Sustainable Recreation

The Mono County Sustainable Outdoors and Recreation (MCSOAR) program, housed under Public Works, is responsible for supporting local land managers in facilitating outdoor recreation. The team at MCSOAR helps to repair trails, have region wide discussions about managing visitor use and impacts, and seeks to overall enhance recreation for the Eastern Sierra region.

What is Sustainable Recreation?

Sustainable Recreation is providing recreation opportunity in a way that is environmentally conscious and in ways that aim to preserve recreation opportunities for future generations. Sustainable Recreation is seen through sustainable recreation design for infrastructure, facilities, and trails. Choosing natural materials that will withstand the harsh Eastern Sierra elements, high visitor use, and will be around for years to come. Sustainable Recreation is also seen socially through teaching the public about outdoor ethics. Campaigns that emphasize sustainable recreation range from local campaigns like Camp Like a Pro to nation-wide campaigns such as Leave No Trace or Tread Lightly.

Sustainable Recreation: A Region-wide Partnership 

For a sustainable recreation program to be successful it should approach recreation management with a region-wide, interagency approach focused on sustainability. Mono County works cooperatively with public land managers throughout the region to protect resources and provide sustainable recreation opportunities for residents and visitors of the Eastern Sierra. This partnership is managed under various cooperative agreements with the following partners:

• United States Forest Service (USFS)
  
  • Inyo NF
  • Humboldt-Toiyabe NF
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  
  • Bishop Field Office
• Town of Mammoth Lakes (ToML)
• City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) 

Supplementing the individual partnership agreements, Mono County participates in the Eastern Sierra Sustainable Recreation Partnership (ESSRP), which is a unique “public/public” partnership between local and federal government agencies acting as a regional voice emerging as a leader for sustainable outdoor recreation in California.