The Conservation of Hope Valley

Between the late 1980s and 2000, the Trust for Public Land and Friends of Hope Valley teamed up to conserve nearly 25,000 acres in and around Hope Valley to protect sensitive habitat, maintain water quality, and expand opportunities for the public to enjoy this incredible landscape.

Stewardship and Recreation

Most of the land conserved in Hope Valley is now managed by the US Forest Service and the California Department of Fish & Game. That land includes high elevation wet meadow, montane chaparral, Jeffrey pine forest, and aspen-lodgepole pine forest communities. Wildlife species commonly seen here include mule deer, black bear, bobcat, blue grouse, northern goshawk, Clark’s nutcracker, and white-headed woodpecker. The West Fork of the Carson River also supports beaver and the occasional Sierra willow flycatcher, and is ideal habitat for Lahontan cutthroat trout.

Recreational opportunities abound in Hope Valley. During winter, the valley is a popular destination for backcountry and cross-country skiing. In the summer, the valley is known for excellent fly fishing, hiking, and birding. In fall, the impressive aspen groves that surround Hope Valley put on a stunning display.

The property is a step back in time. In the 19th century, Webber Lake was a stopover along the Henness Pass Road, a busy thoroughfare between the Comstock Lode in Nevada and California’s Mother Lode before the completion of the railroad. The Webber Lake Hotel, built in the 1860s, still stands on the property. One of the earliest examples of private lake-based recreation in Sierra, the Hotel and adjoining lands have been a popular private fishing camp since 1865, when Dr. Webber first started stocking the lake.

Conservation of Webber Lake

With help from the Northern Sierra Partnership, The Trust for Public Land, and The Nature Conservancy, the Truckee Donner Land Trust (TDLT) purchased this outstanding property in November 2012 from Clifton and Barbara Johnson, whose family had owned the property for almost a century. The Johnsons used to graze their sheep at Lacey Meadows in summer, herding the sheep from their ranch near Roseville in a trip that took 15 days up and 10 days back.

“This is truly a special occasion,” said Barbara Johnson. “Our wishes have been fulfilled, and the legacy of our family will be remembered. The beautiful lands we have worked on and cared for are, at long last, protected for future generations to enjoy forever.” While the Johnsons received higher offers for the property, their wishes were always for Webber Lake to remain intact and undeveloped.

The acquisition was made possible by the generous support of the Wildlife Conservation Board, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, and the Northern Sierra Partnership, as well as by the donations of numerous individuals.

Stewardship and Recreation

The property provides critical habitat for a number of animals protected by state law, including the pine marten and the Sierra Nevada red fox. Other animals recorded on the property include black bear, mule deer, mountain lion, bald eagle, raptors, and the endangered willow flycatcher. The wildflower displays in Lacey Meadows are among the best in the Sierra and include lupine, larkspur, elephant heads, alpine buttercups, monkshood, and leopard lilies.

The Truckee Donner Land Trust owns and manages the property. In the near-term, the Land Trust plans to provide non-motorized access to Lacey Meadows via new trailheads along Henness Pass Road and Meadow Lake Road.  At the request of the Johnson family, the Land Trust will continue to lease the fishing campground to the current caretakers for four more years, after which the lake will be open to the public.

Please note: This property is currently not accessible to the public.  Please check back here for more information on recreation opportunities in the spring of 2013.

At the heart of Martis Valley is 1,481-acre Waddle Ranch, a stunning property of meadows, lush green forests, and breathtaking mountain vistas that has remained nearly unchanged for hundreds of years. The property is located just north of Highway 267, the road connecting Truckee with Lake Tahoe, and has been privately owned and operated as a working ranch since the 1850s.

Waddle Ranch is the most ecologically diverse property in the entire Martis Valley, supporting thriving plant and animal communities around Dry Lake and throughout its creeks, wetlands, and old-growth pine forests. The ranch is also a critical link in the unbroken ten-mile long wildlife corridor between Martis Valley and the Mount Rose Wilderness, ensuring that hundreds of species of birds and animals can survive and flourish, safe from residential development and resort expansion.

Conservation History

In 2003, Martis Valley was slated for extensive development, including plans for more than 6,000 new condominiums and townhouses and five new golf courses. A coalition of civic and environmental organizations united to broker a more conservation-oriented outcome that would benefit local residents, as well as the thousands of visitors that flock to Martis Valley every year. The community’s vision for protection of this landscape called for protecting the entire area north of Highway 267, and allowing for a reduced amount of development on the south side of the highway, adjacent to existing developments.

The Truckee Donner Land Trust and the Trust for Public Land, with important support from the Northern Sierra Partnership, completed the acquisition of 1,462-acre Waddle Ranch in 2007. The $23.5 million acquisition was, without doubt, one of the largest and most complicated conservation efforts in the Sierra Nevada and an important milestone in protecting the Greater Truckee Landscape.

Our Vision for Protection

Since the purchase, the Land Trust has made over $2 million of investments to enhance the visitor experience and improve the ecological condition of the property. Those investments have included an expanded the trailhead at the main access point to the property, interpretative signage, a new three-mile trail loop, and a series of restoration and forestry management projects. Today, visitors can hike from Waddle Ranch to the Tahoe National Forest, Martis Creek Lake National Recreation Area, and Mount Rose Wilderness. In addition to providing important new recreation opportunities for local residents and visitors, the protection of Waddle Ranch has helped to maintain air and water quality in the Truckee area, lessen traffic, and secured important habitat and corridors for wildlife.