Truckee, Nevada City battle over Sierra Conservancy

Sierra Sun ^ | May 17, 2005 | Dave Moller

[calcowgirl]

Eight towns would love to land the new Sierra Nevada Conservancy headquarters, projected to eventually have 70 employees and a $10 million budget.

But only two showed up at the historic first meeting of the conservancy board Thursday in Sacramento, and both were from Nevada County.

Nevada City used a laid-back approach in its pitch, but Truckee came on like a runaway snowboarder. Auburn, Colfax, Placerville, Amador City, Ione and Jackson were no-shows.

“Give us your serious consideration,” said Truckee Mayor Craig Threshie in a lengthy speech that trumpeted the town’s location, history and commitment to the range. “We have good intentions.”

But in a speech steeped in brevity, Nevada City Mayor Conley Weaver issued his own invitation.

“We want to invite you to Nevada City anytime. Remember, Nevada City was the first city to endorse the Sierra Conservancy.”

In attendance with Weaver were Nevada City City Manager Mark Miller and Chip Carman and John Paul, who recently produced a slick booklet to land the headquarters in Nevada City. Also at the meeting were former Nevada County Supervisors Peter Van Zant and Izzy Martin, who was there with her colleague from the Nevada City-based Sierra Fund, Shawn Garvey.

The headquarters location will probably not be decided until later this summer, according to California Secretary of Resources Mike Chrisman, who chaired the Sacramento meeting and gave no hints. The board will also select the conservancy’s executive director soon, with a two-person subcommittee doing the initial screening. One of those two will be Inyo County Supervisor Linda Arcularius, who represents her county as well as Mono and Alpine counties on the board.

The other is Gov. Schwarzenegger appointee Bob Kirkwood, a former government-environmental affairs man for Hewlitt-Packard. He hails from Palo Alto but has a place in Alpine County. While there is competition for the headquarters and the top job, speaker after speaker said the conservancy needs to keep the tone of cooperation used to create it.

Republican state Assemblyman Tim Leslie, who crafted the conservancy with Democrat Assemblyman John Laird, said, “There’s still people across the Sierra who hold serious reservations about this conservancy.” The conservancy should “create a collaborative effort,” he said.

Conservancy staffers said the first year’s budget will be $3.5 million for about 20 positions. The money is expected to come from special Sierra vehicle license plates similar to the ones that finance the Lake Tahoe Conservancy.

Staffers said the agency will look to enhance watersheds, wetlands, wildlife habitat and thin forests to protect the ecology and boost the economy in the conservancy’s 22 counties spread out more than 25 million acres.

Partnerships with nonprofit agencies will be explored to help get grants and loans for the projects. Chrisman said the conservancy needs to act quickly to save the Sierra because it is under serious stress from population and pollution.

[calcowgirl]

Republican state Assemblyman Tim Leslie, who crafted the conservancy with Democrat Assemblyman John Laird, said, “There’s still people across the Sierra who hold serious reservations about this conservancy.” The conservancy should “create a collaborative effort,” he said.

No kidding!

[calcowgirl]

Ping - FYI

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

ALL: Watch for Harry Reid connections! Reid's family is in real estate....

And Nature's Conservancy is one of many fronts to grab up land and keep it out of private hands....it just has a nice-guy approach....

[Calpernia]

ping

[NormsRevenge]

Staffers said the agency will look to enhance watersheds, wetlands, wildlife habitat and thin forests to protect the ecology and boost the economy in the conservancy’s 22 counties spread out more than 25 million acres.

HuH?

How do you conserve something by thinning it and then turn around and encourage more development for the local economy and not mess it all up worse than it is now?

Plus why is it OK if the Conservancy is out tramping thru the forests 'trimming" them but the USFS is evil when they propose to do the same thing? What am I missing?

Is this part of a Smart Growth thing or what? Geesh!

The GReen movement is nothing if not a pack of hypocrits on a mission that will destroy more than it ever conserves.

[calcowgirl]

This one covers 1/5 of state lands and the primary source of all water for Southern California and western Nevada.

Lots of threads have been posted; click 'Sierra Conservancy' in keywords above.

Here was the final blow:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1226638/posts
Surge for the Sierra: Governor (Schwarzenegger) approves massive conservancy (25 MILLION ACRES)

[calcowgirl]

>>HuH? How do you conserve something by thinning it and then turn around and encourage
more development for the local economy and not mess it all up worse than it is now?

Silly you! You know this has nothing to do with conservation!

Looking Greener every day in Kaleefornia!

[Michael.SF.]

How do you conserve something (a forest) by thinning it

Perhaps they are referring to trying to lower the fire hazard potential, which is a major problem, especially in California.

[NormsRevenge]

That seems logical, but environmentalists fight that tooth and nail every year ,, yet if they do it , it's OK.

Oh well.

[Michael.SF.]

environmentalists fight that tooth and nail every year

The last few years seem to have been especially devastating, especially in the south. Perhaps they have finally wised up?

[NormsRevenge]

Unfortunately, with all the rains, the fuelload will be massive even compared to recent years and it won't matter how much they try and do now.

[calcowgirl]

The board will also select the conservancy’s executive director soon, with a two-person subcommittee doing the initial screening. One of those two will be Inyo County Supervisor Linda Arcularius... The other is Gov. Schwarzenegger appointee Bob Kirkwood, a former government-environmental affairs man for Hewlitt-Packard. He hails from Palo Alto but has a place in Alpine County.

Trust For Public Lands (tpl.org)

Bob Kirkwood: Striking a Balance
by Suzanne Moss and Vicki Peet

Bob Kirkwood, a member of the Trust for Public Land's California Advisory Board and a steadfast TPL supporter, grew up in the Bay Area and has sought throughout his life to find a sustainable balance between wilderness protection and sustainable use of our precious natural resources.

"As a young boy growing up in Saratoga, I watched the suburbs encroach onto our farm," Kirkwood says. "I have great memories of playing in the creek and riding my horse through the hills, but over time even our property was subdivided, and the orchards I remember are now long gone. This was one of the things that led to my interest in protecting land."

After studying land use and international law, Kirkwood became a land use lawyer. He joined TPL's California Advisory Board in 2000. Kirkwood's strategic advice and support of the Sierra Nevada Program has been invaluable to the program's efforts to preserve the wildlife habitat, rural character, and unique atmosphere of the Sierra region.

"The Sierra Checkerboard-a checkered pattern of public and private land ownership that spans the central Sierra-really sparked my imagination," Kirkwood says. "TPL is working to consolidate ownership of sections of this 'checkerboard' by strategically buying or trading key areas of private land to add to existing national forests and state parks," he explains.

"It's a challenging political puzzle, and an unparalleled conservation opportunity. TPL started with a scientific assessment, and now is identifying as many allies as it can and seeking a political and economic resolution for the benefit of everybody. It makes all kinds of sense," Kirkwood says.

Kirkwood's grandfather started his own forest products company in Oregon in the early 1900s. "He was a wonderful steward of the land," Kirkwood says, explaining that his grandfather "practiced close to what we know today as sustainable forestry. He was motivated by good business practices and love of the land."

Kirkwood adds, "Striking a balance between resource use and protection is a really fascinating challenge. Volunteering with TPL to find this balance is like coming full circle for me. It's in my blood."

[calcowgirl]

Retrieved via Alexa Web Archive:

http://web.archive.org/web/20041010090206/cceeb.org/staff.html

California Council For Environmental and Economic Balance
CCEEB Officers and Consultants

ROBERT C. KIRKWOOD
CCEEB Chairman

Bob Kirkwood is the retired Director of Government and Education Affairs for Hewlett-Packard Company. Mr. Kirkwood was responsible for working with HP managers worldwide and with state and federal legislators and industry associations on public policies. He also created and oversaw HP's K-12 Education Affairs and University Affairs activities.

Prior to joining Hewlett-Packard, Mr. Kirkwood practiced law in San Francisco and worked for a law firm in Tokyo. Born in San Francisco and raised in Saratoga and Sacramento, Kirkwood holds a B.A. from Pomona College and a LL.B from Harvard.

Mr. Kirkwood has been an active in a number of planning and conservation groups over the years, and presently serves on the boards of the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), the Planning and Conservation League Foundation, and the Trust For Public Land-California Advisory Board. Previous board memberships have included SPUR (President), the Greenbelt Alliance, Peninsula Community Foundation (Chair), Planning and Conservation League, the California Coastal Conservancy and the California Environmental Dialogue.

[NormsRevenge]

Thanks!

That TPL link leads to a veritable smorgasboard of info about a lot of grouls and such, all dedicated to Smart Growth which means stop sprawl and restrict property owner rights at any cost.

btw, did you now The Smart Growth Network is an EPA sponsored group.

http://www.smartgrowth.org/

The Network helps create national, regional, and local coalitions to encourage metropolitan development that is environmentally, fiscally, economically and socially smart.

Gee. it all seems so innocent and pure in motive.

[NormsRevenge]

groups, not grouls :-)

[NormsRevenge]

G;Nite Bump!

[calcowgirl]

Gnite.

[calcowgirl]

We missed this one before. From YubaNet.com

Schwarzenegger Announces Appointments to the Sierra Nevada Conservancy
By: Office of the Governor
Published: May 11, 2005

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the following appointments:

Bob Kirkwood, 65, of Palo Alto, has been appointed to the Sierra Nevada Conservancy. He is the former director of government and education affairs for Hewlett Packard Company. Kirkwood serves on the boards of the California Council for Environmental and Economic Balance, the Peninsula Open Space Trust and the California Advisory Board of the Trust for Public Land. He is a former member and chairman of the California Coastal Conservancy and a former member of the board of the Planning and Conservation League Foundation. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Kirkwood is a Republican.

B.J. Kirwan, 58, of Pasadena, has been appointed to the Sierra Nevada Conservancy. She is a partner in the law firm of Latham & Watkins and has practiced environmental law for over 30 years. Kirwin is a member of the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, a former member of the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Environmental Law and is past chair of the ABA's Environmental Quality Committee of the Natural Resources section. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Kirwan is a Republican.

Carol Whiteside, 62, of Modesto, has been appointed to the Sierra Nevada Conservancy. She is founder and president of the Great Valley Center, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the Central Valley. Whiteside previously served as director of intergovernmental affairs in the Office of Governor Pete Wilson and as assistant secretary of intergovernmental relations at the Resources Agency. She is also the former mayor and a city council member of the City of Modesto. Whiteside is a member of the board of directors of the Public Policy Institute of California, the Sierra Health Foundation and the California Center for Civic Renewal. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Whiteside is a Republican.

[marsh2]

Here is an excellent web presentation on the Wildlands Project and the plan behind regional government and the elimination of private property:

http://takingliberty.us/TLHome.html
http://www.discerningtoday.org/ALF/propertyrights/player.html

[hedgetrimmer]

Thanks for the PING