El Dorado County Parks & Recreation Digest

Lake Tahoe has endured many different eras of history, and all are woven into the fabric of its unique landscape. One way to take a trip back in time is to visit the iconic mansions and rustic cabin museums around the lake’s shores.

All over California, wildfires have ravaged iconic landscapes. Places that once seemed permanent are disappearing—and researchers are having to rethink how best to protect them.

Recently the Jeepers Jamboree celebrated the 70th annual Jeepers event. From start to finish on the Rubicon Trail, reports columnist Meg Anderson, the event was every bit as great as expected.

Officials from the city of South Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County gathered to break ground on the new Recreation and Aquatics Center, to be built near the El Dorado County library. Phase 1 will be finished in November, and Phase 2 will begin in summer 2023.

As human life has evolved, so have trail networks, with game trails to access hunting grounds giving way to trade routes, and then to roads. In modern times, trails provide an equally essential purpose: a place to exercise and experience the outdoors.

Community members were given the opportunity to weigh in on the proposed Cascade to Meeks Trail, which would run from Cascade Lake to Meeks Bay. As a part of a feasibility study, several trail alignments were presented during three different Zoom workshops.

As temperatures climb and drought-stricken vegetation gets baked in the summer heat, TNF has implemented restrictions limiting smoking and campfires.

Senate Bill 1012, a law that will require California State Parks to restrict open fires, has been unanimously passed through the Committee of Water, Parks, and Wildlife. The bill instructs parks to work with the guidelines of local fire departments. The bill could appear before the full assembly in August.

The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is reaching out to both the general community and fellow agencies to seek input on the environmental review of the Meeks Bay Restoration Project. The goal is to return the area into a more natural state while still accommodating recreation.

Crews have been getting recreation sites in Eldorado National Forest prepared for the public to enjoy this summer. Opening dates for facilities depend on elevation, winter damage and staffing availability.

The Bureau of Land Management is seeking nominations for positions on its California Desert District Advisory Council, Central California Resource Advisory Council, and Northern California District RAC.

Due to continued low water levels, the Sand Harbor boat ramp will remain closed for the summer. Beginning on May 27, the parking lot will be opened to provide limited parking for vehicles with kayaks and paddleboards.

Residents can now use their library cards to check out day passes for free access to more than 200 state parks. The move is part of a collaboration between California State Parks and the California State Library to provide more equitable outdoor access for all Californians.

The California Tahoe Conservancy has announced $1,005,800 in grants to government agencies in Placer and El Dorado counties. The grants will support projects to expand public access to Lake Tahoe, improve water quality, and increase resilience to climate change.

Mountain bikers gathered at a recent El Dorado Hills Community Services District board meeting where a bike park project was discussed and unanimously approved.

As part of its Reexamining Our Past Initiative, California State Parks is seeking input on a proposal to change the way history is interpreted at Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park. The effort will provide visitors with more inclusive and historically accurate information.

The El Dorado County Resource Advisory Committee is now accepting proposals for projects that may include but are not limited to road, trail and infrastructure work; soil improvement; and a wide array of work on ecosystem, habitat and watershed health.

The city of South Lake Tahoe Planning Commission is slated to review the final plans for the South Lake Tahoe Recreation and Aquatics Center. The new facility is expected to include a competition pool, lap pool, lazy river, gymnasium, elevated running track, and rec rooms.

In June, California State Parks will consider a new name for part of Folsom Lake State Recreation Area called Negro Bar. The potential change has stirred up a debate over how Black history is preserved in California.

California State Parks, the Locke Foundation and members of the Chinese American community celebrated the opening of the Gam Saan Trail, which connects Hennigsen Lotus Park with Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park. Gam Saan was the name given to the gold fields by Chinese 49ers.

Over the summer, students worked as ambassadors in city parks and beaches. Now the South Lake Tahoe City Council voted to make the pilot program permanent. The council also approved the first reading of the Movable Tiny Homes code amendments.

The new Heritage Village Park faces another delay: Rust is seeping up into the concrete courts. Previously, residents challenged the park’s 50-foot-tall sport court lighting.

The Auburn Area Recreation and Parks District is asking the public for suggestions on names for the “24 Acre” property and associated Regional “C” baseball field as it begins the process of improving the property.

Winter Wonderland, which was slated to open in South Lake Tahoe in 2022, has been canceled after the involved parties could not come to an agreement.

The nonprofit Tahoe Fund has launched the Caldor Trails Restoration Fund to help restore popular trails and nature areas that were damaged by the Caldor Fire.

Families living in the Carson Creek and Heritage Park Landscape and Lighting Assessment District will receive a modest reimbursement, thanks to a park that hasn't yet come to fruition.

California State Parks officials approved a plan on Sept. 30 to expand public access to the Auburn State Recreational Area by allowing more campsites.

The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit has begun the annual process of closing recreational facilities for the winter season. Campgrounds, picnic areas, and beach facilities will close at the end of the day on Oct. 17.

After a century of private ownership, Johnson Meadow is now public land. The Tahoe Resource Conservation District will host a webinar about the restoration project and would like to hear from South Lake Tahoe residents in particular.

A “for sale” sign on the land surrounding Rasmussen Pond has raised concerns about the area being razed for development, destroying a natural oasis that Cameron Park residents have come to cherish.

The Caldor Fire spared many homes and buildings in the Tahoe basin, but several recreation areas were hit hard. Groups such as the Tahoe Area Mountain Bike Association and Tahoe Rim Trail Association are getting ready to repair damaged trails.

Though much of the U.S. Forest Service lands have reopened, the Eldorado National Forest emergency closure will continue due to ongoing hazards associated with the Caldor Fire.