Earlier this week, a federal appeals court issued its opinion reversing the decision of a lower court that would have allowed exploratory drilling at Hot Creek. In their 2021 lawsuit, conservation groups, including Friends of the Inyo, said the Forest Service’s use of two categorical exclusions, rather than more detailed environmental review, effectively ignored the mining project’s effects on Bi-state sage grouse in the area, as well as the potential harm to nearby Hot Creek where endangered Owens tui chub live. This is a big victory! Read all about it in our media release.
Updates
Listen to Friends of the Inyo’s Jaime Lopez Wolters’ May 10 interview with KMMT Arts, Culture & Entertainment (ACE) Show Host John DeMaria about our upcoming Dark Desert Skies Outing at Conglomerate Mesa this weekend, May 17-19. Get details and sign up to reserve your spot beneath the vastness of the heavens before they are all taken–we limit participation in the spirit of land protection. Learn all about the trip, and get information about why protecting Conglomerate Mesa from mining threats is of the utmost importance, by listening to the interview, then go to the Events tab at FriendsoftheInyo.org to…
The California Fish and Game Commission voted today (Oct. 11, 2023) to permanently protect Inyo rock daisies as a threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act.“This vote is a huge victory for these special wildflowers,” said botanist Maria Jesus, whose field surveys document the plant’s current range. “With the threat of a massive gold mine looming on the horizon, this rare daisy now has help from the state of California to prevent it from sliding into extinction.”
Pine nuts, a high-energy food, helped sustain Native peoples of the Eastern Sierra through the winter. Friends of the Inyo’s annual impact report, which we usually release at mid-year to celebrate the previous year’s accomplishments, is symbolically named thus to acknowledge the support of our donors, funders, and volunteers, whose generosity sustains our work of protecting and caring for the land and water of the Eastern Sierra.
Conservation groups filed an appeal Tuesday, March 28, in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals challenging a lower court ruling allowing exploratory drilling in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains that threatens an endangered fish and a dwindling population of bi-state sage grouse. Read the full press release here.
(Photo by Diana Tomback) In a December 14 press release, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announced a final action to list the whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Service has concluded that the whitebark pine is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future throughout its range. Service Regional Director Matt Hogan said, “As a keystone species of the West, extending ESA protections to whitebark pine is critical to not only the tree itself, but also the numerous plants, animals, and watersheds that it supports.” The final rule to list…
“The futures of tourism, wildlife and ranching in Mono County are now at the mercy of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power – according to environmental groups – now that a court has upheld the agency’s authority to cut irrigation water.” Click here to read the entire article, which has been distributed to numerous media outlets throughout the Western U.S., thanks to our partnership with Public News Service. We Need Your Support! If you would like to help Friends of the Inyo continue the good fight for water justice in the Eastern Sierra, please read our June…
By Jora Fogg, FOI Policy Director Last month, in conjunction with Earth Day, the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) released their final Pathways to 30×30: Accelerating Conservation of California’s Nature strategy to forward the global effort to conserve 30 percent of lands and coastal waters by 2030 (30×30). The plan focuses on protecting the state’s biodiversity, advancing equitable access to nature and addressing the climate crisis. The Pathways document was crafted by a dedicated team at CNRA through months of public engagement. More than 4,100 Californians engaged with the state to provide input through more than a dozen public meetings,…
Did you miss the live event? Join Friends of the Inyo and Sierra Club as we virtually explore Conglomerate Mesa and remind ourselves on why we work so hard to protect this beautiful landscape. This event was hosted by Bryan Hatchell from Friends of the Inyo and Kris Hohag from Sierra Club. They show a recent flyover tour video of Conglomerate Mesa and then dive into the recent threats to this landscape.