Sierra Nevada Land Tenure

With almost 97% of the land base in Inyo and Mono counties owned by the federal government and City of Los Angeles, there is a distinct lack of private land within and adjacent to existing communities available for community expansion and sustainability. Much of the undeveloped private land is isolated, usually surrounded by federal and/or Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) lands, and may contain valuable wildlife habitat and other natural resources.

As growth demands increase, more of these isolated private parcels are being proposed for residential subdivision. Development of the these isolated parcels may be at odds with both counties' general plans and citizen desire to encourage growth adjacent to existing communities. Creating new subdivisions on these isolated parcels can also result in significant new demands for county services and infrastructure. These new developments can impact key wildlife habitat, compromise scenic values, and impair water quality and quantity. Additional groundwater pumping to provide water to these isolated subdivisions has the potential to impact aquifers and dependent ecosystems. The City of Los Angeles already diverts a significant amount of the surface and groundwater from the region.

The Center is working with the Sierra Business Council and several other partners to identify opportunities for land exchanges along the east-side of the Sierra Nevada. The objectives of the land tenure project are to educate local residents and other interested members of the public about agency land policies and opportunities for expansion; seek community consensus on desire for community expansion or not, and identify specific expansion needs and appropriate locations.