Sierra Checkerboard Initiative

If you could zoom out and soar above the Northern Sierras, what would you see? Stunning landscapes stretching from Lake Tahoe to Lassen National Park—snowcapped mountains, alpine lakes, dense forests, and lush meadows. Now, zoom in. You’ll see property lines in a checkerboard pattern disrupting this seemingly limitless landscape.

This pattern wasn’t an accident and dates back to the Gold Rush in the late 1800s. Lower in elevation and closer to the gold mines where prospectors hoped to strike it big, the Northern Sierras drew waves of emigrants moving to California to start a new life. The federal government wanted to encourage railway construction in the undeveloped West so they struck a unique deal with railroad companies. They granted railroad companies ownership of every other square mile of land, while they retained ownership of the squares in between. This created a checkerboard pattern of public-private ownership that has been problematic ever since.

Over the years, the railroad sold most of its land in the Sierra checkerboard to timber companies and individual buyers, which only complicated the task of protecting and reassembling for the greater public good. And as houses were built and developments swallowed up the land, the roads carved out to reach these spaces pose a significant threat to wildlife habitat, migration corridors, and the quality of our rivers and streams. If left unprotected, these private sections will only increase congestion, limit recreational access, decimate wildlife, and complicate fire management.

Enter Trust for Public Land and the Northern Sierra Partnership. Together, we’re working to close this checkerboard and protect over 1.5 million areas to better benefit people and nature. With development pressure rising and more land coming on the market than ever before, we face a clear choice: either accelerate efforts to protect the Northern Sierra or stand by and witness the transformation of its iconic landscapes into resort communities and rural residential development.

We believe in protecting the places that bring us all outside, which is why we’re working to conserve land, restore the Northern Sierra’s natural landscapes, and expand recreational opportunities for us and future generations to enjoy.