Project at a Glance

• Year conserved: 2020

• Acres: 2,914 acres, including Frog Lake and three parcels above Carpenter Valley.

• Project partners: Truckee Donner Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy, The Trust for Public Land

• Owned by: Truckee Donner Land Trust, Tahoe National Forest

• Things to do: Hiking, backcountry skiing and snowboarding, snowshoeing

Conservation History & Values

In June 2020, we were thrilled to announce the successful conclusion of our two-year, $14 million Campaign to Conserve Frog Lake, Red Mountain & Carpenter Ridge, completing the protection of one of the most spectacular landscapes in the Sierra Nevada. 

The properties include a spectacular subalpine lake, mixed conifer forests, aspen groves and extensive creeks, as well as open slopes with windswept thickets of mountain mahogany, wax currant and wild gooseberry. Springs and seeps on the recently acquired lands flow into sensitive fens in Carpenter Valley, home to unique, carnivorous plants like the long leaved sundew and lesser bladderwort.

The acquisitions significantly enhanced habitat connectivity between the Castle Peak Roadless Area, Sagehen Basin, Independence Lake and Henness Pass, providing unimpaired passage to wildlife with large home ranges like black bear, American badger, wolverine, American marten and gray wolf. The Loyalton-Truckee deer herd also forages and fawns on the forested slopes above Euer Valley and Carpenter Valley. Protecting areas of contiguous habitat allows species to migrate with the seasons and in response to climate change.

The forested watersheds of the Sierra Nevada are vital resources for communities across California and western Nevada, providing more than half of the water needed for human uses. How those watersheds are managed directly impacts downstream communities. In 2015, The Nature Conservancy reviewed strategies to improve water quality in the Truckee River and identified land conservation and dirt road restoration as the two most cost-effective strategies in the Middle Truckee watershed. Land conservation protects land from development and disturbance, reducing erosion and sediment impacts on streams. Repairing or removing poorly designed dirt roads has similar beneficial effects, including reducing water treatment costs for downstream utilities. The Conservancy’s research confirmed once again the water quality benefits of conserving healthy natural landscapes.

Recreation & Restoration

The acquisitions enable the public to explore and enjoy the spectacular backcountry of the Northern Sierra in exciting, new ways. To enhance access, the Truckee Donner Land Trust and its architects, engineers and contractors recently completed renovations on the nearly 100-year-old Eschenbach Stone House and the construction of three new, modular sleeping huts. These facilities are now open to the public via reservations. More information can be found here. Plans are also in the works for a new 15-mile trail linking Castle Peak to Independence Lake via Frog Lake, Red Mountain, Lower Carpenter Valley, Carpenter Ridge and Independence Lake. For the latest information about recreational improvements underway at Frog Lake, please see our current project page.