October 2023 Conservancy Newsletter
As we ease out of October, Tahoe has already received its first snow and temperatures are dropping. The California Tahoe Conservancy is shifting from another busy field season to winter operations, although the cooler, wetter weather has opened the door to use prescribed fire with our partners to improve forest and wildfire resilience. Read on for updates on climate and wildlife research we are supporting through our grants, community forestry updates, and more.
Jason Vasques, Executive Director
California Tahoe Conservancy
Studying How Healthy Wetlands Fight Climate Change
Did you know that an acre of Sierra Nevada meadows can capture and store as much carbon from the atmosphere as an acre of tropical rainforest? Watch our new video to see how researchers with the University of Nevada, Reno are studying carbon storage at new wetlands the Conservancy has created on its land near Lake Tahoe.
Funding for this project provided by a grant from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Wetlands Restoration for Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program.
Community Forestry Update
The Conservancy Community Forestry Program is wrapping up seasonal work to improve forest and wildfire resilience on Conservancy open space lots across the California side of the Basin. With its partners and contractors, we are reducing hazardous fuels on Conservancy and USDA Forest Service open lots in the Gardner Mountain and Tahoe Island neighborhoods in South Lake Tahoe and in the North Upper Truckee neighborhood in El Dorado County. Total project area: 225 acres.
The Conservancy manages 4,700 state properties at Tahoe, mostly small open space lots. Our Community Forestry Program improves forest health and reduces risks from wildfire on these Conservancy lands, while also protecting and enhancing water quality and wildlife habitat.
Using Prescribed Fire to Increase Forest and Wildfire Resilience
Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT) partners have begun prescribed fire operations for the year. The Conservancy and Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District are burning piles on 30 acres of the Conservancy’s Dollar Property in Placer County. Nearby, California State Parks has been conducting understory burns on 40 acres at Burton Creek State Park, supported in part by Conservancy funding, and involving personnel from CAL FIRE, the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, USDA Forest Service, and North Tahoe Fire Protection District. For information on other TFFT prescribed operations, visit tahoelivingwithfire.org.
We also expect to begin prescribed fire operations soon on Conservancy lands in Carnelian Bay as part of a joint effort on public and private lands in cooperation with North Tahoe Fire Protection District and CAL FIRE Nevada Yuba Placer Unit.
Prescribed fire is an important tool used by land managers to remove excess vegetation (fuels) that can feed wildland fires and to help protect communities from extreme wildfires. Burning excess vegetation also recycles nutrients back into the soil and helps reduce the spread of insects and disease in forests.
Fall and winter typically bring cooler temperatures and precipitation, which are ideal for conducting prescribed fires. Each operation follows a specialized burn plan, which considers temperature, humidity, wind, vegetation moisture, and smoke dispersal conditions. Land managers and fire agencies use all this information to decide when and where to safely burn.
Photo: Zephyr Crew members with the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District burning piles at the Conservancy’s Dollar Project in October.
Lake Tahoe Basin Wildlife Connectivity Study
The Lake Tahoe Basin Wildlife Connectivity Study needs your help. Funded by a grant from the Conservancy, the Wildlands Network and Pathways for Wildlife are conducting a multi-year study of wildlife connectivity in the California side of the Lake Tahoe Basin. Understanding wildlife corridors and barriers can help land managers support Tahoe’s extraordinary biodiversity and furthers California’s 30×30 goals.
There is a role for you: if you live in or visit Tahoe and observe roadkill for any species larger than squirrels, please report it to Pathways for Wildlife via Facebook, Instagram, iNaturalist, or by using the contact form at pfwildlife.com. Information about roadkill helps researchers determine where animals are moving and where wildlife passage may need to be improved. Please include the location, the species if known, and a picture if possible.
Strategic Plan Development
The Conservancy is updating it strategic plan to set goals and strategies to achieve its mission over the next six years. The Conservancy Board hosted a workshop with partners and staff in September to begin discussing priorities. Conservancy staff and consultants are taking this input to develop an outline and the plan over the next nine months and will continue to seek input from the Board, partners, and the public.
Connecting Transportation, Recreation, and Environmental Improvements
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, with the Conservancy and local partners, hosted a tour of transportation issues and solutions for California Secretary of Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot, Secretary of Transportation Toks Omishakin, and Caltrans staff. The Conservancy and our partners shared transportation priorities and projects at Tahoe while touring Emerald Bay, current and future sections of the Dennis T. Machida Memorial Greenway, and the Lake Tahoe Community College mobility hub. Thanks to TRPA for leading the tour, and to our state and local partners for committing to addressing Tahoe traffic problems while protecting natural resources and providing more equitable access for all.
Conservancy Staff Updates
New Employee
Sandra Meyle
Office Coordinator
Sandra Meyle joined the Conservancy’s Administrative Team in October. In her role at the Conservancy front desk, Sandra is the first person most members of the public meet when they phone or visit the office. Sandra also helps coordinate responses to issues reported on Conservancy land, in addition to other duties in support of the agency’s office and operations. She brings a wealth of experience from her prior state service with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, as well as serving in many roles at the United Parcel Service before that. Sandra attended Sacramento State and Sierra Community College.
Upcoming California Tahoe Conservancy Board Meetings
The California Tahoe Conservancy Board will meet on December 14, 2023. An agenda will be available on the Conservancy website ten days prior to the meeting.
Lake Tahoe in the News
Affordable housing project in South Lake Tahoe coming together, second phase underway – South Tahoe Now, October 6, 2023
Why you should photograph roadkill in Lake Tahoe – SFGATE, October 22, 2023
Projects improving the South Lake Tahoe environment – Tahoe Daily Tribune, October 23, 2023
How Tahoe’s snowpack is likely to change over the century – San Francisco Chronicle, October 24, 2023
Prescribed fire operations to continue around Lake Tahoe – South Tahoe Now, October 24, 2023
Show Your Love for Tahoe While Protecting It
When you order a California Lake Tahoe license plate, you help build biking and hiking trails, restore fish and wildlife habitat, and protect Lake Tahoe’s famous beaches and blue waters. 96 percent of all funds from Tahoe plate sales come back to Lake Tahoe.
Show Your Love for Tahoe While Protecting It
When you order a California Lake Tahoe license plate, you help build biking and hiking trails, restore fish and wildlife habitat, and protect Lake Tahoe’s famous beaches and blue waters. 96 percent of all funds from Tahoe plate sales come back to Lake Tahoe.