Bear Yuba Land Trust is proud to announce two new awards for 2022 which recognize our
Business Sponsor of the Year
BriarPatch Food Co-op
and
Partner of the Year
CAL FIRE
Criteria for the Business Supporter of the Year Award
- Local, regional, or national business or corporation
- Demonstrates meaningful support of BYLT and our broader mission through donations, partnership, and/or engagement
- Long-term or new supporter
Criteria for the Partner of the Year Award
- Local, regional, or agency or nonprofit organization
- Demonstrates meaningful support of BYLT and our broader mission through donations, partnership, and/or engagement
- Long-term or new supporter
Business Supporter of the Year
2022 BriarPatch Food Co-op
The recipient of our inaugural Business Supporter of the Year Award is BriarPatch Food Co-op. We are recognizing BriarPatch for their ongoing support and partnership with BYLT over the years and especially as we launched our Forever Farms program.
BriarPatch is an anchor in our community supporting our expanded local farm network and building a sustainable & equitable food system that supports healthy people, animals, and the environment. A key strategic partner with Forever Farms, BriarPatch is a visionary leader for community-based farming as well as a major contributor and promoter of the Mountain Bounty project.
The company generously supports BYLT – along with a broad array of local nonprofits – through food donations and financial contributions. They also offer generous in-store discounts to our volunteers based on hours worked through their nationally recognized PatchWorks program.
Partner of the Year
2022 CAL FIRE
The recipient of our inaugural Partner of the Year Award is CAL FIRE. When the “stormageddon” struck Western Nevada County in January 2022 a number of our properties suffered significant storm damage. Downed and dangling trees and limbs destroyed vegetation and posed safety risks. Looking at an overwhelming challenge, BYLT reached out to CALFIRE who responded with National Guard Crew CNA 23 and California Conservation Corps Crew equipped to clear the devastation across the Adam Ryan Preserve.
The National Guard team then went on to provide vegetation management at Rice’s Crossing South and at Woodpecker Preserve. The elimination of hazardous fuels along Rice’s Crossing Road will allow for safe ingress and egress for fire safety personnel and the public, increase fire defense of the road and surrounding natural areas, and lead to reduced suppression costs. Throughout the 28-acre Woodpecker Preserve, the crew removed dead, downed, and overly dense vegetation. In the course of a few months, CAL FIRE cleared and thinned over 20 acres of forest, addressing 70 years of fire suppression, and tackling overstocked forests.