Six Rivers to the Sea (6R2C) is a regional conservation initiative and collaborative landowner-public agency-land trust partnership that seeks to protect working landscapes along California’s North Coast, particularly those that are vital to preserving the ecology, culture, and economy of this distinctive region.
The goal of the 6R2C conservation initiative is to develop a matrix of both public and private lands that function to support natural landscape functions, fish and wildlife habitat protections, and a diverse natural resource economy. The 6R2C planning area encompasses private lands in the productive belt of forests and rangelands located between Six Rivers National Forest and the Pacific Ocean in Humboldt, Trinity and Del Norte counties, and focuses on approximately 1,000 square miles comprised of multiple private properties that are managed primarily for natural resource production and associated values.
Central to the North Coast’s ecology, culture and economy are the private resource lands and land managers which provide the functional core of the region’s resource-based industries. Along with their significant ecological and environmental values, North Coast forests and rangelands are the most naturally productive resource lands in California and also rate among the top in the world.
Private resource lands in the region have a complimentary role to play alongside the region’s public lands in achieving landscape-scale conservation objectives. As such, the individuals, organizations, and public officials involved with 6R2C recognize and support thoughtful conservation activities on these private lands and are working to prevent fragmentation of the land base. One vital way in which these objectives can be realized is through the cooperative development of specific land use restrictions through voluntary conservation easements on private properties that have important conservation values.
To date, 6R2C partners have conserved over 60,000 acres across more than 20 conservation easement projects in Humboldt County and Trinity County. These conservation easements are designed to ensure continued, sustainable timber production and natural resources protection by preventing subdivision and development, promoting the development of older and more productive forests, preserving riparian areas and watercourses (including wild salmon and steelhead habitat), and protecting oak woodlands. 6R2C focuses on the crucial link between landscape health, native biota and natural resource-based economies. As such, it represents a pioneering effort towards the integration of biological, cultural, and economic systems. Such efforts will become increasingly important as society strives to resolve the needs of its native biota with those of an expanding Californian population.
To date, 6R2C partners have conserved over 60,000 acres across more than 20 conservation easement projects in Humboldt County and Trinity County. Looking at a map of 6R2C projects completed since its inception, it is inspiring to see corridors of connectivity taking shape. One building block at a time, 6R2C partners are realizing the vision of connecting vital wild and working lands between Six Rivers National Forest and the Pacific Ocean.
We are grateful to the following 6R2C funding partners without whom this work would not be possible: the USFS Forest Legacy Program, CALFIRE Forest Legacy Program, the CA Wildlife Conservation Board, the CA Department of Conservation, the State Coastal Conservancy, and numerous landowners who have donated partial or full conservation easement value. The continued success of 6R2C will ensure that investments made in restoring the resource values and habitat function of the North Coast are protected in perpetuity.