Jane Hightower, MD, author of the exposé Diagnosis: Mercury, will be the keynote speaker at an event highlighting the ongoing human health impacts of mercury in California’s environment. Dr. Hightower, a national expert on mercury, will speak about her research into the health impacts of consuming mercury-contaminated fish, with a special focus on the irreversible […]

Senator Fran Pavley, Chair of the California Senate Natural Resources Committee, has introduced SB 1259, a bill that if passed and signed by the Governor would: Require the Department of Water Resources to gather data for review of the loss of storage capacity behind dams resulting from siltation; Require that siltation studies include an evaluation […]

The Sierra Fund CEO Elizabeth Martin and Science Director Dr. Carrie Monohan testified at the California Assembly Natural Resources Committee oversight hearing “Mercury Contamination:  Toxic Legacy of the Gold Rush” on Monday, March 24. They were among a dozen experts on the issue that participated in the hearing. The hearing is available for viewing at:  […]

The Sierra Fund CEO Elizabeth Martin and Science Director Dr. Carrie Monohan are testifying at the California Assembly Natural Resources Committee oversight hearing “Mercury Contamination:  Toxic Legacy of the Gold Rush” on Monday, March 24.  The hearing will begin at 1:30 pm in the California State Capitol, Room 447. The DRAFT agenda for the hearing […]

California Senator Fran Pavley has introduced the Surface Mining Act Reform of 2014 (SB 1270) with a goal of reforming the California Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA) to better serve industry, local governments, state government, and the public.  The Sierra Fund, a regional nonprofit based in Nevada City, is the sponsor of this bill. […]

Working closely with Assemblymember Brian Dahle and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, The Sierra Fund has again lead a tour into the Sierra Nevada with statewide leaders interested in learning more about the importance of this watershed to the entire state. On Thursday, February 13 Elizabeth “Izzy” Martin joined with eleven members of the California State […]

Reclaiming the Sierra 2014: The New Gold Rush will be held September 11 & 12, 2014 in Grass Valley, CA. The Sierra Fund’s bi-annual conference, hosted at the heart of the glitter and devastation of what was California’s original Gold Rush, is the state’s primary venue for collaboration and action around addressing the ongoing effects […]

The Sierra Fund is launching our first crowdfunding campaign!  Click here to go to the campaign page to view a quick video about the project, fun photos of our sampling team, and how to share our story and help us build supporters for this great work. The Sierra Fund’s science team is ready and willing […]

The CABY region’s implementation proposal to the CA Department of Water Resources, for which The Sierra Fund is the lead applicant and fiscal sponsor, has been recommended for full funding.  The proposal package includes a dozen projects in the CABY IRWM region including needed water infrastructure, innovative small hydroelectric projects, and mine lands and meadow […]

NEVADA CITY, 5 November 2013 – Monday night, November 4th, over one hundred people showed up to the Nevada City Veterans Hall for an informational event about legacy mines hosted by a local nonprofit organization, The Sierra Fund (TSF).  “I was expecting maybe fifty people” said TSF Outreach Coordinator Amber Taxiera, “but we had to […]