged Frog,
mountains
hot summer months.
Clearing
The first step in Active Meadow Restoration is to clear the area to the “original meadow” perimeter. Pine forests and shrubs are cut and hauled away when possible, or cleared by “cultural burns”, the well-established indigenous practice. This opens the meadow to its “originality”, or as close as possible to its historic size and scope.
Adding BDA’s
As trees are felled, some are stacked in targeted points of streams and rivers around meadow perimeters. They are termed beaver dam analogues (BDAs), doing the work of the North American and California beavers, species once prevalent in these Sierra landscapes. The BDAs slow and spread the speeding spring runoff onto the meadow plain. This causes streams to widen the incised channel, spreading sediment and encouraging anaerobic sodden soils to return.
Erosion Control
Before meadow growth can take hold, surface erosion against snowmelt and rain must be controlled. When necessary blankets of netting or the logs of felled trees can be placed to hold water and sediment in place. Rolls of customgrown sod compatible with meadow vegetation may be used to provide dense plant and root cover before the first rains. Monitoring Teams must check regularly to assure surface integrity while natural growth occurs.
Meadow Re-Growth
As sediment and water spread across the original meadow’s floodplain, communities of perennial herbaceous plants take hold. Sweet grass, spike rush, meadow fescue, oxeye daisy, and many other species spring up. Botanists may seed the meadow from the local seed bank to support proliferation. Soon, each spring a buzzing place of green growth appears as rain infiltrates and recharges ground water stores. So too, this creates a powerful annual carbon sink as the green growth explodes to life.
Beavers Return
As Monitoring Teams return to assure the water’s spread and the meadow’s re-growth, the reclaimed setting invites beavers to return. California is leading the way in a growing recognition of the vast ecological benefits of beaver activity on the Sierra landscape. Beavers are being re-introduced for habitat and water management, ecosystem restoration, and increased resiliency to climate change and wildfire. In particular, the Department of Fish & Wildlife has recently created a Beaver Restoration Program to support their re-establishment as ecosystem engineers throughout their native historical range in the central and southern Sierra Nevada.
A Beautiful, Complex Meadow
As re-established beavers raise water tables, meadow vegetation and new stands of willow and alder re-appear. A maze of pools and side channels grows around the lush green terrain, deterring re-growth of invasive pine forests. Wildlife of all kinds return to live around the meadow’s bounty. Restored
No Wilderness No Water
Sierra Nevada Meadows –Essential for California’s Water Resilience |
By Spencer Collom
Timelapse image of Piute Creek
Photo: John Dittli
(Previous) Vernal Falls, Yosemite National park.
Photo: John Dittli
The Sierra Nevada’s Vital Role in Water Supply
The Sierra Nevada is one of California’s most critical water sources. Each year, over 40 million acre-feet of water seep down from the mountains via rain and snowmelt. This water is slowly released throughout the year, maintaining a steady flow that benefits both urban and agricultural areas. The wilderness surrounding the John Muir Trail, nestled within this mountain range, is a key component of this natural water management system.
The process begins high in the mountains, where precipitation is captured. The forests and meadows act as natural sponges, soaking up the rain and snow that fall in these remote areas. The water is stored in the vegetation, soil, snowpack, and underground aquifers, and then slowly released into rivers, streams. Eventually it reaches the aqueduct systems that distribute water across the state.
The Hidden Benefits of Wilderness Areas
Wilderness areas like the ones surruounding the JMT serve more than just the natural beauty they offer to hikers and outdoor enthusiasts. These regions are crucial for water purification and retention, ensuring that the water that reaches urban areas is clean and consistent. The forests and soils in these areas filter the water as it moves through the landscape, removing sediments, pollutants, and impurities. This natural filtration process reduces the need for more extensive water treatment facilities downstream and helps maintain the quality of water that millions of people rely on.
Moreover, the gradual release of water helps to mitigate the effects of drought. In a state like California, where droughts are a recurring threat, the ability of wilderness areas to hold and slowly release water is invaluable. During dry periods, the water stored in the snowpack and soils of the Sierra Nevada continues to flow into rivers and aqueducts, providing a buffer against the worst impacts of drought. Without this natural buffer, urban areas would face more frequent and severe water shortages, with far-reaching consequences for residents and industries alike.
The Consequences of Losing Wilderness
The trend over the last 100 years for water depletion is sobering in its gravity. Central Valley aquifers have seriously declined. Wells are required to be dug ever deeper and deeper to reach water or have dried up entirely. Some California towns must truck in their water supply for most of the year. The valley floor has been consistently subsiding, a process well-documented by the US Geological Survey.
Without the natural retention and slow release of water from our mountains, urban areas face increasing risks of water shortages, particularly during drought years. Policies and strategy would turn to an urgent search for alternatives, perhaps more dams and reservoirs, or a more complex water storage infrastructure. These are both complicated and costly, and might serve storage requirements but will not address the prime issue—-SUPPLY.
The agricultural industry in California would suffer. Over 4.5 million acres of crop land are irrigated with the water that originates in these mountains. As noted, a great deal of water is being moved from north to south through our vast aqueduct system. But the source in greatest demand is from the Sierra Nevada.
Our agricultural production is enormous. San Joaquin County alone produces a significant portion of the nation’s fruits, vegetables, nuts, beef and dairy. Without the steady flow of water at current capacity, farmers would face less irrigation supply, lower crop yields and higher production costs. The economic impact of such a scenario would be felt not only in California but across the country.
Joseph Poland of the U.S. Geological Survey used a utility pole to document where a farmer would have been standing in 1925, 1955 and where Poland was then standing in 1977 after land in the San Joaquin Valley had sunk nearly 30 feet.
Wilderness areas are natural sponges, soaking up rain and snowmelt and slowly releasing it to sustain millions of people—our most vital water source.
Exploring the Ansel Adams Wilderness on horseback. Thousand Island Lake is named for the many small rocky islands that dot its surface
Over 40 million acre-feet of water from the Sierra Nevada seeps down annually via rain and snowmelt.
The Interconnectedness of Wilderness and Urban Life
The connection between wilderness and urban life is often overlooked, but is a relationship that cannot be ignored. The health of our people and the sustainability of our lifestyles are directly linked to the vitality of the natural ecosystems around us and the rich biodiversity that they support.
The wilderness of the JMT region, while remote and seemingly removed from our day-to-day lives, plays a central role in the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. A clean dependable water supply is critical. But we also depend on these regions for pollinators, a wide variety of insects, amphibians and birds, many animals that are important predators and prey, even beneficial bacterias and microbes.
Just in terms of water, the importance of long-term protection of these wilderness areas cannot be overstated. As the population of California continues to grow, the demand for for food and water will only increase. At the same time, a changing climate is bringing more frequent and severe droughts, further stressing the state’s resources.
In this context, the restoration and vitality of this essential region is not just an environmental concern, but a critical component of ensuring water sustainability, a balance of life dynamics and resilience to climate impacts.
A Call to Protect & Restore the JMT Region
Efforts to preserve and protect wilderness areas like those encompassed by the JMT must be a priority. This includes not only preventing development and mitigating recreation and other damaging impacts, but also supporting initiatives like ours that promote the restoration and recovery of these lands.
By taking these steps, we are not only preserving the natural beauty of this extraordinary landscape, but also securing the vital water resources and biodiversity that support life in Southern California, the Central Valley and the Bay Area.
The beauty of a summer thunder shower looking south along Evolution Valley, with a rainbow in the distance.
Photo: Doug Harnsberger
Sierra Nevada water is distributed in three major aqueduct systems: Hetch Hetchy, Owen’s Valley, and the California Aqueduct. These systems deliver water to the San Francisco Bay Area, Fresno and greater Los Angeles. Additionally, this water irrigates 4.5 million acres of Central Valley cropland and cattle yards.
33.5 million people
$50 billion in agricultural production
$94 billion recreation industry
Firefall. Yosemite National Park. This natural event occurs every February when the sunset illuminates Horsetail Falls as if it were “on fire”. In the late 20th century, people dropped actual fire embers over the falls as a public display.
Photo: Jeff Crawford
2016
A long JMT hike reveals the Sierra Nevada in stress.
2018
A Board of Directors and the JMT WC are formed under Earth Island Institute, Berkeley
2019
The Grossman family of Sierra Nevada Brewing fund $1.2 million in seed money.
2020
Our first JMT Cohort of 4 students from Stanford University deploys to the Ansel Adams Wilderness funded by the S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation
2020
Our first landscape-scale project is funded by the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation.
2021
The Conservancy wins its first $1.6 million grant from the Wildlife Conservation Board and files as a 501(c)(3).
Bishop Lake in Dusy Basin with a view of Mt. Agassiz
How We Work
California’s Mandate for Coordinated, State-Wide Meadow Restoration
In the vast and diverse landscapes of California, a new chapter is unfolding— one that prioritizes the health and balance of nature through coordinated state-wide environmental restoration. This ambitious initiative, decades in the making, is guided by a structured approach based on field data that tests and assures effectiveness.
In 2020, the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) published the protocols required to assure fiscal accountability of the costly and arduous work to restore California’s critical landscapes. (February 27, 2020 Monitoring & Evaluation of CNRA Investments—Proposed Steps Toward a Consolidated Project Management & Fiscal Accountability System, issued by Secretary Wade Crowfoot). For our work in the vast expanse of the central Sierra Nevada, this meant undertaking robust and accurate collection of field data.
Damaged terrain across massive watersheds had to be GPS located, described and photographed. This data must be precise, so it could be located again and measured in following seasons. Because the JMT region is both a California environmental and recreational asset and is under the federal jurisdiction of the US. Forest Service and National Park Service, data gathering is subject to high scrutiny. Its format and accuracy must meet agency standards for recording and reporting.
Once verified, collated and provided to the federal agencies, restoration strategies and techniques are designed. Work areas within watersheds are broken into seasonal segments to fit the short Sierra work-window. Season to season, work then progresses. Here is a closer look at how we implement this process in our Sierra meadow ecosystems:
Assess:
Our journey begins with a comprehensive assessment of the target watershed. We typically look at 12 to 20 miles of a trail network as a local boundary.
The surrounding slopes are examined including the lakes that form basins, the valleys and rivers below and any existing meadows. For field reference, these areas are marked with polygons on satellite images through the ArcGIS platform and loaded on rugged iPads.
Our Monitoring Teams are then coordinated with fixed routes through these areas for 8-week summer deployments in the field. Armed with Garmins, iPads, cell phones, short wave radios and emergency training, they have a lot of ground to cover. While they hike through this spectacular terrain at the top of the California crest, it is their obligation to collect the state-mandated field data for later uploading and reporting. See “In The Field”, pg. 44.
This year we are adding an AI-enabled satellite modeling tool that leverages the 10,000 meadows which the state hand-surveyed over the past decade. Named the Lost Meadows Model, it allows ecologists to map the historic outer perimeters of alpine meadows in the Sierra Nevada. When added to the field data, this allows us to consider more complex and aggressive restoration strategies that are designed to open up and expand meadow footprints. See “A Higher Elevation”, pg. 66.
Design & Plan:
All damaged or impacted terrain is considered. Those spots located on durable surfaces and fairly level ground are retained and marked for use by backpackers and backcountry tourists. The rest are decommissioned for restoration.
In compliance with the requirements of the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), our Conservancy directly contracts with archaeological and anthropological survey consultants to field-check proposed restoration sites for possible artifacts. When found, mitigation and conservation plans are put in place so the restoration work can then proceed.
2022
The Conservancy proposes, and wins, a $24.3 million general appropriations grant from the California Natural Resources Agency. 2023
The Lost Meadows Model is developed and published. Six JMT Cohorts are deployed, including two on Mt. Whitney. Five landscape-scale projects are underway.
2024
Six legacy projects continue, while two prototype meadow expansions begin in Reds Meadow Valley, Town of Mammoth Lakes
Act:
With a clear plan in place, we transition to the implementation phase, which brings our vision to life through careful field execution.
We begin by subcontracting with qualified field restoration crews for each season’s project location and work-plan. The field work is subject to a Quality Assurance/Quality Control document that is part of every contract. Developed in collaboration with federal agencies and our team, this detailed standard is verified with every field crew. Work is checked against it by our teams and an assigned agency lead.
Working sequentially across the work area, these teams undertake restoration treatments such as de-compacting soil, clearing invasive plants, burying “iceberg’ed” boulders, and transplanting native growth. As one site is finished, it is re-naturalized with large logs, surface duff, final boulders and barriers to re-entry. Typically a sign is posted marking it as “restored terrain—off limits for use”. These sites are located and re-assessed for effectiveness monitoring in following years.
This year we are adding JMT Wilderness Conservancy Field Patrols to better educate the public in the field and assure our restoration sites are respected. Based on the model used in Yosemite National Park, our Conservancy is hiring personnel who will train with federal wilderness rangers and work alongside them in the JMT backcountry. They will focus their patrols on our restoration areas to provide extra oversight and vigilance and will check in with our Monitoring Teams and work crews to coordinate. Our actions are meant to improve backcountry awareness and behavior, so everyone plays their part in this effort.
(bottom) Riley Shaper and Alex Fahey collecting data at a restoration site in Sierra National Forest in 2022. Photo: Franklin Lurie
(right) Abbie Romo and Riley Shaper on a monitoring mission in Evolution Valley.
Photo: Franklin Lurie
(top) Riley Shaper, an intern in 2022, measuring the maximum height of a bunch grass at a restoration site in Sierra National Forest.
Photo: Franklin Lurie
Adapt:
Our efforts do not end once the initial work is completed. As part of each season’s data collection, our Monitoring Teams re-visit restored sites. Each is GPS located, described and photographed anew. Growth and naturalization is measured. Light restoration is encouraged where additional transplants are added, invasive species may be removed, large rocks or boulders may be added to the “iceberg’ed” arrangement, and signage is checked.
We continuously evaluate the effectiveness of our interventions and adapt our strategies as needed. Our Monitoring Teams remain vigilant observing the longterm effects of our interventions over multiple seasons.
The Path Forward:
California’s mandate for coordinated ecological restoration represents a dynamic and adaptive approach to field restoration, focused on preserving vital watersheds and revitalizing the meadows below. By assessing, planning, acting and adapting, we aspire to ensure the resilience of our prime water source in the Sierra Nevada while supporting the extraordinary recreational experience offered here.
We hope our work may serve as a model for sustainable environmental stewardship of wilderness across the State.
“The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased and not impaired in value.”
-Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the
US
Why Invest in the JMT Wilderness Conservancy?
Hands-On—Sharp Focus—Direct Impact
Whether by design or chance, our mission area following the John Muir Trail falls squarely on the band of 10,000 surveyed meadows that form the basis of the Lost Meadows Model. See pg. 56. Our organization is focused on this terrain without regard to park or forest boundaries. It is the alpine meadow ecosystems and the watersheds that feed them that are our central mission.
While all meadows in California are important, those in Sierra Nevada elevations above 5’000 feet that are snow covered in winter and burst to new growth each Spring are viewed as prime environmental assets. Served by ample surface water and with deep ground water beneath, these meadows are the pulsing ecosystems that supports water resiliency, powerful carbon capture, and immense biodiversity.
We are the only non-profit operating along the crest of the Sierra Nevada that is successfully coordinating with all five distinct federal parks and forests. This work transcends boundaries and requires collaboration and cooperation between these complex federal units to move forward.
In the past four years, our organization has formed trusted relationships with each one. We have a process for new and expanded restoration projects with receptive and effective communications and tracking. In providing direct contracting for environmental design and compliance consultants, skilled field labor, and construction contractors, we are able to minimize the administrative burden and provide efficient contract management.
Our Monitoring Program that is staffed by our JMT internships has proven to be effective. The data we collect has been well-received in our state-obligated reporting and as a working database for federal ecologists and specialists. The students we recruit are dedicated to environmental learning and bring a passion to their experience which serves their data collection efforts. As the Lost Meadow Model expands our mission to active meadow restoration, see pg. 20, this program can scale to provide the monitoring needed to measure and assure meadow re-growth.
A hands-on and flat organization, our decision-making process is thoughtful, deliberate, and quick. We have access to excellent scientists and specialists in academia, public policy, and the private sector who provide sound advice. We are not diverted by advocacy or political campaigns. Our work is before us. This translates into action on the ground and solid pivots in direction, when necessary.
Funding and private investment materialize in real work with immediate impact. Damaged ground is repaired. A meadow is restored. A riparian corridor is revived. Water is absorbed. Growth is renewed. Powerful carbon capture is activated. Wildlife returns. Natural fire barriers appear. This is a tangible return on investment.
An incredible sunset photo of Cathedral Peak near Tuolumne Meadows, with the JMT running left to right at the base of the mountain. Photo: John Dittli
In The Field
DISPATCHES from our Field Project Managers
Now finishing its fifth season, the JMT Wilderness Conservancy has launched six multiyear restoration projects focused on preserving the existing meadows and riparian corridors along the John Muir Trail. These “Legacy Projects” represent a commitment to ongoing stewardship that will not waver as we expand our mission.
Our dedicated team of Project Managers work tirelessly in high-use areas, ensuring that sustainable recreation and Leave No Trace principles become the norm. We send you their stories by email in a series we call DISPATCHES. Here are a few:
Project Manager
DISPATCH From The Inyo:
Last year, we undertook a broad renovation of 5 public campgrounds, a public amphitheater and a parking lot along 6 miles of Reds Meadow Valley Road west of Mammoth Lakes. Accommodating nearly 900 people and 275 cars daily, these public areas have grown organically over 50 years or more along the banks of the San Joaquin River, one of California’s longest and most biodiverse. Working with the Inyo National Forest and an experienced landscape design team, each campground is being re-oriented to avoid environmental impacts and restore surrounding meadows. Public amenities will be upgraded to sustainable materials. Interpretative signage will be added to highlight the deep indigenous history of the North Fork Mono Tribe’s ancestral meadows, and the extraordinary geology, botany and biology of the region.
Project Manager
DISPATCH From Vermilion Valley:
With our Monitoring Teams having completed the inventory of damaged terrain over the last two years, we started our first phase of field restoration along 9 miles of Bear Creek in Vermilion Valley this season. This area is heavily impacted by access through Vermilion Valley Resort and the Lake Edison ferry. While the field crew progressed, our team lead made sure the interns conducted the required baseline and implementation monitoring to document the work. They also spread out and found considerably more damage than was initially recorded. Fortunately, we were able to add much of this to the field crew’s work load. Resourcefulness and adaptation are key to working in the backcountry.
Director of Program Opperations
DISPATCH From The Projects Dashboard:
As Director of Program Operations this year I worked with the project and finance teams to design and implement project and contract tracking tools to manage the field projects. Two key pieces fell into place. We now have a spreadsheet for each federal unit we call the Projects Dashboard. This lists all projects within a particular unit’s geographic boundaries with key details: project descriptions, points of contact, sub-contractors employed, project budgets, etc. We review this monthly with our federal partners to assure project transparency and effective management. Second, we developed a Contracts Tracker which is managed by me and our finance team. It records key information from each contract and tracks invoices and payments against contract totals. Both tools allow us to manage operations and project deployment with efficiency.
Michael Piatti
Alex Fahey
Spencer Collom
(Previous) Crossing the bridge at the outlet of Garnet Lake, Inyo National Forest.
Photo: Cody Mathison
(Left) Michael Piatti reviews Agnew Meadows Project with staff.
(Top) SEKI NPS Aquatics Technician on the left and JMT WC intern, Bennie Hesser, working at McGee Lakes on the aquatics restoration project in Kings Canyon NP IN 2022
(Right) Regina Kong, a JMT WC intern, posting project signage in Ansel Adams Wilderness
Experience of a Lifetime
How a Summer Internship in the High Sierra can Transform Your Future.
Romo, Riley Shaper & Bennie Hesser
It was by quick thinking and a bit of good luck that our field internship program was born. In early 2020, the CNRA had just published the protocols for collecting and managing data on any statefunded field project. See Pg. 36. Our Conservancy had applied for a significant grant of state funds for our first project in the Ansel Adams Wilderness, northwest of Mammoth Lakes. It seemed essential that the project be shovel-ready to start on receipt of funds. To achieve that, we needed field data locating the damaged terrain we sought to repair. The Inyo National Forest had not collected data for the area since 2006.
Enter Stanford University’s School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences. The undergraduate program required a field internship. We quickly posted the opportunity through the School’s on-line
resources and reached out to professors in aligned fields. With the support of the S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation (thank you Laurie Dachs!!), we were able to fund four interns who quickly applied. Providing ample summer stipends continues to be important since we want to encourage access to all applicants.
It was a remarkably resilient and committed group of young people that came on board that summer. They hailed from: Omaha, Nebraska; Spearfish, North Dakota; Chads Ford, Pennsylvania; Woodside, California. We had to navigate the health screening and safety protocols for Covid-19 in remote deployments. Much of our training took place on-line. Yet everyone performed admirably and uneventfully for the full 8 weeks in the backcountry. Our data set was golden!
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
-Margaret Mead 1936
(top) Thom Henri, Regina Kong & Fanella Scutt jumping Donahue Pass.
(bottom) Bernie Hesser Water color painting a golden trout
The program is growing.
The Monitoring Teams have expanded in number as they deploy across the region. Last year, we were at maximum capacity with 6 cohorts, 2 of which weathered Hurricane Hillary on the western flanks of Mt. Whitney! Our orientation and trainings have become more rigorous and complete, now including 3-days of wilderness first aid certifications, technical training on the Survey 1.2.3 platform and various field trekking techniques for crossing high water or snow fields. We host them all at our Truckee office for 14-days of orientation, education, and field practice.
Qualifications remain very high. Physical, emotional, and social fitness are a priority, each being an essential element of navigating 8-weeks deep in the Sierra Nevada. We now employ an intern alumnus to act as a team lead partnered with three undergraduates, as well as a Field Coordinator who moves between cohorts to assure team safety and the effectiveness of field work.
It typically takes a Monitoring Team—the team lead and three interns— a full day or more of rugged travel and backpacking to reach their starting points. They carry everything they need to live outdoors along with 8+ days of food at a designated calorie count. Once a good base camp is set up, they spread out to locate all damaged or impacted terrain.
They then collect data such as: baseline information, monitoring the on-going work, and effectiveness monitoring which entails traveling to past year’s restoration sites.
At the conclusion of an 8-day field tour, the teams return to seasonal rental houses to upload their data, rest and enjoy hot food, connect with families and resupply their backpacks. Our regional Project Managers join them to check in, iron out any technical issues, deal with logistics or shortfalls and give them general support.
Then backpacks are packed, boots go on, and the teams head out to the next basecamp and tour of our work areas. This schedule is repeated for four consecutive tours.
We now recruit from University of California campuses at Davis and Santa Cruz, California State University at Fresno, and University of Nevada Reno. Stanford at the new Doerr School of Sustainability is still our bedrock and continues to field candidates. Competition is growing for these limited spots.
Former participants remain in touch and check in regularly. It is clear this experience is rich and rewarding; a unique opportunity to do meaningful work and experience personal challenges in an extraordinary and wondrous place. These individuals may be the environmental and sustainability leaders for the future and will carry this experience with them.
Interns on the trail to Ediza Lake, INYO National Forest.
“The mountains are calling and I must go.“
-John Muir
Reds Meadow Valley Renovation
Inyo National Forest and the JMT Wilderness Conservancy
Unveil a Four-Year Renovation Project to Protect Vital Ecosystems, Address Erosion, and Enhance Visitor Experience.
In 2022, we started working with the Inyo National Forest leadership to renovate 5 public campgrounds, a public amphitheater, and a decommissioned interpretative trail around a beautiful lake in Reds Meadow Valley. They were clustered along 6 miles of the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River, literally on its banks and spreading across the meadows and riparian corridor. These sites accommodated over 900 visitors and 275 cars and RVs on a daily basis.
Without a master plan and growing organically over 50 years time, erosion, meadow damage, and impacts to drainage and watershed were growing. Our Conservancy has completed a master plan that renovates these areas, relocates campsites to more durable
(Left) Restoration work in Reds Meadow Valley Inyo National Forest.
(Previous) Showing the JMT adjacent to Sapphire Lake heading to the Muir Shelter. Evolution Valley in Kings Canyon National Park
Photo: John Dittli
REDS MEADOWROAD
MIDDLE FORK SAN JOAQUIN RIVER
PUMICE
SOTCHER
The Lost Meadows Model
AI Backed Satellite Modeling Reveals New Strategies
In 2023, AI and machine learning were applied to satellite imagery and a robust database of California meadows toward a new approach to forest health and management. To develop the modeling tool, the U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station used the more than 10,000 hand-drawn GPSlocated meadows input by the State into a database at University of California, Davis.
These polygons focused on alpine meadows at 5,000’ elevation or above, all of which were located in the central Sierra Nevada – our mission focus. Leveraging the State’s investment in LiDAR data across the region, the Lost Meadows Model revealed an enormous expanse of meadow ecosystems beyond where they exist today! The possibility of reclaiming 65% of former meadow acreages appeared.
Active meadow restoration strategies emerged that clear pine forest incursion, slow and spread rivers and streams, re-introduce nature’s engineer the beaver, and re-build meadow ecology. See pg. 20.
The model’s topographic interpretations are remarkable in scale, but also in detail. An example is pictured below. The red hand-drawn polygons show an existing meadow. The yellow lines show the output of the Lost Meadows Model. The LiDAR data confirms the probability of the meadow’s prior life, now obscured by the conifer forest shown in the current satellite image.
The existing meadow is the last remnant of a tremendous ecosystem. With proper restoration strategies, it could fully revive and self-sustain again.
The Power of Partnership
The JMT Wilderness Conservancy partners with the North Fork Mono Tribe to Optimize Meadow Restoration.
Restoring Alpine Meadows with Indigenous Knowledge and Science | By
Ashleigh MacLeod
Indigenous peoples have stewarded their lands for millennia, developing deep connections and an intimate understanding of local ecosystems. Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) encompasses practices, observations, and spiritual beliefs passed down through generations. This knowledge is place-based, holistic, and adaptive, offering valuable insights into sustainable land management.
Integrating TEK with modern scientific approaches can enhance alpine meadow restoration efforts. Here’s how:
Holistic Understanding: TEK emphasizes interconnectedness, considering the relationships between plants, animals, water, and humans. This perspective can inform more comprehensive and sustainable restoration practices.
Long-Term Observations: Indigenous knowledge is built on centuries of observation and experience, providing historical context that complements scientific data. This can help identify long-term trends and changes in alpine ecosystems.
Adaptive Management: Indigenous practices are often adaptive and resilient, evolving in response to environmental changes. Combining these strategies with scientific methods leads to flexible restoration plans that can adjust to new challenges.
Ethno-botanical Insights: Indigenous peoples possess detailed knowledge of native plants and their ecological roles. This can guide the selection of appropriate species for restoration, enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem function.
Several successful initiatives highlight the benefits of partnering with indigenous communities for alpine meadow restoration:
Yosemite National Park: Collaborations with local Indigenous tribes have led to the reintroduction of cultural burns, which help manage vegetation, promote meadow health, and reduce wildfire risk.
Great Basin National Park: In Nevada, park officials work with the Shoshone and Paiute tribes to integrate TEK into restoration projects, improving outcomes for native plant and animal species.
Canadian Rockies: The Ktunaxa Nation and conservationists collaborate on restoring alpine meadows, combining TEK with scientific monitoring to enhance ecosystem recovery.
By integrating indigenous knowledge with scientific approaches, our Conservancy can create more effective and sustainable solutions for alpine meadow restoration. The partnership with the North Fork Mono Tribe not only benefits the environment but also honors the wisdom and contributions of Indigenous peoples, paving the way for a more inclusive and resilient future.
Diana Almendariz of the Maidu/Wintun/ Hoopa/Yurok tribes sets fire to a redbud pile. Photo: Alysha Beck/UC Davis
Stewards of the Wilderness
The Importance of Fire as a Tool for Water
“We have been called the ‘fire people’. But we use fire to care for our water. In reality, we are water people... We are water people”
Alvin Rosa-Figueroa Tribal Archeologist, tends the fire at Reds Meadow Valley Campground.
Chairman Ron Goode is anchored in ancient Tribal spirituality and the stewardship of meadows.
“Mother Earth and Father Creator gave life spirit to the world, including its trees, rocks, mountains and rivers. Entering a meadow begins with a quiet communication honoring the spirit of the land. Working on landscapes means making an offering to Mother Earth to which all of nature responds with abundance.”
The 10,000 meadows in the central Sierra Nevada were home to hundreds of tribes over millennia. There is not one that lacks the artifacts of their historic presence. The source of sustenance, wood for warmth and cooking, and plants with strong medicines, these features are life sustaining. Meadows have long held the secrets to indigenous life in California.
The North Fork Mono Tribe who has called Reds Meadow Valley its home meadows for more than a millennia is advancing a 100-year vision that engages Indigenous knowledge and practices as a part of eco-system revival.
The Tribe has long made use of fire as a management tool to sustain healthy meadows and the water supply they require. Such “cultural burns” open the meadows from incursions by conifers and thin the trees and shrubs along creeks and rivers feeding the wetland plain. If left unchecked, both meadows and their water supply are choked off. This annual stewardship renewed the wetlands and meadows, keeping water flowing and habitat open.
Ron remembers being about 8 years old when his mother first guided him through a cultural burn. They walked to the spaces where new pine tree shoots and shrubs were moving in to crowd the open meadow. He was shown how to identify the species that had to be removed, how to encircle the burn to prevent its uncontrolled spread, how to guide the fire toward the intended path. They looked together for the breaks in the stream where beavers would build their lodges or sticks and logs would slow the waters. It was a slow deliberate process, always done with the spiritual connection of people and land in mind.
In the 1950’s, Indigenous
floor, and what does quickly runs off. Meadow vegetation has been replaced with lodgepole pines, and a dense understory of hardy shrubs and thick vegetation. The balance of the landscapes is upset with so many meadows shrinking to very small areas.
Today, cultural burning and the re-introduction of the beaver are increasingly being used as forest management tools, among other practices. Ron and other elders are the experts and are consulting with both state and federal agencies. It starts with a vision of the meadow in its “originality” and how it will look in the coming years. Care is taken to assure its vitality to grow harvests of food and medicines. Water systems are revived. Natural fire breaks open up.
Chairman Goode is grateful that California has a progressive governor with agencies adopting Indigenous practices, including cultural burns. The government has been charged with building a strategic plan for natural resources that relies on naturebased solutions. In that effort, both federal and state land managers are hiring a tribal liaison for each jurisdiction and tribe.
Ron Goode is the Tribal Chairman of the North Fork Mono Tribe.
Reds Meadow project working session September 2024. JMT Wilderness Conservancy, WRA Environmental Consultants, and Tribal members.
The return of beavers is more than just an ecological success story—it’s a testament to the power of nature to heal itself when given the chance.
In 1992 the Elko Bureau of Land Management worked with a rancher on Susie Creek (NV) to exclude cattle during the hot season allowing vegetation to recover and increase in abundance. This provided enough food for beaver to begin colonizing in 2003. A powerful example, their dams have helped augment flows, recharge meadow growth, and trap sediment.
Carol Evans/BLM
California’s Beaver Revival
Governor Newsom Leads the Charge in Funding Nature’s Engineers
California is taking significant strides in wildlife conservation and nature based solutions, championed by Governor Gavin Newsom and Secretary Wade Crowfoot. An ambitious 2023 initiative marks the first state-led beaver reintroduction in 75 years, signaling a monumental shift in how the state views and utilizes these “ecosystem engineers.”
The Beaver Restoration Program (BRP), formed under the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), aims to leverage beavers’ natural behaviors to restore ecosystems and bolster climate resilience. The state has set aside substantial funding to support this initiative, and began opening BRP proposals for bid in early 2024. Landowners, NGO’s, and other stakeholders were invited to participate in this innovative conservation effort.
This initiative not only highlights California’s commitment to environmental stewardship but also positions the state as a leader in using nature-based solutions to tackle modern environmental challenges. By putting significant resources behind the BRP, Governor Newsom and Secretary Crowfoot are ensuring that beavers, once considered a nuisance, are now seen as vital partners in the fight against climate change and ecosystem degradation.
The Return of the Beaver:
A Keystone Species Revitalizing Alpine Meadows |
By Ashleigh MacLeod
The reintroduction of the California Golden beaver (C. canadensis subauratus) and North American beaver (Castor canadensis) to alpine meadows isn’t just a win for wildlife; it’s a game-changer for the entire ecosystem. These incredible creatures are nature’s original architects, transforming landscapes with their unshakable work ethic and unmatched engineering skills. As they return to their river homes, they’re proving just how vital they are in keeping our meadows healthy and thriving.
Beavers are famous for building dams, but what they’re really doing is creating a sanctuary for life. Their dams slow down rushing streams, creating ponds and wetlands that become a refuge for all sorts of plants and animals. From frogs to birds, insects to wildflowers, everyone benefits from the rich habitats these “ecoengineers” create. By holding water in place and reducing erosion, beavers help alpine meadows stay lush and vibrant for longer.
With every branch they place, beavers are doing more than just building—they’re shaping the future. Their lodges help recharge groundwater, stabilize stream flows, and protect against soil loss, making the meadows more resilient to the challenges ahead. And as these wetlands flourish, so does the riparian vegetation that stabilizes soil and shelters wildlife, weaving a tapestry of life that supports a balanced and thriving ecosystem.
The return of the beaver to alpine meadows is more than just an ecological success story—it’s a testament to the power of nature to heal itself when given the chance. By welcoming these master builders back into our landscapes, we’re not just restoring meadows; we’re securing a legacy of beauty and biodiversity that will endure for generations.
Let’s celebrate the beavers, the true champions of re-wilding, as they help us create healthier, more resilient landscapes, one lodge at a time.
A beaver lodge in McGee Creek Valley, one of
Alpine beaver lodges are intricate domeshaped structures built with logs, sticks, mud, and stones, featuring underwater entrances and insulated chambers for protection and living. These lodges play a crucial role in regulating water flow, enhancing biodiversity, and preventing soil erosion in high-elevation ecosystems.
A Higher Elevation:
Meadow Expansion Prototypes in Mammoth Lakes
A great conjunction of stars seemed to converge in two large meadows west of Mammoth Lakes. Our Conservancy was already working on an extensive renovation of the public campgrounds clustered there, which included the restoration of fringes of the surrounding meadows. See pg. 54. Other state funding was being used for forest fuels removal along the Reds Meadow Valley floor where the campgrounds are located. A high priority forested area, it is accessible by road and is the western entry point over the crest to the Town of Mammoth Lakes. After the Caldor and Dixie Fires spread into high elevation the alarm for wildfire risk had gone up for all eastern Sierra communities including Mammoth.
This summer the sound of chain beam saws, the crack of falling giants, and the rumbling of huge lumber trucks resonated through the Inyo National Forest there. The North Fork Mono Tribe, Chairman Ron Goode, was being consulted on the question of the impact to their ancestral meadows which he had stewarded, as much as the U.S. Forest Service allowed, for more than 30 years. Walking through the cacophony, I wondered aloud how this much work might combine in a more cohesive strategy.
The final star aligned when the U.S. Forest Service in mid-2023 published the Lost Meadows Model satellite imaging tool. The model had been presented a few months earlier to the California Department of Fish & Wildlife and at Secretary Wade Crowfoot’s Science Symposiums in Sacramento. After consulting our Board of Directors, a series of meetings were convened with CDFW and CNRA leadership to confirm the State’s strategic interest in this modeling tool and whether it might be added to our meadow restoration funding. We received a green light!
The modeling tool was handed off to our outside environmental consulting team for refinement. We focused on two large meadows: Agnew Meadows, a chain of meadows on the north end of the valley road, and Reds Meadow at the south end. We came to learn that Chairman Goode had an experienced team of ecologists and archaeologists within the tribe who specialized in finding the historic scope of meadows. They called it an exercise in “originality”. When offered to partner with these individuals, our environmental consultants were thrilled. Science had given us the tools and techniques. But locating meadow perimeters, identifying the trees needed for shade and habitat, and knowing where beavers would likely build dams was another thing entirely.
With the support of the Inyo leadership, we have now contracted with all parties for the expansion of these two meadows. Two site evaluations to field verify the meadow and its elements, are planned for September. Active restoration planning will begin over the winter months!
The Lyle Fork of the Tuolumne River, a National Wild & Scenic River, taken at Spring sunset in Tuolumne Meadows.
Reds Meadow Valley west of Mammoth Lakes, marked by a red rectangle below, is situated on the banks of the San Joaquin River, one of California’s longest and mightiest. At 366 miles in length, it originates in the eastern Sierra Nevada and flows down its western flanks to the floor of the Central Valley. It provides water for many cities and towns, irrigation for an enormous agricultural output and habitat for an important wildlife corridor.
Flowing through the ancestral lands of the North Fork Mono tribe, among others, the river is called Typici h huu’ which means “important or great river”. Evidence of indigenous cultures throughout the foothills and mountain valleys here date back as many as 15,000 to 8,000 years.
The Middle Fork is the largest of the tree branches of the San Joaquin River. As it flows 9 miles along the length of Reds Meadow Valley, there are many alpine meadows connected in a string along its banks and across the valley floor. Two of the largest are Agnew Meadows and Reds Meadow, the prototypes our Conservancy is working to expand and reclaim.
These images show the initial output of the Lost Meadows Model for Agnew Meadows to the north and Reds Meadow to the south. LiDAR data at 1 foot variance was obtained in August to add more detail about the hydro-morphology and contributing drainages. Armed with this data and GPS gear, our environmental consultants joined the North Fork Mono tribal specialists in September to explore the sites and mark the possible expansion of both meadows. Over the fall and winter months permitting under CEQA and NEPA will be completed and active restoration strategies will be designed for a 2025 project start.
California has had more mega fires in the last 25 years than in the entire 20th century.
Nature’s
Wildfire Shields
Investing in Alpine Meadow Restoration to Protect California’s Communities| By
Ashleigh MacLeod
California’s dilemma with congested forest fuels and ongoing battle with resulting wildfires have prompted a re-examination of the state and federal forest management strategies. Meadow expansion and restoration have emerged as key elements in
Healthy meadows absorb and store water more efficiently, keeping the surrounding soils moist and less susceptible to ignition. The open spaces they occupy, particularly when expanded to their historic scope, provide natural breaks in tree-cover and vegetation. This can slow or even halt a fire’s progression, allowing fire fighters to
Broadly reducing forest fuels by clearing dead or dying trees and underbrush will surely help. But such clearing is not sustainable. As the rains of a new season fall, so too does the resurgence of pine trees and shrubs. Driving through a fire zone, the abundance of growth in a single year can be
Meadow wetlands are anaerobic and as such hinder such re-growth. Once reclaimed, meadows are a more durable forest
The severe wildfires in recent years have devastated ecosystems and the cities in their paths, highlighting the need for innovative and sustainable solutions. Investing in alpine meadow restoration will stabilize forest health, mitigate the fire risk and
(Left) A firefighter battles a blaze during the Creek Fire 2024.
Photo: Josh Edelsone — Getty Images
(Right) Fire scorches a Sequioa in 2018.
One of the world’s oldest trees.
Photo: Noah Berger - Associated Press
“I should be glad if all the meadows on the earth were left in a wild state, if that were the consequence of men’s beginning to redeem themselves.”
-Henry David Thoreau
Nurturing a Biodiversity “Hot Spot”
8,000 Unique Sierra Nevada Species
The wilderness areas surrounding the John Muir Trail, nestled within the greater Sierra Nevada region, are sanctuaries of unparalleled biodiversity. These areas are part of the California Floristic Province, recognized as one of the world’s seven global biodiversity hotspots. Such hotspots are regions with exceptionally high concentrations of endemic species—plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth.
In the California Floristic Province, over 8,000 unique species thrive, showcasing an extraordinary range of life. The High Sierra alone is home to an incredible variety of flora and fauna, contributing to this region’s status as a vital reservoir of global biodiversity. These species represent just the tip of the iceberg, highlighting the ecological richness and significance of the area.
Biodiversity is crucial for maintaining the health and resilience of ecosystems. It supports a balance of natural processes that provide essential services like clean water, fertile soil, insect management, and pollination. In the face of climate change and habitat loss, preserving biodiversity in regions like the Sierra Nevada is more important than ever. Protecting the habitat of these unique species preserves the complex ecosystems they sustain, ensuring that future generations can enjoy the natural beauty and essential resources these environments offer.
Here are just a few of the incredible species you might encounter:
Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum)
Majestic giants that have been around for millennia.
Sierra Nevada Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes necator)
A rare and elusive predator of the high mountains.
Yosemite Bog Orchid (Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys)
A delicate beauty found in wet meadows.
Yosemite Toad (Anaxyrus canorus)
A high-altitude amphibian with a unique call.
Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva)
Some of the oldest living trees on the planet!
Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis sierrae)
Graceful climbers of the rugged Sierra peaks.
Big Horn Sheep in deep snow along the JMT.
Photo: John Dittli
Building Momentum
Public Funding is Uncertain—Private Investment is Essential
The job ahead is daunting. We cannot turn from it.
To start, we are focusing on high priority locations: meadows that are reachable by roads and border a community, or those in the backcountry that present great potential for water absorption and infiltration.
It is necessary to harness the power of regular cultural burnings and forest fuels clearing. Science, technology, indigenous stewardship, public policy, diverse funding sources and hard work must come together.
Public funding has been instrumental in getting started, but it is variable and uncertain when deficits loom. Sustained and significant financial support from the private sector is essential for continuity on existing projects and to further build momentum.
A satellite image of Thousand Island Lake, Garnet Lake, and the Shadow Lake Corridor, The headwaters of the San Joaquin River. The Conservancy has been working here for 4 years and now has the opportunity to return and open “lost” meadow acreages.
Recoverable “Lost Meadows” revealed by the model
Existing constricted meadows as of 2019
A Legendary Treasure
The Historical Importance of the JMT and the Range of Light |
By Tim Davis
Hand-drawn map: The first thru-hike of the route that later became the John Muir Trail, completed in 1908.
Stretching approximately 214 miles from Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney in eastern California, the John Muir Trail (JMT) was the first long-distance trail on the West Coast and arguably the first of its kind in the United States.
Theodore Solomons claimed to conceive the idea of a recreational trail as close as possible to the crest of the central Sierras in 1884. While this tale may be apocryphal, Solomons was clearly pursuing the project by the early 1890s. Solomons, Joseph N. LeConte, Bolton Coit Brown, and other Sierra Club members reconnoitered the route between 1892 and 1908, building on trails and traces established by American Indians, prospectors, sheepherders, and cattlemen. While the majority of the route followed existing trails, these vernacular paths were significantly improved to accommodate recreational travelers. This was particularly true of steep sections encompassing passes and other obstacles. Some segments required extensive blasting and heavy construction to surmount hazardous terrain.
Just a few months after John Muir’s death, in 1915 the JMT was officially authorized by the State of California. A passable trail incorporating many detours from the official route existed by 1916, but routing refinements and construction continued. Through 1938, construction of the Golden Staircase which provided access to the Palisades Lakes and Mather Pass, signaled completion of the original design.
Significant stages in this process included the 1916-1917 construction of the route over Muir Pass and the 1931 completion of the challenging segment over Forester Pass, a joint National Park Service/U.S. Forest Service initiative. For its southernmost 11 miles the JMT shares a stretch of the High Sierra Trail constructed by NPS forces from 1928-1932. The most challenging aspect of this portion was the construction of the section along the ridge from Trail Crest to the summit of Mount Whitney at altitudes ranging from 13,500’-14,505’.
While John Muir had no direct involvement in the development of his namesake trail, the JMT stands as an enduring testament to his philosophy that the best way to preserve the High Sierra was to encourage visitors to personally experience the majesty of California’s Range of Light. The John Muir Trail holds additional significance as one of the springboards for Ansel Adams’s illustrious career as the premier photographer of America’s national parks.
Tim Davis PhD served as a historian for the NPS Historic American Landscapes Survey. His research of the origin and history of the John Muir Trail were published in a written history and collection of historic photographs and maps at the Library of Congress, 2023.
Joseph LeConte Jr and his team after concluding the first 1908 Thru Hike of the JMT. -Colby Memorial Library, Sierra Club
Journey to the National Register
Five years ago, the Conservancy learned that the National Park Service’s Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) was planning to research and document the John Muir Trail. At the Colby Memorial Library in the Sierra Club’s headquarters, our president Marla Stark became acquainted with Tim Davis, the HALS PhD Historian who had been assigned the task of researching all aspects of the JMT. With some Conservancy funding, an “authentic” map of the JMT’s route was located, a first step. (This JMT map is posted on our website.)
Reseach took Dr. Davis to many sources, including the the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley, the National Archives, and the historical records of Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks. Partnering with Elizabeth Wenk, who is a Conservancy Board Member, JMT Guidebook author and Sierra botanist, they co-authored “HALS CA-144
The John Muir Trail”.
This HALS report was transmitted to the Library of Congress in 2023.
Early this spring, the Conservancy was asked by Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI) to organize and fund a National Register of Historic Places nomination for the JMT. This involves a formal analysis of the JMT’s cultural significance, the identification of character-defining features and contributing resources, and evaluation of the trail’s historical integrity.
Starting at Tuolumne Meadows on August 8th, Tim and his Conservancy escorts are continuing that work by making their way slowly to the summit of Mt. Whitney where the JMT ends. Our staff has organized logistics, re-supply, gear and GPS field devices. Compiling this information and drafting the submission will continue into the following year when Tim will coordinate with cultural resource officers at both the NPS and US Forest Service.
It may take some time for a determination, but listing on the National Register of Historic Places would be the first objective. We hope to see the JMT listed as a National Historic Landmark one day!
Parsons Memorial Lodge is a small rustic stone structure that was built in 1915 on a hillock at the north end of Tuolumne Meadows. One of the earliest stone structures to be built in a national park, it has been a National Historic Landmark since 1987. Parsons Lodge was located here to facilitate access to theHigh Sierra, includingthe JMT, which passes only steps away.
According to William Colby, the longest serving Secretary of the Sierra Club and driving force behind the construction of the John Muir Trail, LeConte Memorial Lodge was the official starting point of the JMT in Yosemite Valley. A National Historic Landmark since 1987, the Lodge was built in 1903 and is regarded as an extraordinary example of Tudor Revival architecture with its stone ashlar pattern, its steeply pitched gable roof and its thick interior oak hammer beams. For 4 years from 1920, Ansel Adams was its resident summer custodian.
William Colby standing at the doorway of the recently built John Muir Memorial Shelter. Historical Archive Center 1933
The High Sierra & American Identity
The rugged and remote landscapes of the Sierra Nevada have long attracted the explorers, philosophers and policy makers of this nation. The sheer majesty of its granite faces, roaring waters and lush meadows inspired a national ethos described in the writings of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Reading. Nature. Action.” This was the American creed.
Ansel Adams, Albert Bierstadt and Carlton Watkins celebrated the region in their legendary photographs and paintings.
Actions taken here to preserve Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks, and the vast stretch of wilderness between, spread across the nation and then the globe.
Created by California law in 1915, the John Muir Trail’s high route through the Sierra crest took 30 years to explore and another 25 years to construct.
Spanning the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, journeys into the Sierra Nevada were viewed as important undertakings for North American geographical and academic advances. Expeditions for the north/ south route along the crest and to generally explore this remote terrain were led by the Sierra Club, US Geological Survey, National Geographic, the California Geological Survey, and faculty of Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and CalPoly.
As the JMT was being constructed, California State Engineer Wilbur McClure saw to it that the JMT’s grade stayed relatively smooth, firm and manageable. He insisted the JMT be serviceable for people, horses and pack stock, even as it climbed over eleven highmountain passes, many with impossibly steep cliffs and daunting talus fields.
(Right) Ben Sollee & Cello at the Muir Shelter on Muir Pass, Kings Canyon National Park.
Photo:Doug Harnsberger
John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt on their 1901 camping trip in Yosemite Valley
John Muir
An Epic Ascent
Restoring History at 12,000 Feet |
By Michael Piatti
The John Muir Memorial Shelter, commonly referred to as the “Muir Hut”, was built in 1930. It straddles Muir Pass at an elevation of 11,955’ with the looming Black Giant and Goddard Divide to its south and to the north, Evolution Basin, showcasing glacially carved talus fields and crystalline lakes framed by a sawtooth skyline. Sitting at the approximate halfway point of the JMT, the idea behind the hut was not only to memorialize Muir, but to provide a temple atop the mountain, giving travelers a place to shelter and reflect on all that is sacred about the Sierra.
We have known for decades that the Muir Hut needed renovation, repairs and basic maintenance. In August 2024, the project began.
With each approaching day, and every labored step, my anxiety grew. Even minor projects become a logistical endeavor when the work takes place 20 miles and a 6,000’climb from the truck. Even one forgotten tool, or one incorrect measurement could prevent success.
Our expedition planned to replace the Hut’s damaged window and conduct an analysis of the needed mortar repointing. Due to bridge outages from the heavy snow loads over the 23’ winter, the window and tools had to be carried without pack stock support.
Hitting the trail on August 12th, we climbed Bishop Pass at ~12,000’ elevation, descended into LeConte Canyon and then made the long hike north on the JMT up to Muir Pass. Spectacular country!
I knew that the analysis and install was in capable hands with our partners at Giampolini Courtney Masonry Restoration. With guidance from historic architect and Muir Hut expert Doug Harnsberger, the window install, and shelter measurements took only a day. To get there and back was a 6-day adventure.
The Muir Hut is a true wonder to behold! More work is needed in the coming seasons. What a privilege ensuring it will stand for generations to come!
(Left) Michael Piatti carries a 75lb framed window on his back for 3 days.
(Top Right) The team of historical architects removes the old damaged window.
(Top Left) Michael installing the new window. It fits!
(Bottom) The Muir Hut with the new window installed.
The 1915 Society
Giving Back to the “Snowy Mountains”
Please consider joining the 1915
Society.
Members contribute stock or securities, authorize a cash transfer from a donoradvised fund (DAF), or make a bequest through their estate planning to our invested fund at UBS San Francisco.
We hope to secure an asset balance sufficient to better assure continuity of this Conservancy’s mission. It is a daunting effort that will need to be sustained in the hands of the next generation for decades to come.
More than 100 years ago, a similar group of determined and visionary leaders worked together to conserve the magnificent Sierra Nevada wilderness. In 1915 by an act of the California Legislature, the decades-long effort was commemorated with the creation of the John Muir Trail.
Honoring the simple man, and those who joined him, to inspire advocacy and activism across the nation, the venerable JMT was a fitting memorial.
Today the 1915 Society is a new generation of leadership that will enable this mission to continue!
From the JMT, looking north to Mather Pass. Photo: John Dittli
Acknowleding Our Founding 1915 Society Members
$1,000,000 +
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Guy & Jeanine Saperstein
$200,000-$999,000
S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation
Jennifer Johnson & Susanne Scovern
William & Jeanne Landreth
Frances Hellman & Warren Breslau
$50,000-$199,000
Tim & Wendy McAdam
Charles Robel
Doug Collom & Marla Stark
William + Flora Hewlett Foundation
The Hellman Foundation
Art & Joanne Hall
Charles & Ann Johnson
$10,000 - $49,999
Lyle Smith & Diane Strachowski
Steve Neal & Michele Rhyu
Brad & Judy O’Brien
Ronald & Barbara Peyton
Alan & Caron Lacy
Heslep Family Foundation
Carol & Stephen Hart
Marty & Barbara Winter
Gretchen Augustyn
Jennifer Augustyn
Peter & Sabrina Landreth
Jesse Rodgers
Boswell Family Foundation
Kate Ridgway & Rick Holmstrom
Wendy Hutton
Harrick Family Foundation
Cam & Bruce Brugler
SPOTLIGHT: Corporate Philanthropy
We are honored to highlight Sierra Nevada Brewing Company for its generous support. In a 2019 leap of faith, the company’s founders, the Grossman family, donated $1.2 million as seed money. This allowed us to hire staff and begin work. Without that funding, the Conservancy would not be where we are today. Our profound thanks!!
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company is renowned for its commitment to philanthropy, consistently supporting environmental conservation and community initiatives through generous contributions and sustainable practices.
Founded in 1980, Sierra Nevada Brewing is one of America’s premier craft breweries. It’s family owned and highly regarded for using only the finest quality ingredients and sustainable practices.
Then it seemed to me the Sierra should be called not the Nevada, or Snowy Range, but the Range of Light.
And after ten years spent in the heart of it, rejoicing and wondering, bathing in its glorious floods of light, seeing the sunbursts of morning among the icy peaks, the noonday radiance on the trees and rocks and snow, the flush of the alpenglow, and a thousand dashing waterfalls with their marvelous abundance of irised spray,
it still seems to me above all others the Range of Light, the most divinely beautiful of all the mountain-chains I have ever seen.
Your investment matters. A lasting impact for all life in California. Visit us online at www.jmtwilderness.org
John Muir
My First Summer in the Sierra
(Left) The meadow in Mather Pass comes alive with bubbling waters and spring blossoms in the shadow of Mt. Stanford.
Photo: John Dittli
No Wilderness. No Water.
Wilderness Partnership Champion Award 2022
U.S. Dept. Of Agriculture Forest Service
This Mission Book is made with FSCCertified 100% post-consumer recycled paper.
The JMT Wilderness Conservancy headquarters are located on the traditional homelands of the Washoe, Maidu, and Paiute peoples in what is now known as Truckee, CA. Our efforts will be more successful if we commit to partnerships with indigenous peoples.
(cover) The Milky Way iluminates the night sky over Dusy Basin.
Photo: John Dittli
T h e c l e a r e s t w a y i n t o t h e u n i v e r s e i s t h r o u g h a f o r e s t w i l d e r n e s s .J o h n M u i r F a l l 2 0 2 4
