Today, Sierra County’s supervisors will receive more information about the proposed Feather River National Monument, which has raised concerns among some. The board will hear from Friends of Plumas Wilderness, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving more lands in Plumas County. The supervisors requested this presentation after Tim Beals, the county planning director, informed them that the project was underway without their knowledge. Beals and the board were skeptical about the proposal, feeling they should have been involved in the process from the beginning.
Friends of Plumas Wilderness initiated the idea of establishing a permanent designation for public lands through the Antiquities Act in 2018. The proposed monument would protect watershed lands from activities such as water diversion, mining, and commercial development. However, Beals was concerned that the designation would lead to heavy restrictions, especially since much of the area already has established private lands and mining interests.
The proposed area for the monument includes portions of the Plumas National Forest located north of Canyon Creek and the Upper Lakes Basin area. The supervisors’ meeting will be held at the Loyalton Social Hall this morning at 9 am, with the matter set to be discussed at 10 am. The meeting can be in-person or virtually, and the full agenda is available on the county’s website.
