Responses have been edited for length and clarity.<\/p>\n
Q: Tell me more about the 40 Acre Conservation League. How did it start?<\/p>\n
A: We were founded in 2021. My board members, a few business partners and I all love the outdoors. We\u2019ve always thought it was odd that we didn\u2019t see much diversity in the outdoors. We\u2019ve had all these hypotheses. But \u2014 and studies have shown this \u2014 more times than not, most communities of color are not comfortable doing outdoor activities, because they don\u2019t see themselves doing these activities, and they have concerns around safety and accommodations. But people of color are doing outdoor activities in other countries. They\u2019re ziplining. They are going whitewater rafting. They\u2019re doing glamping excursions out in the middle of nowhere. I was like, \u201cWell, why aren\u2019t they doing it for free here at our state and national parks?\u201d<\/p>\n
My background is in public affairs and marketing, and I have experience working for the California Legislature and knowing how its budget operates. There was a moment when there was a surplus as a result of the pandemic. And with that surplus, Gov. Gavin Newsom put $1.1 billion<\/a> toward the 30 x 30 Initiative to protect 30% of California\u2019s water and land resources by 2030. But he wanted to do it in a way that was inclusive and diverse.<\/p>\n One of the barriers that is keeping people from exploring the outdoors is land ownership. We thought that if we were able to acquire land and do conservation to achieve the state\u2019s goals, we might be able to bring experiences, education and programming that will make more people feel comfortable. That was the genesis of the idea. We got strong support around that time \u2014 Assemblymember Mike Gipson<\/a> was one of our champions in the Legislature \u2014 and we were allocated, or earmarked, $3 million in the budget that allowed us to get our first acquisition in September 2022<\/a>: 650 acres in Emigrant Gap, which you can see from the I-80 freeway. Many people who grew up in the area know Lake Putt<\/a>, which is a part of the property, and we have been managing it for the last year and a half.<\/p>\n Q: Tell me more about this property and what you\u2019ve done so far.<\/p>\n A: We\u2019ve been able to do so much with it. When we first inherited it, it was completely raw, overlogged, undeveloped land. The first year, 2024, was all about forest restoration, getting an assessment of the health of the trees, the habitat and the plant and wildlife species out there. We then used that as our guide to think about public access.<\/p>\n Our property in Emigrant Gap is called Gateway Park at Tahoe National Forest<\/a>. One of our biggest neighbors is the Tahoe National Forest. Those who are very familiar with Tahoe can go there and have an amazing time with different activities. But for those who might feel intimidated or not go because areas might be sold out or too crowded, Gateway Park is really the gateway to the outdoors. The type of programming that we\u2019re putting together is created to help those who want to experience the outdoors but want a group that can meet them where they are.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve been hosting community tours. Our biggest tour to date was a couple of weeks ago, when a little under 60 people came out. We talked about some of those barriers to the outdoors, made people feel comfortable coming outside and hiking with us, and shared the space and our vision with them, because we have so much underway between now and the coming years.<\/p>\n Q: What do you have planned for the park?<\/p>\n A: We have a plan to bring a nature center to the site with cabins and tree houses in a variety of different models, and people will be able to hike along the trails and fish in the lake. All of that is set to open in 2028.<\/p>\n Q: How does the funding work?<\/p>\n A: When we\u2019re earmarked funding from the state, it\u2019s not issued directly from the Governor\u2019s Office, but through other state agencies. For example, that first acquisition was funded through two state agencies: the Wildlife Conservation Board<\/a> and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy<\/a>. We\u2019ve also received funding from various private foundations that have a common interest in conserving the Sierras and Emigrant Gap area.<\/p>\n Q: You partner with some Bay Area nonprofits, right?<\/p>\n A: We understand that there are a lot of stepping stones that are needed to get people comfortable with going out into the forest, which some would say is the middle of nowhere, but is more or less California\u2019s Sierra Nevada foothills. We\u2019ve been doing outreach in the Oakland area to set up tours to bring people out to visit, and one of our favorite partners is Negus in Nature<\/a>. They are an organization that focuses on getting BIPOC individuals familiar with going outside comfortably. From there, they set up tours with us. During the tour that we just did, they brought about 20 people from Oakland. We explained what forest restoration is and about opportunities in land management. A lot of people only see the forest as a recreational consumer, but what about being the leader or the steward of the land, or going and acquiring your own property?<\/p>\n![\"Lake](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SJM-L-SVCHAT-1020-02.jpg\")
Lake Putt, near Emigrant Gap in Northern California, is part of a property being transformed for public access by the 40 Acre Conservation League. (Courtesy of Wenzelhaus)\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SJM-L-SVCHAT-1020-04.jpg\")
A tour group pays a visit to the 40 Acre Conservation League’s first property acquisition, covering 650 acres near Emigrant Gap in northern California. (Courtesy of Wenzelhaus)\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"Work](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SJM-L-SVCHAT-1020-03.jpg\")
Work at a 650-acre property in Emigrant Gap, California, continues as part of a plan to build a nature center, tree houses, cabins and more by 2028. It’s the first property acquired by the 40 Acre Conservation League, a Black-led land conservancy in California. (Courtesy of Wenzelhaus)\u00a0<\/p>\n