As we look ahead to the rest of the year, I’d like to thank you for all you do to support local land conservation here in Shasta County. Your commitment to protecting significant lands in northern California has an incredible impact on our community, and the Shasta Land Trust as a whole. We have so much exciting progress to share, and it’s all thanks to your continued support.

Thanks to you, a 135-acre property south of Lake Britton will remain protected open space in perpetuity. Nestled within the McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, this property has incredible ecological value, biodiversity, and public recreation opportunities.

The property’s connectivity to Lake Britton and surrounding streams makes it an essential conservation zone for aquatic species like river otter, western pond turtle, southern long-toed salamander, Pit-Klamath brook lamprey, and waterfowl as well as a variety of endangered and threatened species like Shasta crayfish and rough sculpin. This property also serves as habitat for nearly 100 individuals of a rare plant species called slender goldenbanner.

We are excited to share that our caring donors can also enjoy the natural beauty of this land, as it is accessible to the public within the California State Parks system. Preserving these recreational spaces adds value to our local economy and promotes a wealth of opportunities to actively enjoy the natural beauty of our lands.

Because of your support, we were recently awarded the Land Trust Alliance’s Land and Climate Grant. Thanks to your generosity, we were able to leverage your donations to meet grant matching requirements, resulting in a larger award.

This grant will fund work on a climate smart Strategic Land Conservation Plan, which will identify targeted lands that will better withstand the effects of climate change, as part of a 10-year conservation plan. As a result of this work, you are protecting local natural communities and water resources from the predicted effects of climate change within our region.

As an organization, we have made great strides over the past few months in adding two excellent staff members, who because of your support will increase our capacity to protect more valuable land. In alignment with our 2022-2025 Strategic Plan, this additional capacity will help us achieve our goal of strategically conserving a total of 100,000 acres over the next three years. With this increased capacity we will be better positioned to meet and support the future environmental and agricultural needs of this community.

As we plan for the future of our community with the goal to more than triple our total conservation acreage over the next three years, we would like to thank you for helping make this possible. We have many goals for the upcoming year, including an exciting plan to protect an additional seven properties! These lands are integral in creating a community focused on local agriculture, open lands for recreation, healthy ecosystems, clean air and water, and a vibrant local economy. Please recognize that none of this would be possible if it weren’t for your support!

We are better prepared to meet the conservation needs of northern California because of your help. As we work together to protect natural habitats and diverse ecosystems threatened by development, we are so grateful for our community of dedicated supporters who rise to meet that ever-growing challenge year after year.

From all of us at the Shasta Land Trust, thank you for protecting the land you love.

Best,