December 2021 Conservancy Newsletter

Progress at the Upper Truckee Marsh

Watch our new video to get the latest on the Conservancy’s work to restore hundreds of acres of marsh and meadow habitat at Lake Tahoe’s largest wetland: the Upper Truckee Marsh.

Dennis T. Machida Memorial Greenway Update

El Dorado County has completed the newest two sections of the Dennis T. Machida Memorial Greenway. Stay tuned for a video showcasing how the Greenway is linking neighborhoods and Lake Tahoe Community College to each other, and to the larger south shore trail network.

Snapshot of a Restoration Project

El Dorado County has wrapped up restoring floodplain habitat at the site of a former Elks Club Lodge, now protected as Conservancy land, along the Upper Truckee River. Check out our video to see how this project—funded in part by a Proposition 1 grant from the Conservancy—is building resilience to climate change and improving public access.

Winter Weather Allows Prescribed Burns to Begin

Fall and winter bring cooler temperatures and precipitation, allowing the Conservancy and its Basin partners to resume prescribed fire operations. Each prescribed burn follows a specialized burn plan, which considers temperature, humidity, wind, moisture of vegetation, and conditions for smoke dispersal.

These efforts remove hazardous fuels and reduce wildfire risk to the surrounding neighborhoods. Learn more about these and other Tahoe-area prescribed burns at the Tahoe Living With Fire website.

Crews Wrap Up Challenging 2021 Season

Each year, the Conservancy partners with the Tahoe Resource Conservation District to organize field crews to help maintain the Conservancy’s nearly 4,700 properties. This year’s land management, restoration and forestry crews made significant contributions, despite the continuing pandemic and disruptions from wildfire smoke and evacuation:

• Thinned 43 acres of overly dense trees and brush on small Conservancy lots in residential neighborhoods, improving forest health and reducing wildfire risk for neighbors.
• Removed 80 hazard trees.
• Helped stabilize Conservancy lots affected by the Caldor Fire.
• Constructed and repaired dozens of fences to protect sensitive habitat.