Through the Conservancy’s partnership with Tahoe Resource Conservation District, our forestry crew and restoration crews are having a productive field season. The forestry crew has been thinning overly-dense forest and removing excess brush and downed trees from the Conservancy’s small neighborhood lots. Their activities, as shown here on Conservancy land in Tahoma, improve forest health and help reduce wildfire threat for adjacent neighbors. Congratulations to Tahoe RCD’s Evan Osgood, who is now the Program Coordinator for the Conservancy’s crews!

The Lake Tahoe West Restoration Partnership is taking an all-lands approach to restoring the resilience of Lake Tahoe’s west shore to disturbance. This includes the forests, communities, recreational opportunities, and watersheds that stretch from the shoreline all the way to the ridgetops, from Emerald Bay north to Tahoe City. Check out this interactive story map to learn more about how Basin partners plan to protect and restore the west shore in the years ahead.

Steve Byrne joined the Conservancy in September as an Office Coordinator. Steve will collaborate with staff across departments to provide organizational and systems support for Conservancy projects and the executive team. Prior to joining the Conservancy, he had worked in commercial video and photo production as an associate producer and office coordinator managing production systems and logistics at Tahoe-based Novus Select. He also has experience creating and directing international study abroad programs for Putney Student Travel and National Geographic Student Expeditions, focusing primarily on conservation in alpine environments. Steve studied History, Spanish, and Economics at Wittenberg University.

The Conservancy says farewell to staff attorney Graham St. Michel, who will soon start in a new role at the California Department of Conservation. Since joining the Conservancy’s legal team in 2018, Graham developed and refined Conservancy policies and procedures related to its Board governance, its role as a contractor and grantor, and the agency’s internal fiscal and legal operations. He provided key support for the Conservancy’s Tahoe Livable Communities and Land Management programs, including matters related to licensing and the Conservancy’s Land Bank. We wish Graham the best in his new role.