After a year of watching state leaders respond to protests following the police murder of George Floyd, Jade Stevens decided to take action by addressing equity issues in an area she was passionate about — the outdoors.
“It felt, at times, that more could be done to make my friends more comfortable to go visit one of our state or national parks,” Stevens said.
As a Black woman, she also had had her own unnerving experiences, such as feeling shunned by store owners in Southern California during a cycling trip through rural areas.
So, two years ago, Stevens founded the 40 Acre Conservation League, the first and only Black-led conservation land trust in California. The trust’s goal is to protect California’s lands in an inclusive way, by creating greater access and business opportunities for people of color. The league will close on its first major purchase in January — a 650-acre expanse surrounded by Tahoe National Forest in Placer County…