News

October 2000.

November 2000

December 2000

January 2001

The Sierra Nevada Mountains have been vital for Californians since the first humans came from Asia. To the Native Americans, the great mountains provided wild game and plants for nourishment, forests and boulders for protection from the harsh weather. But of greater import was the spiritual enrichment that the majestic beauty of the mountains provided.

When the first white settlers crossed the continent, these mountains had much to offer. The trees, water, and animals all helped the pioneers to thrive in their new environment. The discovery of gold brought many new people and began the creation of the most ethnically diverse society on the planet.

To this day, John Muir's Range of Light is the basis of California's success. These

mountains provide our huge cities with high quality domestic water. The melting snow generates clean, renewable hydroelectric power and irrigates the richest agricultural valley in the world.

The mountains are still mined to provide California with minerals. The forests provide timber for homes and paper for schools and commerce. Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, and hundreds of secret hide-aways attract millions of visitors that enjoy the scenery and support California's large tourist industry. But the Sierra Nevada is still the spiritual center of California just as it was to those first settlers thousands of years ago. The tranquility and inspiration of the Sierra is perhaps the greatest gift that can be given to the fast-paced lives of many Californians in a world with ever diminishing wilderness.