Annual Seasonal Dog Closure Ends Today

Annual Seasonal Dog Closure Ends Today

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, California – August 1, 2014 – The annual seasonal dog closure on the Upper Truckee Marsh ends today. The closure protects wildlife such as Yellow Headed Blackbirds during their critical breeding season from May 1 through July 31. The California Tahoe Conservancy (Conservancy) owns and manages the 600 acre marsh, one of the largest remaining in the Sierra Nevada, for the protection and enhancement of wildlife habitat and water quality.

“Thank you to all of the visitors and residents who complied with this closure and helped protect all of the sensitive species with whom we share this incredible natural resource,” acknowledged Shawn Butler, the Land Management Program Supervisor at the Conservancy.

Dogs are once again permitted on leash in the marsh. Many migrant species will continue to use the marsh as a stopping ground.

“Migration is very difficult work, and these birds are often right on the physiological edge between life and death. Folks that let their dogs flush the birds may be killing some of these birds without realizing it,” warns Tahoe Institute for Natural Sciences Co-Executive Director Will Richardson.

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office and Conservancy Land Steward continue to patrol the property to provide education and enforcement as necessary.

Established in 1984, the mission of the Conservancy is to lead California’s efforts to restore and enhance the extraordinary natural and recreational resources of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

For more information, call Victoria Ortiz at (530) 542-6063 or visit https://tahoe.ca.gov