California is home to myriad wild lands that possess a multitude of flora and fauna, natural wildlife and untamed rivers within their boundaries. Many of these wild lands would be left vulnerable to illegal off-road vehicle use and the pressure of increasing development were it not for local conservation groups like Friends of the Inyo advocating for their protection.
Founded in Bishop, California, Friends of the Inyo is a nonprofit organization devoted to protecting wild lands in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, namely the Inyo National Forest, and supporting legislation that would help forever protect California’s precious undeveloped public land. Friends of the Inyo is a pioneer of California’s wild land defense and wilderness advocacy community. Through outreach and education, the organization works to ensure that future generations of people, plants and animals can experience what California’s Eastside wilderness has to offer.
Today, Friends of the Inyo is involved with a number of important campaigns to protect California’s wild lands, including an Eastern Sierra Citizens’ Wilderness proposal which aims to permanently install a legislative safeguard for critical habitat below the current John Muir Wilderness boundary; preserve the Headwaters of the Upper Owens River; and protect America's highest desert mountain range — the White Mountains.
Among its many goals, Friends of the Inyo seeks to restore healthy public lands ecosystems. The organization also supports low impact recreational opportunities, such as hiking, backpacking, hunting, and fishing, that allow people to appreciate California’s Eastside wild lands.
Friends of the Inyo pursues its environmental goals through habitat monitoring and improvement, removal of invasive species, and other efforts that help limit the human imprint in natural environments. The organization supports wilderness designations because such legal protection is the very best way the organization can ensure protection of the region’s ecosystem, as well as quality recreational experiences. Friends of the Inyo is constantly encouraging people to get out and enjoy what the Inyo National Forest has to offer by way of natural habitat, wild rivers and beautiful greenery. The group holds paramount the well-being of wildlife and its sustainable use by human visitors.
Friends of the Inyo is working on a “Route Designation/ Travel Management Plan” that will enable motorized access to remote camping sites and hunting grounds along about 3,760 miles of routes and roads, while maintaining the sustainability of the area. Friends of the Inyo appreciates the recreational value of such lands, and is working to create limited legal designations for some roads to facilitate recreational use of the Inyo National Forest.
The Eastern Sierra is a precious habitat that faces threats from overuse and resource exploitation. Local organizations, such as Friends of the Inyo, work to give California wild lands a voice, so that these treasures may survive for the enjoyment of future generations.
