ESLT Monthly E-News
Dear friend,

We have some amazing news to share: thanks to the wonderful Hunewill family, Hunewill Ranch is now protected with a conservation easement!

This news is a bright glimmer of hope at a time when we need it most, in the midst of dealing with fires, smoke, and the pandemic.

Since 1861, six generations of the Hunewill family have owned, operated, and worked on the Ranch that sits in the middle of the majestic and very special Bridgeport Valley. The completion of this conservation easement coincides with the arrival of the seventh generation, with a new Hunewill recently welcomed to the world.

The Hunewill Ranch conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement that permanently conserves 4,100 acres. It protects over six miles of rivers and streams for sustainable ranching and for wildlife, including the Bi-State sage-grouse.

This project has been in the works for years, and it has finally reached the finish line thanks to your incredible support and the family's dedication. We'll be sharing more information about this project in the coming weeks, and I wanted to make sure you knew now!

I hope this good news brings a bit of joy and hope into your world today. Hang in there!
With deep gratitude,

Kay Ogden
CEO / Executive Director, ESLT
760-873-4554, kay@eslt.org
Hunewill Ranch is Protected Forever

Thanks to the Hunewill family's multi-generational commitment to conservation, and thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, Hunewill Ranch in Bridgeport Valley is protected forever with a conservation easement.

This historic 4,100-acre working ranch spans wide green valleys, rises to fragrant sagebrush steppe, and is framed by the high peaks that border Yosemite National Park. It provides critical homes for sage-grouse and a migration pathway for mule deer, and is a bedrock of the Eastern Sierra economy and community.

The new conservation easement on Hunewill Ranch means this history and habitat will endure for generations to come. We can't wait to share more details with you soon on our blog, in upcoming e-news, and in our fall SierraScapes newsletter.

In the meantime, thank you to our entire conservation community for your support, and to our partners at Natural Resources Conservation Service, Wildlife Conservation Board, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Deer Association, and California Department of Conservation. We've achieved an amazing result together.

Our 12th annual Lands & Legacy Celebration was a resounding success, thanks to everyone who attended our live gatherings! Now, select recordings are available for everyone to watch at ESLT.org/lands-legacy.

Tune in for an author talk with Kendra Atleework, hear stories about the historic town of Benton from Bill Bramlette, owner of Historic Benton Hot Springs and ESLT's Benton Hot Springs Ranch Conservation Easement, learn about local wildlife from our staff, and more!

Genny Smith wrote some of the first major Eastern Sierra guidebooks and influenced our region tremendously through her activism. She even stopped a highway from being built form Mammoth to Fresno, through the Sierra. Together with Mammoth Museum, we've created a StoryMap inspired by their recent exhibition of Genny's life and legacy.

Our Education Coordinator and AmeriCorps Member Marie Ring is moving on to an exciting new position at Kennebec Land Trust in Maine. We'll miss you, Marie, and you have a bight future ahead! In her goodbye blog post, Marie reflects on the creativity required by 2020, and the uplifting, funny moments she found along the way.
Welcome to Our New Board Member Fran Hunt

We're honored to welcome Fran Hunt to our Board of Directors. Her background includes serving as a forest, wildlife, and lands advocate in Washington D.C. for thirty years, and as the Eastern Sierra Organizer for the Sierra Club for six years. She and her wife Ann, who was born in Bishop, enjoy local hiking and biking as much as they can. Welcome, Fran!
Thank you for being a part of the ESLT family. With the help of landowners, volunteers, members, and supporters like you, we're ensuring a bright future for the Eastern Sierra.

Sincerely,
Kay, Amanda, Cami, Carissa, Heather, Kristen, Sara, Sus, and our Board of Directors