Spring 2016 Leaflet
CONSERVATION
Shasta-Area Conservation Expands
20 SQUARE MILE WORKING FOREST CONSERVATION EASEMENT TO CLOSE
Hancock Timber Resource Group and Pacific Forest Trust are pleased to announce that their multi-year campaign to conserve a 12,805 acre timber property that borders the historic mill town of McCloud, California, has come to fruition. The McCloud Dogwood Butte Working Forest Conservation Easement is expected to close this spring, permanently protecting abundant water sources, bountiful wildlife habitat, and jobs on this sustainably managed property. Now, this forest will never be broken up or converted for other uses. Guided by the conservation easement terms, Hancock will continue to manage for ecological and economic benefits.
The conservation of this strategically located property significantly expands the protection of the McCloud River watershed. One of the state’s most important sources of cold, clear water, the McCloud River flows to Lake Shasta, benefiting 25 million Californians downstream. This partnership increases the network of privately owned working forests conserved by Pacific Forest Trust in the McCloud watershed to over 30,000 acres—an area the size of San Francisco.
This property bridges a key north-south gap between two tracts of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, securing an important migratory corridor for wildlife adapting to climate change. Through continued management and habitat enhancement, an estimated 127 species will benefit, including 10 special status species, such as the northern spotted owl and Pacific fisher. More than 35 miles of waterways fed by 78 volcanic springs will be protected, as will 766 acres of riparian habitat and 236 acres of wetlands.
Protection and enhancement of this working forest are priorities of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. We are extremely grateful for support from a diverse coalition of funders: the Wildlife Conservation Board, the project’s lead funder; the California Resources Agency Environmental Mitigation and Enhancement Program; the Department of Water Resources Integrated Regional Watershed Management Program; and a group of dedicated charities whose support made all the difference.
NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR PACIFIC FOREST TRUST
We achieved re-accreditation from the independent Land Trust Accreditation Commission, signifying that we meet the highest standards of quality in our work and robustness of our programs. We are committed to ensuring quality and permanence in our conservation of private working forests for their many benefits to the environment and the communities that depend on them.
