Why Now?
Why Us?
Why Now?
The Sierra Nevada has lost more than 65% of its alpine meadow acreage in less than 200 years. Entirely due to human interventions, this is a grave environmental problem. More meadows mean more water. In fact, they are our most productive reservoirs.
We rely on healthy alpine meadows to capture and hold snowpack runoff and our heaviest rainfall for slow release year round. This is the source supply for 6 major rivers, a thousand or more dams, and a vast aqueduct system. The combined capacity delivers water to more than 33 million Californians and our rich farmlands in the Central Valley. But the sustainability of this enormous supply depends on our meadows.
In spring, the intense explosion of growth as meadows emerge from snow cover is a powerful carbon sink. Connected in long strings, they are rich habitat for an incredibly diverse range of endemic species. And if reclaimed and restored to their historical size and scope, they form natural wildfire barriers.
10,000 alpine meadows have been mapped by the State of California in the Sierra Nevada at elevations above 5,000 feet. These are the prime environmental assets, covered by snow in winter and capturing significant ground water to feed watersheds.
The ones closest to roads, near suburban communities or that present potential large water capacity must be expanded and restored. We have to act fast. As snowpack declines and weather patterns change, we need to capture and save every drop of water.
Why Us?
Founded in 2018, the JMT Wilderness Conservancy (“JMT Wild”) started work in the high Sierra Nevada backcountry accessible by the John Muir Trail. Stretching 214 miles from Yosemite Valley to Mt. Whitney, the JMT encompasses roughly 2.8 million acres of wilderness where our most important meadows live. We identify and then restore meadows and riparian terrain adjacent to rivers and creeks that have been damaged by intense recreational use and extreme weather events.
Central to this work is the collection of accurate field data. JMT Wild has built a robust Monitoring Program, that is anchored by annual recruiting of undergraduate students with environmental, biological or engineering majors. Working in cohorts of 4 individuals, these teams have consistently gathered the state-mandated data required to organize and document field restoration projects. As our work expands, we are in a position to scale the Program to manage this growth.
In 2024, we expanded our reach by employing the Lost Meadows Model, a USFS designed AI-enabled satellite imaging tool. When integrated with California’s robust data base of LiDAR imagery, it allows us to map and locate the historic scope of our alpine meadows based on the geomorphology and hydrology that is revealed in key watersheds. We are expanding those meadows by clearing pine forest incursions, building beaver dam analogues, and working with local tribal ecologists to thin and manage terrain using their traditional practices.
JMT Wild’s mission is focused. We are not involved in advocacy or policy. Our board and advisors include scientists, ecologists, authors and business advisors who are readily available. We are a lean organization with a prompt decision tree. In the past 5 years we have built strong relationships with federal and state officials, key specialists involved in the NEPA and CEQA permit process, and with skilled restoration labor crews.
We can act quickly and pivot effectively when needed. A meadow is restored. A trail is re-routed to avoid fragile terrain. Stretches of river banks and lake shores are revived and re-vegetated. Habitat for endangered species is restored. Invasive and damaging species are removed. This is real work.