30 Years of Protecting Local Lands

Join us in celebrating Sierra Foothill Conservancy's 30th Anniversary and the many supporters, volunteers, landowners, and partners helping to conserve this region. With your help, we can make the next 30 years even more impactful.

Support Our Mission

Help us reach our $50,000 goal to build a lasting legacy of clean air and water, healthy working lands, restored habitat, and thriving communities.

Bridget Fithian

Executive Director

“Since the time of our formation as an all-volunteer organization, we've grown into professional leaders in land conservation. I'm proud to represent an organization doing this level of critical work – expanding and deepening our programs over the years, increasing the pace and scale of conservation, and responding to the changing needs of our region. Please consider making a gift to SFC's 30th Anniversary Campaign to help us reach our $50,000 goal and ensure the next 30 years are even more impactful.”

Paul Beare

Board President

“As I enter my 25th year as a member of SFC, I am ever increasingly impressed with the skill, dedication, and success of our staff. With the support of our members, they have consistently increased our rate of growth and the amount of land protected…”

30 Years of Growth

SFC’s Ruth McKenzie Table Mountain Preserve

Founded

In 1996

A small group of volunteers gathered and conceived a vision of conservation, forming SFC to save the McKenzie Table Mountain Preserve, followed by the Black Mountain Preserve—our first two preserves.

Wildflowers on SFC’s Fine Gold Creek Preserve

12,000

Acres In 2006

SFC added 6,000 acres in Conservation Easements, acquired the Tivy and Fine Gold Creek Preserves, expanded into Mariposa County, and launched the Education and Outreach Program.

Spring Bloom on SFC’s Bean Creek Preserve

21,000

Acres In 2011

SFC added the Haslett Basin, Feliciana Mountain, and Bean Creek Preserves; established the Rangeland Management Program; and saw membership exceed 1,000.

Pastures on SFC’s Ted K. Martin Wildlife Preserve

28,000

In 2016

SFC added over 15,000 acres in Conservation Easements, acquired the Martin and Stockton Creek Preserves, and expanded the Stewardship Program's focus to landscape-level, programmatic restoration projects.

Cultivating future stewards of the land with SFC

51,000

Acres In 2021

SFC added 16,000 acres in Conservation Easements, acquired the Mastin and Stookey Preserves, and enrolled over 1,000 youth in its Education Program.

Vernal pool bloom at SFC’s Waltz-Turner Ranch Conservation Easement

68,151

Acres In 2026

SFC has successfully conserved over 68,000 acres of natural lands, increasing its conserved acreage by 46% in the last 5 years and by over 160% in the last 10 years.

Vernal Pool Habitat

SFC protects some of the highest quality vernal pool land in the state. The imperiled vernal pool habitat supports important biodiversity and key ecosystem processes, many of which are suitable for a diverse set of species, including many special-status and native species.

Rangeland

SFC conserves landscape level rangelands contributing to carbon storage and mitigating the emissions of greenhouse gases and climate change through prevention of land conversion and managed grazing. SFC's regenerative grazing program benefits the local agricultural economy while protecting grasslands.

Oak Woodland

SFC protects oak woodlands, providing habitat for the highest density of wildlife species of any ecosystem in the state, including many special-status and native species.

Coniferous Forest

SFC conducts forest health restoration to address critical wildfire risk and reforestation needs, providing support for the health and resilience of our conserved lands and communities.

Mountain Meadows

SFC prioritizes meadow conservation and implemented a multi-phase large-scale, collaborative restoration project on our 81-acre Bean Creek Preserve in 2016. A healthy meadow provides important hydrologic function for Sierra ecosystem services and habitat for a diversity of plant and wildlife species, essential in managing water flow and water temperatures as it moves from the mountains to the Central Valley.

Sierra Crest

SFC's conservation strategy establishes connected corridors of conserved lands from the vernal pool grasslands to the Sierra crest. Land connectivity provides critically important elevational habitat gradients and climate refugia for wildlife migration, wildfire risk reduction for our communities, and multi-use watershed and working lands.

30 Years of Voices

SFC Founding Member

Tom Bohigian

Charter Member (1996)

"We often think about our legacies in small and large ways. I cannot think of a better gift to the present and future, than the protection of landscapes and every living thing that depends on them. Please join me in helping SFC continue their invaluable works."

Become a Member

Partnering Landowner

Ken and Adela Morrison

Landowners, Waltz Turner CE (Conserved by SFC in 2024)

"The importance of keeping this working cattle ranch intact goes beyond our family and its heritage. This land is rich in history and wildlife, and there are not many like it. Our family realizes how unique this ranch is and has always worked it with love and respect."

Landowner Resources

Tribal Partner

Tara Fouch Moore, Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation

Director of Landscape Stewardship & Council Secretary

"SFC’s land bank acquisitions help return this land to indigenous stewardship for the first time in 175 years- helping restore that ancient and sacred reciprocity between people and landscape and reconnecting lost generations to future ones."

Youth Education

Virginia Vargas, James Garfield Elementary

3rd grade teacher, SFC's Youth Field Trip Programming

"SFC's programming allows children to experience an environment they would not otherwise be exposed to. They get up-close and personal access to the natural beauty of the Sierra Foothills, many of which have no idea exists. In my community, many children have NEVER ventured out of our small town."

Planned Giving

Bea and Kevin Olsen

Donors and Former Board President

"The management team at SFC has demonstrated over time that our contributions are spent wisely, judiciously, and effectively. We also truly appreciate SFC's impactful outdoor programming that connects school aged youth to the outdoors. For these reasons we have included SFC in our estate planning."

Learn More About Planned Giving

Your Impact

Every gift matters. Your meaningful donation helps save natural lands now and forever.

$50

Maintain native plant populations, from the oak savannah to mixed conifer forest

$100

Protect wildlife habitat to keep common species common and protect endangered species

$500

Support forest restoration, Tribal partnerships, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge as a tool for tending the forest and woodlands

$1,000

Protect working rangelands to serve as safe spaces for special status species

$2,500

Increase access to open space for underserved youth

$5,000

Establish connected corridors of conserved lands from the vernal pool grasslands to the Sierra crest

30 Years of Deep Roots

Help us grow a lasting legacy.

Together, we can protect an additional 2,700 acres of working lands and wild habitats this year, growing SFC's total conserved lands to over 69,500 acres, preserving clean water, wildlife, and open spaces for future generations. As our work expands, so does the need for your support. Help us reach our $50,000 goal to continue this momentum and to save natural lands now and forever.