Nevada City’s Cascade Canal Trail recently got some extra love. TÜV SÜD Forestry Consulting (formerly FRST Corp), just stepped up as a Trail Sponsor on this popular trail. Cascade Canal Trail is a nearly five-mile recreational corridor traversing Banner Mountain in Nevada City, with trailheads at the intersection of Gracie Road / Banner Mountain Road and Red Dog Road just east of Pasquale Road. This trail, like many in the region, is managed by Bear Yuba Land Trust (BYLT) – a local conservation organization. TÜV SÜD’s financial contribution helps BYLT keep trails like Cascade Canal open and accessible to the public. On August 26, 2025 BYLT and TÜV SÜD placed a sign at the Cascade Canal Trailhead at Red Dog Road to acknowledge TÜV SÜD’s generous sponsorship.
This isn’t the first time BYLT and TÜV SÜD are partnering on this landscape. Since 2019, BYLT and FRST (now TÜV SÜD) have collaborated to improve forest health and reduce wildfire risk along the Cascade Canal Trail. The 225-acre project area lies within a Working Forest Conservation Easement (WFCE) held by BYLT, which protects the property from future development while supporting sustainable forest management. Under the terms of the WFCE, the landowner, Terra Alta Development Company, retains ownership of the property and is responsible for forest stewardship. BYLT holds the conservation and trail easement rights, ensuring that the land will remain undeveloped and that public access to the Cascade Canal Trail is permanently protected.
The neighborhoods around Banner Mountain, including Deer Creek Park and Cascade Shores, are located where forests and homes meet. These zones are especially important for proactive forest management. After decades of wildfire suppression, vegetation has built up to unnatural levels, increasing the risk of severe wildfires and making these areas a high priority for fuels reduction and restoration work. That’s why in 2019, BYLT and FRST (now TÜV SÜD) partnered together on a $663,000 project funded by Sierra Nevada Conservancy for forest thinning. The funding also allowed BYLT to create educational panels along the trail talking about the project, the forest ecology, and indigenous history of fire on the land.
“This project is a great example of what we can accomplish when we work together – with grant funding and the expertise of TÜV SÜD, the forests around Banner Mountain are healthier and the wildfire danger is reduced. Plus, the Cascade Canal Trail provides a great chance for everyone to see this work in action,” says Erin Tarr, BYLT Executive Director.
“We are so proud of the success of this project together with BYLT to meaningfully reduce fuels in a critical neighborhood and improve forest health. We hope the public will enjoy learning about forest management and the work accomplished through the project itself from the educational signs developed with UC Extension and the Nisenan tribe along the Cascade Canal trail!” says Andrea Eggleton, TÜV SÜD Director of Forestry Consulting.
ABOUT BEAR YUBA LAND TRUST
Established in 1990, Bear Yuba Land Trust is a leading conservation nonprofit and accredited land trust serving Nevada and Yuba Counties. In collaboration with local, state and federal agencies, nonprofit partners, and willing landowners, BYLT saves lands, builds trails and connects people with nature by protecting and stewarding the natural, working, and cultural lands in the Bear and Yuba River watersheds and empowering a healthy, resilient community through nature access and education.
To date BYLT has protected lands more than 26,000 acres of scenic open space, farms and ranches, forests, and outdoor recreation areas. BYLT has built and maintains over 50 miles of trails. You can learn more about the Land Trust and how to get involved at www.bylt.org