The sierra institute for community and environment will further develop the feather river stewardship coalition, a watershed group based around the feather river watershed located along the sierra…

The Sierra Institute for Community and Environment received a $194,448 Project Grant from the Bureau of Reclamation under the Cooperative Watershed Management Program (CWMP, CFDA 15.554) awarded on May 22, 2025, with a completion date of September 30, 2027. The award supports the further development of the Feather River Stewardship Coalition, a collaborative watershed management initiative in the Feather River Watershed located in the Sierra Nevada region of northeastern California. Following severe wildfires that exposed coordination gaps among regional stakeholders, the project will deliver key planning products including the formation of a steering committee composed of representatives from several counties, the U.S. Forest Service, local fire departments, community environmental organizations, tribes, and private landowners.

The primary deliverables include a comprehensive watershed restoration plan developed collaboratively with project partners and a 20-year implementation strategy identifying and prioritizing actions for long-term watershed management and restoration. These planning efforts address the need for a cohesive, long-term strategy to manage increasing wildfire severity and enhance the operational capacity of regional organizations working within the watershed. The project exemplifies the Cooperative Watershed Management Program's focus on fostering grassroots, multi-stakeholder collaboration to develop local solutions for water management and watershed protection needs in western states.

The sierra institute for community and environment will further develop the feather river stewardship coalition, a watershed group based around the feather river watershed located along the sierra nevada in northeastern california. Following a series of severe wildfires, local stakeholders identified a lack of a collaborative response between the various established groups in the region. Increasing wildfire severity and the limited operational capacity of individual groups have highlighted the need for a long-term strategy for the watershed. The institute plans to reengage stakeholders including several nearby counties, the U.S. Forest service, local fire departments, community environmental organizations, tribes, and private landowners. These planning efforts will include forming a steering committee, conducting work with partners to produce a watershed restoration plan, and developing a 20-year implementation strategy for the prioritized actions.