Tomorrow we kick of our 12 Days of Giving as part of our year end Lands Appeal Campaign. We would like to extend our gratitude once again for your generous support throughout the year. This year marked significant growth and progress with our trails and public access programs:
1 – The creation of Snowdrop, Trabucco and Wolf Creek Spur trails and the increase of our overall trail mileage from 30 miles to 45 miles!
2 – Grant funding was awarded by the Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District to complete a 2020 trail project off Doris Drive in Grass Valley (more info to follow!)
3 – Sugarloaf Mountain Trail construction has finally begun! A huge thank you to the City of Nevada City and Nevada County staff and boards for pushing this project forward and the endless hours spent making this dream a reality.
4 – Through the annual trails appeal, close to $15,000 was contributed by generous members and community supporters for the continual construction and upkeep of over 45 miles of BYLT-managed trails.
5 – ExtremeTerrain, the auto parts retailer known for customizing Jeep Wranglers and Toyota pick-ups, provided grant funding to BYLT allowing for additional trail maintenance and restoration projects. More information about this grant can be found on their website.
6 – And finally, over $10,000 was raised for the Litton Trail Fund-a-Need project during the Open Spaces, Wild Places Gala & Awards with an additional $30,000 challenge match from the City of Grass Valley to repave the section between Hughes Road and Sierra College Drive. Repaving this section will increase trail access for low-mobility trail users, people to utilize wheelchairs to experience nature, and young families. These matching funds will extend into the new year when we kick off another fundraising push with the support of our friends at BriarPatch Co-op in Spring 2020.
Trails preserve the rural and scenic quality of life in this community while contributing positively to the local economy. Recreational trails also provide safe routes to school for kids and keep the air clean by reducing carbon emissions from automobiles. When local residents or visitors hike community trails, they are provided opportunities to enjoy nature, renew and participate in healthy outdoor fitness. Thank you for making access to nature possible in our community! Let’s finish strong in this season of giving as we count down to the new year. Look for information tomorrow on how you may contribute. There is still time!
In gratitude, Erika & Erin