Land deal will double size of Donner Memorial State Park

Thursday, Dec. 28, 2000 | 9:47 a.m.

Representatives of the Truckee-Donner Land Trust on Wednesday announced an agreement with Croman Corp. to transfer 2,500 acres of private land to the public domain.

Once finalized, it will double the size of Donner Memorial State Park west of Truckee.

"It's a big Christmas present," said Perry Norris, executive director of the Truckee-Donner Land Trust. The trust has been involved in lengthy negotiations with the timber company, the San Francisco-based Trust for Public Land and the state of California.

The deal will cost more than $4 million, much of it made available through two California ballot measures designed to protect sensitive land and water resources that were passed by voters last March.

At least $1 million will have to be obtained through local fund-raising efforts, Norris said.

"We're incredibly excited. This is a quantum leap," Norris told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "We do still have a lot of work to do."

Protection of Schallenberger Ridge, the forested backdrop to Donner Lake, will prove a major bonus for the area, Truckee Mayor Don McCormack said.

"Schallenberger Ridge, as much as any landmark, defines Truckee's mountain character," McCormack said.

The vast majority of the affected property will become part of Donner Memorial State Park, making the park one of the largest in the Sierra Nevada and significantly adding to recreational opportunities for hikers, cross-country skiers and other recreationists.

"The property has vistas and natural features that should lend themselves to an outstanding trail system," said John Knott, Sierra District superintendent for California State Parks.

One of those trails will be the Donner Lake Rim Trail, a 22-mile loop around the lake that is now partially constructed. Schallenberger Ridge was the last major piece of land needed for the trail.

The land acquisition also should preserve important habitat for wildlife, including beaver, osprey, spotted owls, northern goshawks and mountain yellow-legged frogs.

The California Department of Fish and Game has identified Coldstream Creek as a high-priority location for reintroduction of the Lahontan Cutthroat trout. Much of the creek's watershed is in the project area.