April 2024 Conservancy Newsletter

Coming Soon: Community Events on Our Draft Strategic Plan

The Conservancy invites you to join one of our three public events in May, during which we will seek public comments and feedback on our draft 2024–2029 Strategic Plan. We expect to release the draft on Monday, April 29. Over the past year, the Conservancy has developed this draft plan based on input from our Board, partners, and the public. Your input will help strengthen the plan.

STRATEGIC PLAN PUBLIC FEEDBACK SESSIONS

Wednesday, May 8
5:00–6:00 pm
Online Session via Zoom Webinar Platform, with option to connect by phone. Register here.
Language: English

Tuesday, May 14
6:00–7:00 pm
Lake Tahoe Community College
Rooms U112/113 in the Lisa Maloff Center
1 College Dr, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
Language: English

Wednesday, May 15
5:30–6:30 pm
South Lake Tahoe Family Resource Center
3501 Spruce Ave # B, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
Language: Spanish only

You will also be able to provide your comments by email. Watch for our announcement on April 29.

Van Sickle Bi-State Park and Tahoe Pines Reopen on May 1

Gates and facilities at Van Sickle Bi-State Park will open for the season on May 1. Park roads, parking lots, restrooms, and drinking fountains will all become available for visitors, and trash collection will resume.

The Conservancy co-manages the 725-acre Van Sickle Bi-State Park with Nevada State Parks. The park offers hiking trails, picnic areas, and the historic Van Sickle ranch barn and cabins.

In addition, starting on May 1, the Conservancy will open the parking lot at its Tahoe Pines property in Meyers. Tahoe Pines features a fully accessible trail from the parking area to the Upper Truckee River, as well as picnic tables and bicycle parking.

Learn more about Van Sickle Bi-State Park.

Annual Upper Truckee Marsh Dog Closure Resumes May 1

The Conservancy will temporarily close the Upper Truckee Marsh to dogs starting May 1. This annual seasonal closure protects birds and other wildlife during the breeding season. People must keep dogs away from the sensitive marsh habitat through July 31. Beginning August 1, people may resume bringing leashed dogs within the closed areas of the Marsh.

Conservancy land north of Venice Drive, along the west bank of the Upper Truckee River, remains open for year-round access to leashed dogs. A fully accessible trail leads from the end of Venice Drive to Lake Tahoe.

Conservancy staff and California Highway Patrol officers monitor these areas for compliance.

The Conservancy manages about 560 acres at the Upper Truckee Marsh, one of the largest remaining marshes in the Sierra Nevada, to protect and enhance wildlife habitat and water quality.

The Remarkable Return of Sandhill Cranes

Article originally published by the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, March 28, 2024. Photo of Sandhill cranes at the Conservancy’s Upper Truckee Marsh property courtesy of Brent Coe.

As spring returns to Lake Tahoe, a story of resilience and resurgence is also unfolding. It’s the migration of the Sandhill Cranes – magnificent birds that once upon a time had all but vanished from the Tahoe region. 

“March is a big month for Sandhill Crane migration over and through the Tahoe Region, as thousands of nocturnally migrating cranes will pass overhead,” says TINS co-founder and executive director Will Richardson, “but more and more, these cranes are stopping to spend the summer here.”

Formerly a popular game bird, only an estimated 3-4 pairs were believed to nest in the entire state of California in 1944. In 1970, lawmakers in the state took decisive action granting Sandhill Cranes “fully protected” status. Six years later, nests were documented in the Sierra Valley, but it was still many decades before they started to reach the Tahoe region. In 2015, a milestone was reached when a breeding pair with a colt was discovered at Teichert Ponds in Truckee. In 2018, a pair began nesting at Grass Lake near Luther Pass, the first documented breeders in the Lake Tahoe basin.

Visit the Tahoe Daily Tribune to continue reading.

Nominations Open for Best in Basin Awards

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is seeking nominations for projects that display outstanding environmental design to be entered in the 31st running of the Best in Basin awards. Projects must have been completed in 2022 or 2023.

Nominations are due by May 17 at 5:00 p.m. Use this nomination form to submit an outstanding project today. For more information and to view past winners, visit the Best in Basin Awards page.