Summer 2009 NFARA News

Get Back to the Canyon, Winter's Over! Special Event
NFARA's kick-off-to-Spring event, held April 18 at the Dutch Flat Community Center, was a grand success. Over 50 people were in attendance. After initial introductions, updates on current NFARA projects were presented. A short question and answer period followed. Then everyone sat back to enjoy the film They Crossed the Mountains, which traces the history of the Western States Trail. The evening ended with lots of socializing around the dessert table.

Additional events are planned for the future

Remembering Rena
Rena Ferreira, local veterinarian and a founding board member of NFARA, passed away in February after a long illness. This is a great loss for the community. Dr. Rena, as she was known, was part of the core group of folks who started NFARA. She participated in the earliest organizational meetings and stepped forward to serve on the board of directors. I once asked her what her qualifications were. She replied that she didn't have many except a love for the North Fork and a desire to be part of something important.

Rena's council and advice, to me personally and to the board in general, was invaluable. During the first year or so of existence, NFARA found itself in turmoil. There were ugly, heated arguments over the direction NFARA should take. I grew very weary of it and was ready to quit, several times. Rena talked me out of it. She said that what we were doing was important and that people depend on us. Her exact words escape me now but I remember they were both comforting and, at the same time, a kick in the butt. Rena truly was an animal whisperer.

Rena's subsequent battle with cancer prevented her from continuing on the NFARA board as an active member. However, we decided to make her an honorary board member. Her never-give-up attitude was an inspiration and she was forever the optimist. A couple years ago she expressed the desire that as she healed she hoped to once again become active with NFARA. Sadly, it was not to be.

Dr Rena will be remembered for many things; for her music, her friendships, and of course her compassion for all creatures great and small. She will also be remembered as a defender of the North Fork. It was an honor to know her and work with her.

Donner Summit
NFARA and seven other conservation groups, homeowners associations, and civic organizations released a joint document on May 14 outlining a vision for the Donner Summit area. In the three page "An Economic and Conservation Vision for Donner Summit", the eight organizations commit to twelve principles designed to shape a healthy future for the region. The principles were developed in a series of meetings, conferences, and surveys held on the Summit over the past three years. and are designed to provide a framework for planning decisions that affect the region.

"This vision is a starting point for bringing people together to preserve the unique natural, cultural and historical features of Donner Summit for future generations" states Kaitlin Backlund, Executive Director of the Mountain Area Preservation Foundation.

NFARA, Donner Summit Area Association, Mountain Area Preservation Foundation, The Palisades, Sierra Club, Sierra Watch, Serene Lakes Property Owners Association, and South Yuba River Citizens League signed on to the document.

Visit www.nfara.org to view the document and to learn more about NFARA. For further information on NFARA's goals and activities contact Jim Ricker at 530-389-8344 or email jvricker@prince-ricker.net.