Tahoe Donner to Purchase and Preserve 640-Acre Crabtree Canyon
Truckee, Calif. (April 8, 2016) – After months of review from its board of directors, Tahoe Donner Association has finalized an agreement with the Truckee Donner Land Trust to move forward with the acquisition of a 640-acre parcel of land located in Carpenter Valley and adjacent to Tahoe Donner’s existing 7,000-plus acres.
The southern-most portion of the property, which includes Crabtree Canyon, is a gateway between Euer Valley and Carpenter Valley and will be owned and managed by Tahoe Donner. Further protection will be ensured by a permanent conservation easement held by the Truckee Donner Land Trust. The larger surrounding Carpenter Valley property, which has remained in private hands since the mid-19th century, is expected to part of a Truckee Donner Land Trust purchase in 2017.
“Tahoe Donner’s vision as a desirable mountain community includes providing attractive and well-maintained facilities and amenities while maintaining accessible and healthy natural surroundings,” said Steve Miller, president of the board of Tahoe Donner Association. “The acquisition of Crabtree Canyon parcel will also protect Tahoe Donner’s borders from future development.”
In addition to preserving, protecting and maintaining Crabtree Canyon, this land parcel will also create new recreational opportunities for Tahoe Donner residents and the public.
“This purchase also expands services to our membership and the public,” Miller said, adding that it will allow Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Area to reopen 16 percent of its Nordic ski terrain that had previously closed due to land use concerns. Tahoe Donner will also be exploring future opportunities over this property for hiking, biking, and equestrian usage in accordance with its comprehensive trails master plan and land management plan.
Working with the Truckee Donner Land Trust, Tahoe Donner’s management, board of directors and legal team were able to negotiate the Crabtree Canyon purchase for less than $800 per acre. “The Land Trust originally purchased this parcel for $2.4 million; our purchase price was $500,000, which equates to under $80 per Tahoe Donner member,” Miller explained. “Also, the funding for this purchase will require no special assessment to existing Tahoe Donner homeowners,” he added, explaining that it is covered by the development fund portion of the association’s existing budget, which is comprised of a portion of each homeowner’s annual assessment.
Non-motorized summer and winter activities will be encouraged on the new parcel of land and officials from the Truckee Donner Land Trust envision a loop trail around the valley, with plans to link Tahoe Donner and Independence Lake Preserve via a new trail system. Additionally, with Tahoe Donner’s forestry department actively working to minimize the threat of wildfire, and with motorized recreational vehicles prohibited throughout the year, this purchase successfully protects additional resources and valuable open space, allowing Tahoe Donner to further achieve its vision.
“This land acquisition helps us move forward in keeping with our guiding principles, which includes environmental stewardship,” said Robb Etnyre, Tahoe Donner’s general manager. “The majority of our members surveyed last summer identified protecting and investing in open space and trails as a top priority for the association.”
“Carpenter Valley is one of the most spectacular — and little known — valleys in the entire Northern Sierra. Preserving the pristine natural beauty of our surroundings and ensuring continued recreational access is of utmost importance to us,” said Perry Norris, executive director of the Truckee Donner Land Trust. “This is a critical open space that is of great value to our community, and we are pleased to work with Tahoe Donner Association to help protect it.”
Norris added that this land deal will help the Truckee Donner Land Trust with a future land acquisition of the larger Carpenter Valley area in 2017. Once acquired, that property will be open to the public for the first time in over a century. An announcement will be made once this larger purchase is officially completed.
About Tahoe Donner
Tahoe Donner is one of America’s largest homeowner’s associations, with nearly 6,500 properties and 25,000 members enjoying over 7,000 acres in the Sierra Nevada. Tahoe Donner is an eclectic community with a passion for outdoor recreation and a celebration of the Tahoe lifestyle.
Located 25 minutes from Lake Tahoe in Truckee, California, Tahoe Donner operates a wide variety of recreational facilities – some which are for members only and others which are also open to the general public. These amenities can be explored in detail at Tahoedonner.com.
For more information on Tahoe Donner, as well as its recreational facilities and events, please visit tahoedonner.com or call 530-587-9400. ‘Like’ Tahoe Donner on Facebook at facebook.com/tahoedonner and follow Tahoe Donner on Twitter @tahoedonner and Instagram @TahoeDonnerAssociation.
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