Purple and white flowers dot a grassy slope looking down toward a distant lake and mountains with traces of snow.

880 acres permanently protected north of Mono Lake

The Wilderness Land Trust recently purchased 880 acres of land in the Bodie Hills, north of Mono Lake. The Mono Lake Committee is pleased to have collaborated in support of the successful acquisition. The Trust is working with the Bureau of Land Management to add the property to the Mt. Biedeman Wilderness Study Area so that it remains protected forever.

This portion of the Bodie Hills has seasonal streams, mature pinon-juniper forests, and a number of cultural and historic sites. Pronghorn and herds of mule deer migrate through the property between winter and summer habitats. While the Wilderness Land Trust has protected 6,500 acres in the Bodie Hills so far, much of the area remains vulnerable to mining and development interests threatening this important region that links the Sierra Nevada to the Great Basin.

When the property was first offered for sale last summer, the Mono Lake Committee together with a local landowner and Committee member, Michael Light, discussed potential conservation opportunities. The momentum grew with the help of other interested parties, and the Wilderness Land Trust, which specializes in land acquisitions within or adjacent to wilderness areas, was able to finalize the purchase with a coalition of partners, including the Mono Lake Committee.

Aimee Rutledge, Wilderness Land Trust vice president and senior lands specialist, gave “a heartfelt thanks to all our supporters and especially to the landowner and our partners—Friends of the Inyo, the Mono Lake Committee, Eastern Sierra Land Trust, DeChambeau Creek Foundation, Wildlands Conservancy, and Resources Legacy Fund—for making this acquisition possible.”

“The scenic beauty of Mono Lake and the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area is now better protected thanks to this significant acquisition. This is a great way to start the new year at Mono Lake,” said Geoff McQuilkin, the Committee’s Executive Director. Happy new year indeed!

The view from the Bodie Hills looking south toward Mono Lake in fall. Photo courtesy of John Dittli.

Top photo courtesy of John Dittli.