Martis Valley Preservation Agreement

“A unique partnership of local landowners, Martis Valley developers, and Sierra conservationists unveiled an extraordinary initiative to permanently preserve highly coveted open space in the heart of North Lake Tahoe’s Martis Valley,” reports Jeff Pelline’s Sierra Foothills Report. The agreement will protect thousands of acres of land in the heart of the Sierra. According to a recent article in the Sacramento Bee about this agreement, “The pine forests and sagebrush meadows to be protected flow down the slopes of Martis Peak, which borders the Tahoe Basin and has striking views of Lake Tahoe and Donner Summit.” East West Partners and Sierra Pacific Industries have filed an application to amend the Martis Valley Community Plan to reflect the protections put in place by this agreement. The planned development has been reduced by over 40% and has been moved from the northeast side of Highway 267 which is primarily open space to the southwest side of the highway already partially developed and close to the Northstar ski resort. The Truckee Donner Land Trust and Trust for Public Land are also participants in this endeavor and will be responsible for raising money to purchase the land from Sierra Pacific Industries. In the event adequate funding cannot be raised, Sierra Pacific Industries will retain ownership, but will be barred from developing the land due to a conservation easement. “This agreement represents a major accomplishment for the entire Tahoe-Truckee Region,” said Alexis Ollar, Executive Director of Mountain Area Preservation in an article in the Sierra Foothills Report. “Combined with previous conservation successes in Martis Valley, it ensures preservation of 50,000 contiguous acres of open space.”  To review the complete article visit Sierra Foothills website above, the Sacramento Bee and an additional article in the Sierra Sun