July 2024 Conservancy Newsletter
Published: Jul 31, 2024
The Lake Tahoe Basin has had a relatively mild wildfire year to date. But wildfires are burning across California, a stark reminder of the urgency for land managers and homeowners to prepare for fire here. Read on for details on Basinwide forestry projects underway, including on California Tahoe Conservancy (Conservancy) lands. We design each of our forestry projects to reduce wildfire risk for communities, while building resilience for our forested ecosystems.
We want to thank our staff and crews, and our partners at Tahoe Resource Conservation District and California State Parks, for all their hard work managing Conservancy beaches during this year’s particularly busy July Fourth festivities. The good news is that not only did their hard work protect the Lake and the sensitive shoreline habitat, but complementary efforts by Basin partners paid off, as their detailed planning and proactive communications appear to have resulted in less trash left on Tahoe Beaches.
The Conservancy’s Carnelian West Beach reopens to the public, joining Patton Landing beach, which reopened late last week. Both beaches had been closed because of a sewage spill into Lake Tahoe. Read below for details on how Basin partners managed the incident.
Lastly, we look forward to joining with our federal, Tribal, state, and regional partners for the 28th annual Lake Tahoe Summit on August 14. More details below on how you can attend.
California Tahoe Conservancy
Carnelian West and Patton Landing Beaches Reopen
The Conservancy is reopening Carnelian West Beach as of 5:00 p.m. on July 31. Placer County Environmental Health has declared that residents and visitors may resume water contact and recreation activities at these locations, ending a shoreline health advisory caused by a sewage spill.
On July 18, a private contractor ruptured a sewage pipe along State Route 28. Some of the sewage flowed across Carnelian West and into Lake Tahoe. The North Tahoe Public Utility District (NTPUD) and Placer County took quick action to repair the pipe, contain as much of the spill as they could, and protect public health and safety. The partners have since monitored shoreline water quality daily, informing the public of the ongoing health concerns and remediation work. On July 25, the partners reduced the extent of the health advisory, allowing Patton Landing to reopen. The Conservancy is pleased to now have both beaches available to community members and visitors, and thanks NTPUD and County staff for their diligent work to address the incident and protect the public.
Forest Thinning Projects Underway at Lake Tahoe
Tahoe Fire & Fuels Team (TFFT) forest thinning projects are underway at Lake Tahoe, including Conservancy projects on the California side of the Lake Tahoe Basin. TFFT partners expect these projects to continue for the next several weeks, with some projects continuing through the fall, conditions and weather permitting. You can find project details, including the lead agency, start date, and expected duration, by viewing the Forest Thinning Projects Map (as shown above) at Tahoe Living With Fire, which highlights current and upcoming projects.
Conservancy projects on the map include work in Kings Beach and Brockway on the north shore, Tahoe City and Tahoe Hills on the west shore, the North Upper Truckee area of El Dorado County, and the Gardner Mountain, Tahoe Keys, and Tahoe Island neighborhoods in the City of South Lake Tahoe. Some Conservancy projects include work on both Conservancy land and, under a Good Neighbor Authority Agreement with the USDA Forest Service, on National Forest lands in the same areas.
New Defensible Space Guide Available for Lake Tahoe Residents
The TFFT would also like community members to remember the importance of creating and maintaining defensible space. University of Nevada, Reno Extension’s Living With Fire Program has published a new Living With Fire Defensible Space Guide to help teach residents how to do it.
“Defensible space reduces the wildfire threat upon a home and creates a space for firefighters to safely defend the home,” said Jamie Roice-Gomes, manager of the University of Nevada Reno Extension’s Living With Fire Program. “This guide is meant to help individuals living in the rangeland and forestland ecosystems to create defensible space.”
When planning defensible space, it is important to understand the three different zones surrounding a home. In addition to using the defensible space guide, homeowners can register for defensible space inspections and chipping services via their local fire agency.
For information and resources to help prepare for wildfire, or to locate your local fire district, visit www.tahoelivingwithfire.com and follow @tahoelwf on social media.
Máyala Wáta (Meeks Meadow) Restoration Project
Big thanks to the Washoe Environmental Protection Department for hosting Conservancy staff for a tour of the Máyala Wáta (Meeks Meadow) Restoration Project on June 30.
The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, in partnership with the USDA Forest Service, aims to restore 283 acres of the meadow by removing encroaching conifers and following up with culturally guided prescribed burning. Máyala Wáta has cultural importance for the Washoe Tribe, but the meadow’s ecological health has declined since European settlers drove the Washoe off their homeland. Weather permitting, the Washoe Tribe expects forestry operations to begin later this year. The Conservancy has provided three grants to help support the project.
Lake Tahoe Summit
August 14 | Round Hill Pines Beach Resort
Join us on Wednesday, August 14 at Round Hill Pines Beach Resort in Zephyr Cove, Nevada for the 28th annual Lake Tahoe Summit. The bi-state summit brings together elected officials, policy makers, federal agencies, the private sector, and local community leaders to collaboratively address environmental problems facing the Lake Tahoe Basin and to celebrate accomplishments in meeting environmental goals and priorities. This year’s Summit theme is “Connecting Tahoe: Investing in Transit, Trails, and Technology for the Future.” Check-in and a booth fair featuring Lake Tahoe environmental organizations, including the Conservancy, will begin at 9:00 a.m. The Summit program starts at 10:00 a.m. The booth fair will continue after the Summit concludes. Visit the Take Care Tahoe website to learn more, including how to register.
Community Presentations: Racial Equity Action Plan
5:30 p.m., August 14 | En español | Family Resource Center, South Lake Tahoe
3:00 p.m., August 15 | In English | Virtual Presentation via Zoom
We invite you to join the Conservancy and the Equity and Wellness Institute for community presentations about our upcoming Racial Equity Action Plan (REAP). We will host one in-person meeting, to be conducted in Spanish, at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 14 at the Family Resource Center, located at 3501-B Spruce Avenue in South Lake Tahoe. We will also host a virtual presentation, in English and via Zoom, at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 15.
The Conservancy’s in-development REAP focuses on actions the Conservancy plans to take to improve racial equity while advancing its mission to restore and enhance the natural and recreational resources of the Lake Tahoe Basin.
The REAP identifies goals, challenges, and actions the Conservancy commits to take to advance racial equity. The REAP builds on over two years of research and outreach with the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, community members, partners, and the Conservancy staff and Board. The Conservancy will share the final stages of the REAP development before we finalize it early this fall.
You may register here in advance for the August 15 Zoom event.
grantee spotlight:
Tahoe Waterman Foundation launches new Adaptive Paddling Program
Supported in part by a grant from the Conservancy, the Tahoe Waterman Foundation has launched a new program focused on helping community members access the healing power of water through paddle sports. The Waterman Foundation’s Adaptive Paddling Program provides access to professional coaching resources and specialized paddle sports equipment for people facing life-changing mental or physical health challenges in North Lake Tahoe and surrounding communities.
“Water has tremendous healing potential for the human mind, body, and spirit,” said Justin Broglio, President of the Tahoe Waterman Foundation. “Our goal is to provide a unique experience and a path to personal growth and recovery for those in our community without a way to get on the water; and who otherwise may not have considered paddling as something they could do or an active form of mental and physical therapy.”
Additional support for the program comes from the High Fives Foundation and Tahoe Fund.
grantee spotlight:
Tahoe Rim Trail Story Walk
Also funded in part by a Conservancy grant, the Tahoe Trim Trail Association’s Tahoe Rim Trail Story Walk is a trilingual interactive walk taking you through Van Sickle Bi-State Park, which is co-managed by the Conservancy and Nevada State Parks. Hikers can learn about Tahoe’s flora and fauna in English and Spanish, and the front panels provide a traditional heritage Washoe Story in the Washoe language. The intention of this Story Walk is to inspire more visitors to feel a closer connection to the lands they walk upon and learn more about the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California and their continued role in the preservation of Lake Tahoe. Additional funding provided by the Tahoe Fund.
Protect Lake Tahoe and Your Paddling Gear
Watch this video and follow the steps to ensure all your paddling gear is clean, drained, and dry to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species that threaten the lake’s water quality.
Conservancy Employee Updates
New Employee
CJ MacLaughlin
Forestry Aide
CJ MacLaughlin joined the Conservancy in June as a seasonal Forestry Aide. CJ works on forest health and fuel hazard reduction projects on Conservancy lands, primarily identifying project boundaries and marking trees for removal. He is starting his third year at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, studying Forest and Fire Sciences. CJ grew up in Sacramento, frequently visiting Tahoe in the winter. He spent last summer working as a Waterfront Specialist for Girl Scouts Heart of Central California at Camp Menzies near Big Trees State Park.
Upcoming California Tahoe Conservancy Board Meetings
The Board will meet on September 19, 2024. An agenda will be available on the Conservancy website ten days prior to the meeting.
Lake Tahoe in the News
Record number of volunteers find much cleaner beaches this July 5th – Keep Tahoe Blue, July 5, 2024
Less trash found during Fourth of July cleanup at Lake Tahoe – Sacramento Bee, July 7, 2024
Some good news: Fourth of July left beaches cleaner than prior year – Tahoe Daily Tribune, July 7, 2024
Wildlife corridors: A new camera study paves the way for wildlife connectivity in Tahoe – Tahoe Daily Tribune, July 12, 2024
Billionaires keep trying to buy up Tahoe, but the land isn’t theirs | Meeks Bay was one of the Washoe Tribe’s original encampments – SFGATE, July 15, 2024
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.