The council will meet at the Mammoth Mountain Inn from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The public is welcome to attend.

The Council meeting will explore recreational uses of the Eastern Sierra, such as camping, skiing, hiking, boating, fishing, and other outdoor activities, and the unique biodiversity of the spectacular mountain region.

"One of the challenges of using natural resources is to balance economic activities with environmental needs," Council Chair Doug Wheeler said. "We must find ways to protect and preserve resources while also sustaining local economies that depend on recreational uses. Our Council meeting in September will look into this issue, which is becoming more urgent in the Sierra as human use intensifies."

The Council will hear presentations of groups representing business, recreation, conservation, and land-use interests, including representatives of the Mono County Collaborative Planning Agreement, the Interagency Committee on Owens Valley Land and Wildlife, the Inyo Associates of local residents, and CURES -- the Coalition for Unified Recreation in the Eastern Sierra.

Mono County Supervisor Andrea Lawrence, who has worked closely with the Council to prepare for the meeting, said the topic is of growing urgency in the eastern Sierra, a mountain recreation mecca for Southern California.

"Balancing biodiversity in a recreation-based economy is important because a healthy environment is a long-term economic advantage," Lawrence said. "The public's perception of values derived from public lands is changing from the historic tradition of extraction and commodities to recreation and spiritual renewal.

"Potential conflicts can be resolved through collaborative planning," Lawrence said. "Decision-making in the Sierra has been fragmented, and it's time to look at the overall impact on the range as a whole."

A box lunch will be served at noon, which attendees may purchase in advance. To make arrangements, contact Robin Sanchez at the University of California, Davis, at 916-754-9489. For other information about the meeting, contact Joanne Cemo at 916-277-2677.