CSUDH alumna and Communications lecturer Jade Stevens was raised with an appreciation of nature and the environment. “I’m pretty outdoorsy,” she says. “I like to ride my bike, I like to camp. I grew up doing those things.”
While engaging in her outdoor pursuits, though, Stevens noticed that there weren’t a lot of other Black people out there in the forests and woods, hiking, camping, or fishing.
“Studies have shown that most communities of color are not comfortable doing outdoor activities,” Stevens says. “They don’t see themselves doing these activities and have concerns around safety and accommodations. But people of color are doing outdoor activities in other countries. They’re ziplining. They’re going whitewater rafting. They’re going glamping.
“I thought, ‘Why aren’t they doing that here in our state and national parks?’”
When California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the 30 x 30 Initiative in October 2020, Stevens saw an opportunity to help bridge that gap. The initiative seeks to protect 30 percent of California’s land and coastal waterways by 2030.
“That got my now-board and me thinking, ‘What can we do to help?’,” says Stevens. “How do we get people to care about this initiative?”
“One thing that came up was how important it was to be inclusive in that work. We need everybody to care about this, because it impacts us all.”
The result is the 40 Acre Conservation League, California’s first Black-owned nature conservancy. Stevens and her board Blake Milton, Reuben Stewart, and Cameron Stewart have guided the conservancy in purchasing 650 acres of undeveloped land in between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe, with the goal of opening the state’s first Black-focused nature retreat.
Born and raised in Moreno Valley, Calif., Stevens moved to the South Bay when she transferred from Redlands University to CSUDH. After completing her bachelor’s degree in Communications, she went on to earn a Master of Business Administration degree from the USC Marshall School of Business.
As a proud advocate for inclusivity and diversity, Stevens started her career in multicultural marketing, helping create campaigns targeted at Black, Latine, and LGBTQ consumers. She then moved into roles in public affairs. “I’ve had the opportunity to work for the city of Los Angeles, the state of California, and even run a congressional campaign,” she recalls.
“I think what led me to do conservation work is having that experience in public affairs,” she says. “I’ve had an opportunity to work with elected officials and organizations that understand how the state budget works. I’ve seen how programs, ideas, and policies have come to life, and understand how our state and city policies can work for good.”
Upon founding the 40 Acre Conservation League, Stevens and her partners worked with the state legislature and were allocated $3 million in the budget. That allowed them to make their first acquisition in February 2024. That initial 650 acres is in an area known as Emigrant Gap, which is just off Interstate-80 as you drive from Sacramento to Tahoe.
That land is currently being primed to showcase Gateway Park at Tahoe National Forest. “It’s currently going through forest restoration work, so it’s not publicly accessible yet,” says Stevens. In addition to receiving funding to acquire the site, 40 Acre Conservation League also received funding for forest health improvements to substantially lower wildfire risk in the area. “It needs to be safe, so we have done a lot of work clearing out small and older or diseased trees, clearing out areas for eventual trails. We’re preparing to build a nature center on the site, as well.”
The area remains closed while the restoration work is completed, though the conservancy has hosted many community tours and volunteer days to raise awareness of both their forest restoration and public access projects, with the goal of opening to the public in early 2028. When it opens, Gateway Park will include a nature center, which will be the central hub for visitors to come and learn about protecting habitats for the native animal and plant species. The center is being built next to Lake Putt, where visitors will also have opportunities to rent equipment to fish, paddle board, or canoe and go on community tours.
The conservancy also plans to build about 50 treehouse and cabin units that will be available to the public to rent. Stevens is excited about the design of these units, which have been commissioned from artists from throughout the world.
“We’ve got sculpture artists, painters, and woodworkers,” says Stevens. “They come from West Africa, the Caribbean, Mexico, and the U.S., and have produced some incredible designs inspired by their cultures.”
Stevens and her partners in the conservancy hope that Gateway Park provides a safe, culturally resonant way for more people of color to experience nature. “We want to be a fun alternative to Lake Tahoe and provide people with the information and the tools they need to truly enjoy the outdoors.”
Gateway Park is envisioned to be just the first of many such sanctuaries operated by the conservancy. “We are looking for sites in Southern California,” says Stevens. “It would be great to find something near Mojave Desert or Joshua Tree.”
Stevens adds that the conservancy is also working to expand the Emigrant Gap purchase. The land is broken into parcels, some of which aren’t contiguous with one another. The group is working to buy those last remaining parcels, as well.
“There’s still more that we’re going after, but that is a project in itself,” says Stevens.
“What sets our work apart is that it’s not only about protecting the land, but doing it in a way where we are communicating with audiences that maybe don’t have the environment at the top of their minds,” says Stevens. “Acquiring this land allows us to create the programming and experiences aimed at those people, so that they have an appreciation for nature as well.”
