BIRPI

Project Description: The Buttermilk Project Area is an iconic destination in the Eastern Sierra Region and has seen increasing numbers of visitors in recent years, straining existing recreation infrastructure while presenting opportunities to improve the visitor experience and conserve natural resource assets through engaged recreation management. The Buttermilk Infrastructure and Recreation Planning Initiative (BIRPI) was a two-phase Project to address current resource impacts and plan for sustainable recreation in the Buttermilk area.

Phase 1 included the installation of a double-vault toilet at the popular Buttermilk area. Phase 2 included conceptual recreation planning focusing on the interconnected nature of recreation activities in the Project Area and the documentation of needs and gaps for future recreation infrastructure improvements. The conceptual planning effort was be a stakeholder driven collaborative effort.

From April 28 - December 29, 2023, MLTPA worked with Alta Planning + Design on this grant funded project, which was managed by the Eastern Sierra Council of Governments in partnership with the Inyo National Forest, the Bureau of Land Management, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and Inyo County.

This project was identified by the Sustainable Recreation & Tourism Initiative as one of eight regional sustainable recreation projects recommended for implementation.

Buttermilk Infrastructure and Recreation Planning Initiative Webpage

Click above to visit the Eastern Sierra Council of Government's "BIRPI" webpage.

ESSRP Project Recommendation for BIRPI

From 2020-21, the SRTI identified a diversified collection of eight developed and funding-ready projects through a collaborative approach. "BIRPI" is one of those projects. In 2022, the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation awarded ESCOG a grant to fund the project.

SRTI Final Recommended Projects

Click above for more information about the eight developed and funding-ready projects identified through the SRTI process. SRTI was funded by a grant from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy.

Last updated December 5, 2024