The Eastern Sierra Land Trust is a nonprofit organization that works with willing landowners to protect vital lands in the Eastern Sierra for their scenic, recreational, historical, agricultural, botanic, watershed and wildlife values. We work to help families preserve their working farms and ranches in the face of pressures to subdivide their properties. We work to help landowners protect our region's plants and wildlife. And we work to preserve natural areas in andaround the Mono Basin National Scenic Area.

Founded in 2001, the ESLT is the first and only land trust based in Inyo, Mono, and Alpine counties (see area map). We began our work when private citizens and public officials in our area expressed interest in the development alternatives, mitigations, and habitat protections that land trusts can provide.

In December 2003 we completed our first voluntary land conservation agreements (commonly referred to as conservation easements), in the migration corridor of the Round Valley Mule Deer Herd; the following year we hired our first professional staff. In 2005-2006 we completed land protection agreements to protect 818-acre Montgomery Creek Ranch, keeping its historic water rights forever in agriculture, and to protect important wildlife habitat at Big Hot Springs Ranch on the Highway 395 scenic corridor. Today we're working to protect other vital lands making up a total of 6,000 protected acres thusfar.

Please feel free to stop by our office to learn more about what we do and how we work, discuss a potential project on your land, or just say hello. We are currently displaying artwork of the Eastern Sierra region that was part of our Art for Conservation show. You can also visit our website www.eslt.org for more information.

Seasons Open: All

Hours Open: 9-5 M-F

Fees: None