Sustainable Recreation & Tourism Initiative

(December 01, 2020) –
It’s no secret that Eastern Sierra communities are the gateway to some of the most incredible natural resources and outdoor recreation around. This is one of the things that many people love about living here and why so many folks visit. It is also something that brings unique challenges to the land and our communities.

The Sustainable Recreation & Tourism Initiative is a grant-funded, multi-year effort to identify sustainable recreation & tourism projects in California’s Eastern Sierra. Currently, recreation stakeholders can participate by weighing in on the project ideas that have been submitted by folks throughout the Eastern Sierra. The first two Virtual Public Meetings happened in September and November and the FINAL meeting is scheduled for December 10, 2020.

This is your chance to weigh in on the remaining batch of projects. The meetings will be held in webinar format via Zoom starting at 5:30 PM, in both English and Spanish. Registration is required.
Kristy Williams, Project Manager for the Sustainable Recreation & Tourism Initiative, notes that, “The recent increased visitation that we are experiencing as a result of the COVID pandemic has put a spotlight on some of the issues that have been present in the region for many years. We are asking folks to take this opportunity to learn lessons from the current recreation experience but to also imagine better experiences in the long run. We have our eye on the long game, and look at this as an opportunity to reimagine sustainable recreation in the Eastern Sierra.”

Matt Driscoll, Eastern Sierra Area Representative for the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, “We are excited to see all the project ideas that have been coming in and are looking forward to working with the Initiative team in 2021 to help identify and secure funding for these important projects.”

To see what ideas have been submitted – and to register:
For English visit: https://www.essrp.org/gateway-community-projects
For Spanish visit: https://www.essrp.org/comunidad-de-acceso-proyectos

Additional Resources: Learn more about why recreation and tourism are important topics for our community.
How Immersion in Nature Benefits Your Health
Equity in Access to Outdoor Recreation