10 RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

The Conservancy has established a property management program in order to arrange for day-to-day management and maintenance of the lands it has acquired, as well as the completion of corrective and restorative actions needed to fully achieve the purposes of the acquisitions. It is envisioned that the Conservancy ultimately will acquire up to 6,000 environmentally sensitive parcels under existing criteria. To date over 4,600 parcels, totaling nearly 6,400 acres, have been acquired. These parcels are being managed to maintain and/or restore their natural functions, provide for public safety, and provide for open spaces.

The Conservancy has also acquired additional parcels where more extensive site improvements or more active ultimate uses are envisioned. For example, the management objectives for the public access and recreation lands are to allow for suitable and appropriate interim uses during the site improvement planning and implementation process, design and construct public access facilities and arrange for long-term management.

In addition, high rates of tree mortality (25 percent-40 percent) throughout the Basin have required special emphasis on forest resource management activities to reduce fuel hazards, remove hazardous conditions, start corrective actions to manage forest health through a variety of means, and limit public liability. Activities include the removal of diseased, dead and dying trees to promote forest health while reducing the risk of fire that would destroy property and habitat, threaten lives, and diminish the water quality and other resource values of Lake Tahoe.

The program also provides grants to local governments to improve the Lake's water quality by controlling soil erosion caused by existing development, primarily along roadways, and to treat sediment-laden runoff. These projects involve acquisitions and site improvements such as the revegetation of barren slopes, and building roadside and storm drainage facilities and sediment basins.

50 ACQUISITION AND SITE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

This program acquires environmentally sensitive lands and provides public access and recreation by enhancing existing facilities and establishing new public access sites along the Lake and in natural areas. The program also preserves a wide variety of habitats supporting endangered, threatened or rare animal and plant species, and restores streams and watersheds such as marshes, meadows and riparian areas to mitigate development damage and enhance water quality.