This dataset provides descriptive and location information for the Sierra National Forest Land Management Plan 2023 Conservation Watersheds Management Area. Management Areas, sometimes called Land Allocations or Prescriptions, are required as part of a Land Management Plan (LMP), often referred to as Forest Plan. These plans detail how certain areas or land types will be managed.

Conservation Watersheds are identified as a network of watersheds (multiple 12-digit hydrological unit codes) that:

• have been determined to have a functioning or functioning-at-risk rating based on the Watershed Condition Framework;

• are anchored to areas (like wilderness or inventoried roadless areas) that augment resilience;

• provide connectivity for at-risk species; and

• provide high-quality water for beneficial uses downstream.

The management emphasis for conservation watersheds is to maintain or improve, where possible, the functional rating of these systems for the long term and to provide for persistence of at-risk species by maintaining connectivity and refugia for these species. The intent of plan direction in conservation watersheds is to focus restoration and monitoring over the long term, while still allowing for other resource uses or activities within these areas.