Draft decision released for Historic Facilities BMP project

Release Date: May 30, 2014

Contact(s): Public Affairs, Joy Barney (530) 543-2627, or Lisa Herron (530) 543-2815

South Lake Tahoe, Calif., –The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit issued a draft decision on the Historic Facilities Best Management Practices (BMPs) Retrofit project. The project would improve water quality and enhance sustainable recreation opportunities at the Tallac Historic Site on Lake Tahoe’s South Shore. Four alternatives were analyzed that included three action alternatives and one no-action alternative. A fourth alternative was developed in response to public comment and was chosen as the preferred alternative.

The preferred alternative would implement a variety of water quality BMPs at the site such as infiltration basins, planted swales, and slope stabilization along the shoreline. Other work would include the installation of barriers to prevent off-pavement parking, configuring better pedestrian routes, planting of native plants, and repairing existing fences.

At Kiva Point, informational signs would be installed, the pathway from the parking area to the beach would be upgraded to meet accessibility standards, and some user-created trails would be removed. A restroom would be built at the Kiva Point parking area, 20 additional parking spaces would be constructed, and a fence would be installed between the beach area and Taylor Creek Marsh.

The proposed project would improve site circulation by reconfiguring the three entrances along Highway 89 N (Valhalla, Tallac, and Taylor Creek) into two entrances located at the existing Taylor Creek Visitor Center intersection and across from the Camp Richardson Corral entrance. The intersections would be connected by an internal road, which would allow visitors to enter the site and access all areas without returning to the highway. The internal connector road would be located south of the historic road known as Yank Clements Road. The Tallac Site parking area would be expanded to include an additional 90 parking spaces. The Valhalla parking area would be expanded to include an additional 45 spaces and the existing unimproved parking area near the Valhalla entrance would be paved. The volunteer campground at the Baldwin Trailer Park site would be upgraded and reconfigured to include 15 additional campsites that meet accessibility guidelines.

Project work could begin as early as May 2015, and depending on funding could take 10 years to complete.

The project now enters a 45-day objection period. For more information about the project and to read the draft decision, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/ltbmu/HistoricFacilitiesRetrofit.

###