2017-2018 Annual Report

Siskiyou Land Trust

Hello friends,As we look back at the past 12 months, we have much to celebrate. It’s a terrific feeling to note our achievements as we wrap up our 25th year and look to the future. SLT is partnering with Ecotrust Forest Management and Western Rivers Conservancy to protect over 40,000 acres in Scott Valley. We closed the conservation project on Thamar Wherrit’s Rainbow Ridge land outside of Mt. Shasta. We’re working with the Spencer family again, this time on a conservation easement on French Creek. Here in Mt. Shasta, we made huge progress in the Garden Greenway, thanks to our long-time partners at Mt. Shasta Trail Association and the Rotary Club of Mount Shasta. This spring we were staggered and deeply honored by community donations that made SLT the winner in the Patagonia x Moosejaw Flash Charity Thing. As we look to our next 25 years, we have some big goals in mind. Thank you for being part of this amazing community that works together to protect open spaces and connect people of all ages to nature. Your impact ripples out through all we do. We look forward to many more years of working together to protect these places we love.

Renee Casterline, Executive Director

Rod Merys President

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Board of DirectorsRod Merys, PresidentStacy Smith, Vice PresidentDavid Tucker, TreasurerChristine Jordan, Secretary & Stewardship Committee ChairAnne McTavish, Land Acquisition Committee ChairSteve Bollock, Outreach Committee ChairSam BaxterDorinda Thompson

StaffRenee Casterline, Executive Director Kathleen Hitt, Conservation DirectorLaura Bradley, Administrative Assistant

Join together

Thank you to Audra Beylik for generously donating the cover and inside photos.

In this year’s publication, we’re making the shift to report to you on our fiscal year. Looking at July 2017 to June 2018, we’ve got plenty to crow about.

Make an impact

There were changes to the board in fall of 2018. Sam Baxter, Anne McTavish and Christine Jordan stepped down. Anne remains the chair of the Lands Acquisition Committee. We welcome Dorinda Thompson, our newest member. Our deepest gratitude to each of you for your service.

20,000 acres by 2020Setting goals and exceeding themThree years ago, Siskiyou Land Trust set an ambitous goal to conserve 20,000 acres by 2020. At the time, Conservation Director Kathleen Hitt was working on the Spencer Ranch conservation easement (CE) and the Wherrit Rainbow Ridge CE project. Closing those projects pushed SLT over 7,000 acres conserved. The 20,000-acre target, based on interest from landowners, was big enough to be wildly inspiring and a little scary. How would an organization this small make this happen?Thanks to partnerships with organizations, agencies and amazing volunteers, Siskiyou Land Trust has

always been capable of more than its size would suggest. With new partners on the horizon in early 2018 the board took the leap on a big project - one that would exceed our goal and expand our capacity.

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Looking down on the Plank and Whipple ranches in Scott Valley.

SLT is partnering with Ecotrust Forest Management (EFM) on a multi-year project in western Scott Valley that could conserve up to 40,000 acres of working forestland, water resources and habitat. The partnership with EFM greatly expands our ability to make lasting landscape scale impact."In 2015, possibilities on the horizon spoke of increasing interest, landowners committed to conservation, and far more acres than we had capacity to handle," Hitt said. "With the EFM partnership, it is clear that we will surpass our goal. We’ve learned over the years that building capacity comes in many forms, including the way we partner."We're also working with Western Rivers Conservancy to protect additional forested lands in the south end of Scott Valley. The Land Trust is able to accept these large conservation easements from EFM and Western Rivers because these they are taking the lead on project development, grant proposals, outreach, and project implementation. With these partners, SLT staff can focus on smaller complimentary projects in Scott Valley, including a second conservation easement with the Spencer family on their French Creek ranch. Future projects will expand this Scott Valley conservation corridor along the river with a new project at Fowle Ranch. Together these projects link agricultural lands at Scott River, Whipple and Spencer Ranches into a contiguous working landscape that benefits not only the families, but also the elk, beaver, salmon, bald eagles and other species that thrive on these same lands.

View of Spencer Ranch in winter.

In a Flash!Community rallies for SLT projectsIn mid-March of 2018, Siskiyou Land Trust received an unexpected invitation: take part in the "Flash Challenge Thing", an online fundraising competition sponsored by outdoor retailers Patagonia and Moosejaw. We stepped up to the challenge. SLT shared its project list to enhance outdoor education spaces and trails at the Garden Greenway and Sisson Meadow in Mt. Shasta. Social media volunteer Kim Solga jumped in to create materials for Facebook and email outreach.The competition was tough: the format pro-vided only one week - from March 20-27th - to gather as many donations as possible. Siskiyou Land Trust was up against several larger organizations, some with multiple offices and thousands of members. But by the final day, our supporters had donated over $11,000 and pushed the Land Trust into first

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Kingston Meadow walkway.

place, gaining us an additional $12,500 first prize award."The response was amazing," reports Rod Merys, president of the Land Trust board of directors. "We had 102 individual donations during the event which only lasted a week. It is a true testament to this community’s commitment to SLT and its mission."The "Flash Challenge Thing" provided an opportunity for the community to support SLT in an exciting and spontaneous show of generosity, much like the "flash mob" dances that delight us on the Internet. Siskiyou Land Trust extends deep gratitude to supporters and to the many community organizations who made donations and helped spread the word about the contest. "It is truly an honor to be part of an organization that has such wonderful support from the community." Merys reflects. "The board and staff obviously believe in SLT and its mission. To see such an outpouring of support from the community shows that many others belief in our work, too." Projects in Sisson Meadow and the Garden Greenway were a major focus of the campaign, and have felt the benefits. In the Meadow, new sculpture foundation are in place for rotating installations. You can read about Garden Greenway and Sisson Meadow restoration in this report.

Sisson Meadow is well loved for its quiet open space, birds whizzing through the air, frogs singing from the pond, wildflowers in the summer and the sense of serenity visitors experience. Thanks to the outstanding success of the Flash Charity Thing, we're able to restart efforts to stablize the waterfall and streambank. The waterfall by the Alder Street entrance, with its small seating area, is a cherished part of the wetland. While the recent stone work on the trail and installation of benches enhanced enjoyment, the function of waterfall and erosion of the stream bed is of concern to many. Streambank stabilization and meadow enhancement along the southern property boundary moved a few steps forward this year thanks to community support and in-kind contributions. It’s been five years since Land Trust volunteers and staff started seriously considering ways to restore the eroded banks of the waterfall area and address visitor impacts along the waterway.

Taking the long viewSisson Meadow stream restoration

8Project drawing from Streamwise.

Input from our stewards, neighbors, contractors, and consultants helped guide our vision. Thanks to technical drawings from Rick Poore, owner of Streamwise hydrology consulting firm and emeritus SLT board member, we are able to get this project moving. Stonemason John Effland, who craft-ed the existing stone work, and SLT stewards are also part of the project. The headcut stabilization work will use various sized stones, native plants and a structure called a cross vane to slow water flow and prevent further erosion. Streamwise will handle the technical building elements and Effland will build a stone feature around the waterfall and seating area to stabilize those banks. The overall effect will be to improve ecological function while also making the area more beautiful and pleasant to visit.The project still has several steps to complete before construction can begin. Through 2018, staff will work to finalize the project budget in preparation for the spring 2019 round of grant applications. Working in-stream will require permits from state and federal agencies, which will add to the project timeline. Before construction begins, SLT will hold site visits for Sisson Meadow neighbors and community members so they can learn more about the project and share their thoughts.We're grateful to all of the folks who donated to the Flash Charity Thing and those who have contributed to this project. Sisson Meadow is a gem of Mount Shasta and we're committed to stewarding this landscape for the benefit of all those who love it and call it home.

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The vision for the Garden Green-way is growing into a reality since the purchase of the property in January 2014. Community partners and volunteers have done so much to shape this 2.89-acre landscape that was mostly overgrown when folks launched the 2013 community fundraising campaign. With significant projects in 2016, 2017 and 2018, we're aiming to fully launch our educational part-nership with Boys and Girls Club of the Siskiyous in the 2019. That will bring gardening back to the space, which has been fallow the past two summers as infrastruc-ture projects were underway. B&GC and SLT will partner on community events and learning opportunities in the garden for folks of all ages.

In 2018 the Rotary Club of Mt. Shasta and Rotary District 5160 provided funding for the last big flush of projects to get the garden ready to flourish in 2019.

A garden oasis. Thank you to Lucinda Macy for the beautiful drawing.

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Shared visionGrowing together

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Garden ambitions

Thank you to our terrific community partners:

2018 GoalsP Install garden gatesq Install irrigation systems q Install picnic tablesP Move garden shed inside the garden fenceP Improve wet area of Edible AlleyP Clear sight lines by thinning vegetation

2019 goalsq Fund construction of ADA restrooms and additional office spaceq Install raised beds and work benchesq Landscape fence and around parking lot

2020 goalsq Complete building addition, construct ADA walkway q Install Garden Greenway interpretive signq Begin design on Outdoor Community Gathering SpacePis complete, qis yet to be finished

The McConnell Fund of Shasta Regional Community

Foundation, Rotary Club of Mt. Shasta, Mt. Shasta Trail Association, Rotary District

5160, Berryvale Grocery, Wholesale Solar, Patagonia

x Moosejaw Flash Charity Thing donors, Grocery

Outlet of Weed, City of Mt. Shasta, GardenShare

gardeners, Spring Hill Nursery, Native Grounds

Nursery, Healthy Gardens, Shasta Commons, Sousa

Ready Mix, A Cut Above Tree Service, Chris Schneider

Design.

Land Trusts take the long view, we look to the future well beyond our own lives. Conserv-ing land in perpetuity means that planning is very long-range. This year Siskiyou Land Trust marked an important achievement: we launched an endowed fund with Shasta Regional Community Foundation that will support our work and the lands we're chartered to protect. This action was fairly simple and also profound – we've now invested funds with an organi-zation that, like SLT, is chartered to act forever. Landowners who partner with the Land Trust on their conservation easement projects make donations to the organiza-tion. Now those gifts will be invested in a fund that

will give to future projects, to the stewarding of their lands, and to the organization. It's one way that SLT has strengthened our commitment to the future.

Planning aheadFunding the future

Gregg Werner of The Nature Conservancy talking about Thompson Creek.

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Make a gift to our endowed fund

The interest from your gift and others like it will fund the future

of the organization and long-term monitoring that en-sures conserved lands retain

their characteristics and values forever.

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You can fund the future

Become a monthly supporter

Regular donations over the year go a long way to level out the long fund cycles of conser-

vation work. Your gift of $5, $10, $25, $50 or $100 a month is a powerful gift that helps us do

lasting work on the land.

Give the gift of something old

Donate your old car, truck, motorcycle or RV and our

partner, CARS, will turn that vehicle into a cash donation

to the Land Trust. Learn more about this easy process on our

website.

Join our Conservators Circle

Make a gift of giving $1000 a year or more, and join the

Conservators Circle. Your gift will provide critical support to the Land Trust, and you'll be gifted

with unique opportunities to visit conserved lands.

Joan AdamsNikolas Allen and Brenda EastmanSharon AllenRegan AnderliniFlorence AndersonBill AndersonJulie AndersonMerle AndersonKevin and Michelle AndrasLeslie AndrewsJoshua ArthurCrystal and Zac AstonCatherine AtchleyJohn Aviani and Linda SiegelNancy BaconJudy BadenochKendra and Troy BainbridgeAlexander BalosNeva Barnett and Scott DurbinSam and Kris BaxterBrian BaxterMichelle BerditschevskyAudra BeylikGriffin and Penny BloodhartKristy Bond

Susie BoydErica Brevet-StottWilliam and Judy BroeckelErika BrucePatti BrownMike and Venetta BrownKatie BurdickMichael and Maryanne BurkeJerrie BullerwellWalker CahallDoug CarterKristin CarterKatrina ChamatzDwayne ChandlerChris and Courtney ChaseCraig (Yoj) ChaseLiz ChurchillRonald ChurchillNeal and Benita ClarkDella ClarkTonya ClemensAlan CohnMark and Ellen ColemanJeffrey and Sandra CollingsMargaret ConardDave Conkle

Thank you to our supporters

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Kathleen Hitt and Tristan BehmGayin LinxMary MarcinaLou and Renee MendonsaAnne McTavishRod Merys and Brandy CaporasoJack MooreDeray NortonJacque ParkerJane PrestegardKen RyanMyr SkipperMarty Sochet and Carol JenkinsKim SolgaJohn and Eugenie Thomson

Christina and Jason BenzSteve BollockKen Brummel-SmithLaura and Mike BradleyJohn and Susan BrennanRenee Casterline and Vinnie PochYoj ChaseRick and Linda ChitwoodBarbara ClarkShanti CliffAlexandra ColemanJanet CowanJim GilmoreMary Beth GranberryBayla Greenspoon and Raven StevensJohn and Lori HarchBelinda HigueraBruce Hillman and Deborah Franzine

Donate monthly today!It's easy and convenient. And your dollars provide critical year-round support. Sign up at siskiyoulandtrust.org/monthly

Monthly donors

Amy Cooper and Rick KnightRonald CooperWilliam CroftMelitta CutrightElisabeth Cutright-SmithPaul DavisBerry DealMargaret DeanGerad DeanRick DemarestMark and Debbie DerbyRichard & Jackie DerwingsonPhil DetrickTheresa DowningBarbara DoyalSabrina DoyleTim and Melissa DoyleSandra DublesteinRichard EastmanPete and Bonnie EddyMira ElDavid EmanuelJanice EnosDomenic and Joan FaveroAva FieldMelanie Findling and Bob DamschroederGlen and Susan Fine

Brian FitzmauriceMark Foster & Margaret ConardRobert FranciscoRebeca Franco & Dale StanleyDea FryerLaurie FurryJill GardnerMargaret GeistJeanette GeorgeCarla GlinkaDeLeon GrabowskiRandi GreenspanLorraine HaasJeffrey HaasJacqueline HagertyDale HainesGeoff HarknessLaurel HarknessMerissa HaniskoWilliam HartmanLaura HegleJoseph and Kathleen HellerMargi HerzogTom Hesseldenz and Syd SloanBelinda HigueraJohn and Denise Hines

Donita HohensteinLaurie HollidayRichard and Karen HolmesAna HolobVicki HoulePhil HuntingdonNeil JacobsJoa JanakoayasTom JeffersonKatie Jessup & Micah DobushDennis Johnson and Debbie DesrochersMona and Bruce JohnstonNathan JohnstonBradley JonesNubez JordanChristine and Jerry JordanJuniper Ridge LLCMark KennedyEdward and Kimberly KernaghanCarmen KinchDennis and Debra KingMax KirkebergBuzz and Jennifer KnightLily KoltonowKate KorbelMelea Kosel

Forrest LambChantal LangenfeldBill and Nana LangtonSteve and Eloise LarsonDonna LarsonKatie LeBaron and Davis BowdenDebra LewisLynn LloydSharon LoMonacoAlly and Matt LutesDanielle MannAlicia MariscalNorma MarshSharon MacTavishSandra McTavish-AdamsMichael MatthewsFrancis MangelsMichael MarcusEzekiel MelquistHW MoodyMt. Shasta Marketing AlternativeConnie Marmet-BaldwinChris Marrone and Mona GuiterrezKerry and Eleanor MauroNichole McCown

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Dennis and Sally McFallRod Merys & Brandy CaporasoKimberly MessangerGreg and Chris MesserLaurie MonteroKathy Morter and Glenn HarveyJean NelsDavid and Patricia NelsonBeth NeumeyerJane NicollDeray NortonFrances OliverKaren O'QuinnPan and Neera PaineDebbie and Jim ParkerMerrill and Andy ParkerSarah PataniaSandy PattersonJennifer and Jim PentrackEllen PetersonJanet and Eugene PintarelliMargaret PhillipsGareth and Millie PlankRick and Karen PooreNeil PossonBarry and Joy PriceLizbeth Pyle

Tom RavizzaRana RekhiLinda Richter & Janet ZalewskiKara RiddelJanet RiemerJane RobertsonChristina RoddyLinda Roddy and Mike HuppMichael & Barbara RodriguezSarah RossNancy RussCarol SadowskiBelinda and Gary SandaTouson SaryonViolet SchindlerRuth SchlossbergAmanda SchmalenbergerJan Schrag and David VogtJohn Schuyler and Pricilla FrancoHeather SchwarzenbergTom and Kay ScovillJane SeeleyMalou ShannonBrian ShawShantam SheptowBruce ShoemakerSiskiyou Design Group

James SmithFred SmithDanielle SoltisGayle SpencerJohn and Carol SpencerDonita Spurr-RobertsTheodore and Betty SwartzTim StearnsShay StemmTom and Denese StienstraLinda and Ron StremelChris StromsnessSandy SullivanTheodore SwartzNancy Swift & Tom ChandlerJoy TaylorKaren and Thomas TaylorGeorge and Bonnie ThomasDorinda ThompsonAnna ThorntonSara ThorntonKarl and Elsbeth TiefertDavid and Amy TuckerEd and Barbara ValenzuelaSuzanne Van SummernJessica VickersAnne WagleyBarbara Wagner

Robert, Carolyn & Ryan WalkerJohn and Evelyn WardMJ WattGregory WeiLavina WegleyPeter WeissMarie WellsCelestine WestThamar WherritJennifer WhippleJennifer WhiteJohn WhitsonAlyssa WinkelmanJoe and Michael WirthDonna WolfePhillip YorkKate YorkeMichael ZangerJessie ZapffeNoam ZiminBarbara and Steven ZlotowskiPaul and Sarah ZwetslootPorter Sesnon Foundation (Lee and Nell Cliff)Tides FoundationKimball Foundation

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Financial summary of 2017-2018Total Income: $211,606

Educationand Outreach

2%

Acquisition47%

* includes one-time value of donated land

Membership & Donations

41%

Holdings and Investments

10%

Administration 22%

Acquisition28%

Outreach & Education

9%

Stewardship19%

Fundraising &Membership

22%

We appreciate our business sponsors

Conservation easementsin acresWard Trinity River - 70 Plank & Whipple Ranches - 5,680Spencer Ranch - 1,116Wherrit Rainbow Ridge - 597 Lands owned by SLTHammond Pond - 70Sisson Meadow - 7.5Kingston Meadow - 5Garden Greenway - 2.89Sisson Meadow annex - .2

Total acres conserved: 7,548

Trail easements held- 3.5 milesCity Park to Downtown Trail section that connects City Park to Kingston Meadow

Spring Hill Trail

Trail easements are held in sup-port of Mt. Shasta Trail Association

On the landTotal Expense: $166,120

Thank you!

SLT's fiscal year is July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018.

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Lead Stewards of 2017-2018Dennis McFall and Sam Baxter -

Sisson Meadow John Brennan - Hammond Pond

Jack Moore - Garden Greenway Trails

Rod Merys - Garden Greenway Buildings

Glenn Harvey - Kingston Meadow and City Park to Downtown Trail

Tristan Behm - Conservation Easements

our superpowerVolunteer impacts are felt in many ways, from lead stewards on the land to fence building crews to artists sharing the vision.

Conservation: 167 hoursStewardship: 1994 hours totalGarden Greenway fence: 600 hoursSisson Meadow: 738 hoursOutreach activities: 186 hoursOutdoor education: 322 hoursFundraising: 547 hoursMembership Outreach: 50 hoursOffice Support: 83 hoursBoard members: 844 hoursCommittee meetings: 166 hoursTotal for 2017-2018: 4400 hours

Rotary Trail clean up crew.

Volunteers are

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Superheroes - every one!Throughout the year, more than 100 people volunteer for SLT - from clean up days on the land, to committees, to putting on events and helping in the office. We'd like to give thank a few of the folks who make big contributions year after year.

Kim Solga - 2018 Volunteer of the YearThe creativity and drive behind the Flash Charity Thing! success, long-time donor database management techie geek (her words), graphic designer.

Glenn Harvey - Up for any work day challenge, Glenn thins trees, builds fences, replaces screws in the boardwalk, leads crews and built the garden gates by hand.

Katie LeBaron-New winter slideshow series organizer and volunteer coordinator for events - two huge tasks! Katie is always ready and available to help.

The Mt. Shasta Trail Association work crew - Led by John Harch and Mark Telegin, this group of folks has done so much for SLT's public spaces: thinning trees, building fences, cleaning up spaces.

The Land Trust is so very grateful to each of these folks, and all of the other people who make our work possible by giving of their time, energy, creativity, expertise, talent, tools and resources. You all are Siskiyou Land Trust!

Siskiyou Land Trust522 Alma Street, Mt. Shasta, CA 96067

530.926.2259siskiyoulandtrust@gmail.com

Learn more at www.siskiyoulandtrust.org

North State Giving Tuesday is a big day for the Land Trust. Your gift will support the projects, land and work shared in this report. Plan to give, knowing that your donation is felt on the land and in lives.

Starting November 13th, you can schedule your gift to SLT on NorthStateGives.org. Or wait for Nov 27th to help us win competi-tive prizes during the event.

Giving TuesdayYou can make a big impact on Nov 27th. Plan to give!