USFS celebrates Best in Basin awards for Camp Richardson and Stinger projects

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU), along with partners Camp Richardson Resort and the Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association (TAMBA), were recognized by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) with two “Best in Basin” awards for the Camp Richardson Resort and Campground BMP retrofit and the Kingsbury Stinger Trail Project. The award, which recognizes and showcases projects that demonstrate exceptional planning, implementation and compatibility with Lake Tahoe’s environment and communities, was presented to Forest Service staff on September 27, 2017, at the TRPA Governing Board meeting in Kings Beach, Calif.

The Kingsbury Stinger project aimed for the restoration of a particularly steep section of trail that was eroding away. The LTBMU partnered with the TAMBA to build the multi-use trail that runs from the Andria Drive trailhead on upper Kingsbury to the Tahoe Rim Trail and ends in lower Kingsbury on Terrace View Street where it connects with a Class 1 bike path. More than 100 individuals contributed to the project with 1,500 hours of volunteer work.

Camp Richardson is a heavily used recreation resort in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Together the LTBMU and Camp Richardson Resort worked to upgrade the Camp Richardson tent and RV campgrounds, including paving roadways and parking areas to reduce dust. Best management practices and infiltration basins were added to help reduce storm water pollution, along with new restrooms, a check-in kiosk, and bear-proof food lockers at campsites. These improvements have reduced overall paved surfaces by 20 percent which allows for water from runoff to soak into the ground before reaching the lake, reducing the amount of sediment that flows directly into Lake Tahoe.

More information about TRPA’s Best in Basin awards program is available at http://www.trpa.org/get-involved/best-in-basin/