Sierra Conservancy booklet published - Nevada City goes all out for headquarters

Nevada City Union ^ | March 25, 2005 | Dave Moller

[calcowgirl]

The Nevada City sales pitch to land up to 70 jobs and a $10 million budget with the Sierra Nevada Conservancy headquarters will be spurred today with an artistic boot. A four-color promotional booklet sent to conservancy directors and key state officials trumpets Nevada City's scenic grandeur, job base, schools and lifestyle as pieces of the perfect strategic location for the new agency.

Julie Soderlund of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office said "I can't speculate" where the conservancy will eventually land, but that has not stopped a core group of Nevada City advocates from trying to acquire it.

The conservancy was created last September when a legislative bill was signed by Schwarzenegger with great hoopla on the banks of the Bear River near Colfax. The conservancy will try to land tax dollars and grants to protect the Sierra's natural resources, attract government projects and promote business.

Steve Frisch of the Sierra Business Council, which helped craft the conservancy, said four of the agency's 13 board members have yet to be picked, and an expected early May first meeting is now in doubt. When Schwarzenegger and the Assembly fill those slots, the board will be invited to have its first meeting in Nevada City, Mayor Conley Weaver said.

Once in place, the board will turn first to a headquarters decision and name an executive director, said Larry Burkhardt of the Nevada County Economic Resource Council. Frisch said criteria for the headquarters could include:

• The ability to get there and the proximity to Sacramento.
• Access to high-speed communications.
• The quality of the community.
• Affordable housing for staff members.

Dave Willis of the California Resources Agency, an initial architect of the conservancy, said he did not know which towns had applied for the headquarters, but Frisch said there are formal and informal proposals from Nevada City, Auburn, Colfax, Truckee, Placerville, Amador City, Ione and Jackson.

Burkhardt's agency wrote the text for the Nevada City promotional booklet and said, "we stressed it's a fit because of sensitivity to environmental issues, it's strategically located, a great place to live with a solid economy, a work force and space available at a competitive rate."

The whole conservancy idea was initially met with opposition by county Republican leaders and state Sen. Sam Aanestad of Grass Valley, who likened it to a land grab. But Bill Bird of Aanestad's office said, "now that it has passed, Sam will be supportive of it.

"He is very interested in economic development for the fourth district and landing the conservancy headquarters would be a boon for the area and something he would support."

The volunteer-produced booklet, titled "Nevada City's Proposal for the Sierra Nevada Conservancy," is just off the presses of Grass Valley Group spinoff LectraMedia. The colorful booklet was put together by Chip Carman and John Paul of Spiral Studios of Nevada City, with photos from City Councilman David McKay.

Carman said he, Paul, Burkhardt and Shawn Garvey of the Sierra Fund realized it might be a long shot for Nevada City to land the conservancy headquarters when they conceived the booklet. But the work will also be used in the future to promote the city and in a Web site that Spiral Studios is doing for Nevada City.

"We have a lot to offer," Mayor Weaver said. "Our community is quite rich with people in the technical and communication fields, and we're doing everything to land the headquarters. It would benefit Grass Valley, as well."

[calcowgirl]

For past articles on the Sierra Nevada land grab at FR, click here

[calcowgirl]

Sierra Nevada Conservancy ping

[teg68]

The sierras are a good thing, I'm glad they arent being destroyed.

[hedgetrimmer]

So Nevada city wants to effectively become the new "county seat" for the unConstitutional Sierra Nevada Conservancy. Has anyone told them the implications of the conservancy on our constitutional form of government?

[hedgetrimmer]

They will be destroyed by statism. The state has granted itself the right to control all private property in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The state is a terrible landlord and much of the land the state controls or owns is uncared for, and prohibited for use by human beings. The state is responsible for the horrific wildfires in San Diego last year because it is a terrible steward and wouldn't let private property owners protect their land from the fires and fire hazards. You will see in the next few years as the state takes hold of the lands in the mountains more catastrophic wildfires. You will see people lose their lands and homes because their property will be declared a "wildland" and the state will prohibit protection of their private property from fires. When they are burned out we won't be allowed to rebuild.

[tubebender]

Orick Ca is still waiting for the "economic boom" promised by the land grabbers for the Redwood National Park 30 years ago. All they have so far is a building moratorium...

[siunevada]

• Affordable housing for staff members.

Gee, if that's an important criterion, Nevada County might not fit the bill. Modoc County might still be affordable.

[hedgetrimmer]

Affordable housing for staff members

Affordable housing is cost-shifted housing. That means some resident in Nevada County is going to have to pay a lot more for his house, and most of the time they don't even know why they are paying more, so the government workers can get their houses on the cheap. They "shift the cost" to the people they say can pay more (each according to his ability....) "Affordable housing" is a scam of enormous proportions and the very corrupt IMO.

[JimSEA]

Kind of ironic seeming to me. My Father worked in the Emopire Mine in the 1930's and my Uncle was born in Grass Valley, the son of an Irish timberman at the Empire. His pictures, taken in the 30's, of the destruction caused by Hydrolic mining are striking when one looks at the same views today.

[Carry_Okie]

Nevada City goes all out for headquarters

Makin' big bucks selling houses to lawyers.

[calcowgirl]

From YubaNet:

Thumbs Up for Nevada City and the Sierra Conservancy
Key Nevada County Leaders Support Sierra Nevada Conservancy Location in
Nevada City Using State-of-the-Art Direct Mail Campaign

A 30-page full-color booklet comprising Nevada City’s Proposal for the Sierra Nevada Conservancy headquarters has been sent to the newly appointed Conservancy board members and key legislators in Sacramento.

Significant to this proposal are the visual thumbs-up support from key Nevada County leaders including the City Council of Nevada City, District 1 Supervisor Nate Beason, The Union Publisher Jeff Ackerman, Nevada City Chamber of Commerce President Bob Buhlis, and Nevada County Economic Resource Council President/CEO Larry Burkhardt. The booklet also includes support from KNCO, KVMR, and YubaNet.com.

(snip)

Follow this link for more "thumbs up" postcards

[farmfriend]

The sierras are a good thing, I'm glad they arent being destroyed.

You are one of those people who believe the way to "protect" forests is to set them aside, right? Our forests have been manages since the first human set foot on this continent. "Setting it aside" is the worst thing you can do to a forest. They are being destroyed by those with such good intentions. You might want to read this.

[SierraWasp]

"The sierras are a good thing, I'm glad they arent being destroyed."

In the first place, the Sierra is singular... there's only one Sierra Nevada mountain range!

Now I ask you. Where on earth did you get the idea the Sierra was being destroyed in any way? And why were you so easily pursuaded that such a thing could even be true???

Oh! And welcome to FreeRepublic, I think...