Truckee Donner Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy and The Trust for Public Land – working together as part of the Northern Sierra Partnership – announced the permanent protection of 2,914 acres of wildlands north of Donner Summit on June 29. The acquisitions include a spectacular sub-alpine lake, mixed conifer forests, aspen groves and the watershed that protects the meadows and fens of the lower Carpenter Valley, which the partners conserved in 2017.
The conservation partners led a two-year, $14-million campaign to acquire high-priority private inholdings east of the Sierra Crest including Frog Lake, Red Mountain and Carpenter Ridge.
Frog Lake, which sits in a glaciated basin beneath Frog Lake Cliff, has been owned by members of the Smith family since they purchased it from the Southern Pacific Railroad in the 1930s. Truckee Donner Land Trust plans to retrofit the Smith’s historic stone hut into a year-round spot for visitors to Frog Lake, including guests staying in one of four new low-impact, back-country huts the trust plans to install at the lake.
The acquisition of Red Mountain and Carpenter Ridge protects lands adjoining recently preserved Lower Carpenter Valley and the U.S. Forest Service’s Sagehen Experimental Forest. Previously owned by Sierra Pacific Industries. The lands will now be owned by the Truckee Donner Land Trust and the U.S. Forest Service and will be open to public access.
In addition, the partners plan to construct a 15- to 20-mile trail connecting Donner Summit near Castle Peak to Frog Lake, Red Mountain, Lower Carpenter Valley, Carpenter Ridge and Independence Lake. The multi-use trail, which will not be completed for several years, will create new opportunities for the public to explore and enjoy the wild beauties of the Truckee River watershed. | truckeedonnerlandtrust.org
