Truckee Donner Land Trust Working Toward More Than 800 Acres in Forest Health Work

An aerial view of Webber Lake and Lacey Meadow, one of the focus area for planned forestry.

Thanks to many funding partners, the Truckee Donner Land Trust is increasing its commitment to forest health projects in the coming years.

Grant awards over $1 million from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, nearly $300,000 from The Martis Fund, $100,000 from Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation’s Forest Futures program, and $45,500 from Truckee Fire Protection District’s Measure T will be driving work on Donner Summit, at Webber Lake, and around Webber Lake over the next few years. 

“The Land Trust is grateful to The Martis Fund, Sierra Nevada Conservancy, Truckee Fire Protection District’s Measure T, the Moore Foundation, and the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation for their support and partnership to further improve forest health in our region,” said John Svahn, Executive Director of the Land Trust. “Stewardship is a top priority for the Land Trust, and wildfire resiliency is top-of-mind in that work.”

The Martis Fund grant will help treat 70 acres of forest on the western end of the Royal Gorge property, building off of past forestry efforts and in collaboration with other land owners all coming together for landscape-scale treatment to improve forest health and resiliency in the face of catastrophic wildfires.

The Forest Futures grant creates a unique opportunity to tackle smaller acreages on the wildland-urban interface around Donner Lake and up Old Highway 40.

“We’re grateful to Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation because smaller projects like these can be harder to get funded, but they’re just as important,” said Daniel Joannes, Forest and Restoration Coordinator for the Land Trust.

Sierra Nevada Conservancy has granted the Land Trust just over $1.2 million for 305 acres of forestry on Webber Lake, which is phase three of a multi-year effort to improve forest health, reduce conifer encroachment on Lacey Meadow, and improve wildfire resiliency. It also builds on meadow restoration planned by the Truckee River Watershed Council on Lacey Meadow above Webber Lake.

 “These projects will build on past work funded by the Conservancy and other organizations, helping to ensure a healthier forest for wildlife, residents and visitors alike,” said Kevin Starr, Stewardship Director for the Land Trust.

The Land Trust received a grant from the Truckee Fire Protection District via Measure T ($45,500) and CalFire for forestry on our Pine Forest property covering 10 acres. For future projects, the Moore Foundation is funding planning for Frog Lake, Red Mountain, Carpenter Ridge, and Canyon Springs in the amount of $110,000.

The Board and Staff of the Truckee Donner Land Trust are grateful to each of the granting organizations, and to donors like you, for supporting these important forest health projects that will help ensure the health of these lands we’ve worked together to protect.