Why do fish folk care about forest health? At CalTrout we believe wholeheartedly in the connectivity of natural systems.
In 2018 CalTrout and our partners began to implement Phase I of the June Mountain Whitebark Pine Restoration Project. This first phase will work to remove 113 of beetle killed Whitebark pine trees at the June Mountain Ski Area.
The goal of the restoration project is to remove dying trees across 518 acres of National Forest System lands over five years in a multi-phased approach.
June Mountain is in the Rush Creek watershed that feeds the iconic Mono Lake and delivers critical drinking water to the City of Los Angeles via the L.A. Aqueduct. For the last 10 years, the June Mountain area has been hit hard by Mountain Pine Beetle. With an estimated 70% mortality in much of the forest, the dead trees pose a threat of high severity wildfire to the community of June Lake and the hundreds of thousands of people who recreate there.
June is a destination vacation getaway where fishing, camping, and skiing make up the entire economy. We know that unhealthy, overstocked forests lead to high severity fires that are difficult, if not impossible, to contain and high fires are hard on fish. High severity fires combined with steep slopes (ideal for ski areas) can deliver heavy sediment loads to small mountain streams creating catastrophic effects to downstream aquatic life and significantly reducing water storage capacity of reservoirs.
If you are 70 1/2 or older, you can make a tax-free distribution from your IRA.
If you are 70½ or older, you can make a tax-free distribution from your traditional or Roth IRA to CalTrout. You can donate without incurring income tax on your withdrawal – it's an efficient way to support the causes that matter to you most.
Request more information today, email or call Julie Seelen at 415.392.8887 xt 102 or [email protected]
June Mountain Fuels Reduction
Left: Series of four interpretive boards at June Mountain Ski Resort.