Programs and results
What we aim to solve
For 30 years BYLT has become ingrained in the fabric of the community as a protector of open spaces and wild places and a provider of expanded access to nature through trail projects and outdoor recreation opportunities and education. Today, the organization faces new challenges of permanently protecting the most essential lands in the region and collaboratively creating a community resilient to climate change impacts. BYLT will reach these goals by working with local government, nonprofits, state and federal agencies, foundations, landowners and individuals to embrace a future where strategic land conservation can protect basic community needs in perpetuity. From access to land for farmers to sustain local food security to ensuring sustainable forestry insulates the community from catastrophic wildfire impacts and loss of critical habitats, BYLT’s work is vast, important and doesn’t end there
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Trails & Outdoor Recreation
BYLT empowers healthy, resilient communities through nature access and education. To date, BYLT has built and actively manages over 45 miles of trails, which provide equitable access to nature for all.
Land Conservation
Bear Yuba Land Trust conserves land across strategic focus areas within the Bear and Yuba River Watersheds. These focus areas include the Blue Oak Woodland and Rangeland, Urban Core, Yuba River and Ridges and Grouse Ridge Headwaters Regions. To date, BYLT has conserved over 15,000 acres of critical wildlife habitat and open space through conservation easements and fee-title preserves.
Where we work
Accreditations
Land Trust Accreditation Commission 2009
Land Trust Accreditation Commission 2014
Land Trust Accreditation Commission 2019
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of acres of land protected
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Land Conservation
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Miles of trails actively managed
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Trails & Outdoor Recreation
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
BYLT's mission guides the organization to protect the natural world and create opportunities for access to nature through trail connectivity and education. Nature is defined as the phenomena of the physical world including plants, animals, the landscape, and other features and products of the earth, as opposed to humans or human creations. Climate resilience has emerged as one of the most important goals to strive for in the work that is accomplished by BYLT. Resilience is the response of nature to a change or disturbance where the landscape or species maintains its essential function, identity, and structure, while also maintaining the capacity for adaptation, learning, and transformation. BYLT has placed significant emphasis on Strategic Focus Areas within the Bear and Yuba River Watersheds, based on the idea that protecting and restoring the most resilient lands will provide multiple benefits to our ecosystems and communities. The extended conservation benefits will further enhance those goals. Land protection and management are inextricably linked. The primary goal of BYLT is to protect these critical spaces and also to defend them to ensure conservation remains relevant well into the future.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Some of the strategies the organization is implementing to achieve the mission of protecting and defending the working and natural lands of the Bear and Yuba River Watersheds and empowering healthy, resilient communities through nature access and education include, but are not limited to:
* Advocacy of smart growth and community resilience
* Increase acquisition of trail easements to protect and expand public access to trails and open space
* Encouraging outdoor recreation opportunities
* Target land surrounding currently protected areas for landscape scale conservation
* Identify priority landscapes for protection and work with local community on management goals
* Protect important farmland
* Reinforce BYLT outdoor recreation leadership through advocacy and awareness
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
BYLT is capable of meeting the goals of the mission through a "people first" management approach. This approach celebrates the diverse backgrounds, talents and experiences of the people who make up the internal workings of the organization including staff, volunteers, and board and committee members.
Additionally, BYLT is focused on securing sustainable funding sources to ensure that the organization is viable well into the future, so the organization can perform its mission for the benefit of the entire community. Organizational development is a planned effort to improve an organization through effective use of resources by aligning strategy, leadership, functions, systems, processes, culture and structure toward accomplishing goals.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
So far, the organization has conserved over 15,000 acres of land and maintains over 45 miles of trails within the Bear and Yuba River Watersheds. Conserved land protects working ranches, farms, and forests, ecologically significant areas and open space preserves. Conserving these areas ensures wildlife corridors remain intact, the landscape and community is more resilient to the effects of climate change, and open space is enjoyed by all through sustainable recreation activities. The future of the organization is bright and BYLT will continue to protect land and build and maintain trails for the benefit of all, forever.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Community meetings/Town halls, Suggestion box/email,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve,
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
In our community, there was a lot of discussion around conserving and protecting farmland to ensure equitable access to food. Farmers have been habitually moving their operations out of the area due to lack of land security. Upon hearing this community feedback, BYLT partnered with Sierra Harvest, BriarPatch Food Co-Op and Tahoe Food Hub to protect land through the Forever Farms Program. The first public campaign to protect a critical 32 agricultural area successfully completed in 2020. Now, this land will be held by BYLT to ensure sustainable food sources are maintained within our community, forever.
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
BEAR YUBA LAND TRUST
Board of directorsas of 02/11/2022
Robert Smail
Andy Cassano
Terry Hundemer
Letty Litchfield
Kathryn McCamant
Fred Holden
Robin Milam
Trent Pridemore
Robert Smail
Tim Ackerman
Mike Chapel
Christy Sherr
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes