Birders on new wildlife viewing platform
Photo by Shannon Morrow

Check out the new wildlife viewing platform and trail at FRLT's Maddalena Property. You can see for miles! The platform and trail are the result of a wonderful partnership with Plumas Audubon, Mount Diablo Audubon, Ohlone Audubon, Golden Gate Audubon, and Feather River Land Trust.

In May, 75 birding enthusiasts celebrated the dedication of the new platform with a BBQ, birding, canoeing and other fun hosted by Plumas Audubon and FRLT. What a great way to celebrate conservation!

Paddling the wetlands is a great way
to see birds!
Photo by Shannon Morrow

Here's the great thing - you don't have to wait for an event. We invite you to come out to the Maddalena any time.The platform and trail are near a great canoe put-in, BYOP (bring your own paddles). If you like what you see, and would like to help us take care of  this incredible property, please make a donation in the "donation station" near the corral. Thank you!

Come on out and enjoy! Directions to Maddalena

Heart K Ranch, Genesee Valley
photo by Jim Gaither

As you know, in late 2006, FRLT purchased the iconic Heart K Ranch in Genesee Valley using a generous $2.6 million bridge loan from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Since then, with your generous help, we've been able to raise over $1.6 million toward paying back this loan, leaving approximately $950,000 to raise within the next 12 months. 

Our most promising opportunity right now is to sell a conservation easement on the property, likely to be held by CA Department of Fish and Game. Negotiations are going well, and the CA Wildlife Conservation Board will likely make a final decision about funding the easement in November. The sale of the easement is likely to generate enough funds to pay off the loan, allowing FRLT to own the Heart K for the long haul!

We'll send out another Heart K update in the fall, but please call or email if you have any questions, comments, or ideas to help.

To learn more about the Heart K and the campaign to protect it, visit Heart K Campaign and Update on our website. Together, we can make it happen!

We love the Feather River Watershed, and through strong, strategic partnerships, we can achieve more to protect it. The Northern Sierra Partnership, of which FRLT is a founding member, is working together to protect the incredible resources in the entire Northern Sierra region. Check out the NSP's priority landscapes, including Heart K and Sierra Valley. We're seeing the tangible benefits of this partnership locally - NSP contributed $1.5 million toward paying the Heart K loan.

NSP was recently featured in Land & People magazine, a national publication of the Trust for Public Land. We've got some great momentum going. Together, we can do more!