SACRAMENTO, Calif. — For outdoor and conservation enthusiast Jade Stevens, this piece of land in the Sierra Nevada is more special for her, she says, than just the natural beauty it provides.

It's land that will provide for people of color.

What You Need To Know

  • The state's first and only Black-led conservation group acquired 650 acres of land an hour from Sacramento

  • Many people of color report feeling uncomfortable in outdoor settings

  • The group, 40 Acre Conservation League, will use the land to encourage an introduce people of color outdoors, especially Black people

  • 40 Acre Conservation League hopes to have the first public available space open in the summer of 2024

“This really represents an opportunity for us to really push a community forward in reconnecting their relationship with nature,” said Stevens, the president of the 40 Acre Conservation League. 

The nonprofit is the first and only Black-led conservation group in the state.

While helping to conserve the state’s ecosystem, the group aims to introduce and make the outdoors more accessible to people of color, especially Black people.

“Many of my friends who are people of color didn’t feel comfortable going to the parks in their backyard or traveling to places like Tahoe Forest,” Stevens said. “Because it didn’t feel welcoming or feel like there were things that really took into account a culturally relevant experience.”

The group was recently awarded a $3 million grant to purchase their first piece of land, 650 acres, 30 miles west of Lake Tahoe and an hour from Sacramento.

The acquisition is an important factor, Stevens said.

“We really want to target communities of color,” she said. “We understand that in order for that to happen, there needs to be some accessibility and feel like these different areas that we have are within reach. And so that means we choose areas that are within an hour or two hours driving distance from major cities.”

The land is part of the state’s goal to conserve 30% of the land and coast by 2030.

The Wildlife Conservation Board largely funded the grant. The board has been actively seeking to work more with groups of color, said Jennifer Norris, the executive director of the Wildlife Conservation Board.

“Across California, we’ve really made this a priority for our work, at least at the state of California, you know, working harder to bring all people in to have access to nature,” Norris said.

Even with beautiful lakes and views, Stevens said it would take baby steps to help people of color, in many instances, feel comfortable at the park, especially from a safety viewpoint from the wildlife to the surrounding community.

“Really thinking about how welcome they feel to the space in terms of maybe experiencing it from a way of, am I going to feel welcome from the people who are local to the area?” she said. “Are there going to be any instances that might come across as microaggressions?”

Stevens said part of helping will involve people of color on the property, from tour guides to scientists so that everyone can enjoy and conserve the ecosystem around them.

They plan to open the first space on the property to the public in the summer of 2024.