MARTIS VALLEY: THE TIMELINE
For more than twenty years, Sierra Watch has been working to Save Martis Valley.
Through strategy and discipline, commitment and resolve, we’ve been able to turn back irresponsible projects and piece together a bold vision for conservation in the heart of the Tahoe-Truckee Region.
Our ongoing success demands a two-prong approach: standing up to stop reckless projects; and, at the same time, making peace – sitting down with landowners to seek collaborative solutions.
Here’s a look at how, year after year, parcel by parcel, we’ve been defending our mountain values and protecting Tahoe’s legacy:
2000
A series of massive subdivisions and sprawling resort development looms over Tahoe’s Martis Valley.
Local residents and second homeowners, concerned about how the project approvals would increase traffic, destroy wildlife habitat, and exacerbate the region’s affordable housing crisis form a new organization, Sierra Watch, to take on the proposals and secure a better outcome.
2001
Broad general plan for Martis Valley and a series of individual proposals begin to take shape.
Placer County begins to process a regional Martis Valley Community Plan, creating a blueprint for unchecked development from the edge of Truckee to the rim of the Tahoe Basin. Individual landowners start proposing specific projects. Sierra Watch begins to organize its defense of Martis.
Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) proposes ‘The Martis Ranch’ on the undeveloped slopes of Martis Peak, including: 1,360 units, 40,000 square feet of commercial, and new ski resort.
San Francisco Chronicle reports on looming fight over Martis Valley: Tahoe area feeling growing pains / Little hope for keeping wilderness areas as developers make plans for resorts, homes.
Sierra Watch opens its headquarters and hires Tom Mooers as Executive Director.
2002
Development pressure builds as Sierra Watch steps up its work to Save Martis Valley.
Placer County releases draft Martis Valley Community Plan Update calling for a series of development projects, some already in the planning pipeline, totaling 6,000 units of sprawling high-end development, enough for a population of over 20,000; the equivalent of ten Transamerica Pyramids in a series of new commercial development and malls; and new roads and pavement, including widening of scenic Highway 267 from two lanes to four lanes.
Sierra Watch responds by engaging experts in planning and law to write and submit detailed comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report, pointing out fatal flaws in its assessment of impacts on key issues like traffic, Tahoe, and wildlife.
Truckee’s Sierra Sun reports: “Two dozen meetings and over two-and-a-half years of planning have failed to produce a plan for the Martis Valley that local environmental groups say they can support.”
Sierra Watch holds Martis Valley Community Forum in Truckee, packing the conference room and providing opportunities for citizen involvement.
2003
Placer County begins to approve individual projects as it processes its broad Martis Valley plan; Sierra Watch establishes an alternative vision for North Tahoe.
Sierra Watch commissions wildlife and habitat experts from the Conservation Biology Institute to produce a set of Conservation Priorities for Martis Valley, providing specific recommendations for revising the land use map in the Martis Valley Community Plan to direct development away from valuable resource areas. The Priorities Map draws a bold line around 15,000 acres; 80% of the land targeted for protection is already slated for pending development.
Sierra Watch submits detailed comments on the proposed Northstar Village project, which calls for 200 residential units and 122,300 sq. ft. of commercial and retail space. The Placer County Planning Commission approves the Northstar Village project. Sierra Watch appeals; Placer County Board of Supervisors denies appeal and rubberstamps approvals.
Sierra Watch designs iconic SAVE MARTIS VALLEY bumper sticker and distributes first batch of 2,500 in North Tahoe.
Placer County releases a Revised Draft EIR for the Martis Valley Community Plan Update; Sierra Watch submits comments: “The current draft of the Martis Valley Community Plan is less than state planning law requires – and less than Martis Valley deserves.”
Placer County Planning Commission holds public hearings on proposed Martis Valley Community Plan; Sierra Watch takes to the podium: “The plan before you today is irresponsible. It threatens to squander the quality of life and treasured natural resources of the Tahoe Truckee region on massive sprawl development.” The Commission is unpersuaded and rubberstamps the project in a 7-0 vote.
The Washoe Tribe weighs in, offering public opposition to the Martis Valley Community Plan, saying it fails to protect enough of their ancestral homeland.
Placer County Board of Supervisors pauses process to allow for dialogue. Sierra Watch offers an alternative plan. Landowners and developers are uninterested in seeking compromise. Talks go nowhere.
Placer County holds final hearing on the Martis Valley Community Plan; Sierra Watch testifies “The proposed development, as assembled and called for in the plan before you today, is a direct threat to the values of Martis Valley and the Tahoe Truckee Region.” The Board is unpersuaded and votes 4-1 to approve.
San Francisco Chronicle publishes scathing assessment of proposed development, Tahoe’s Martis Valley – paradise lost?, slamming the plan as a “tragic mistake for California.”
Breakthrough: Sierra Watch secures first in a series of agreements with landowners and developers; the collaborative pact with Northstar Village developers secures a steady stream of funding to purchase and protect open space in Martis Valley.
2004
Sierra Watch mounts legal challenge to massive Martis Valley Community Plan as developers seek approvals for individual projects.
Sierra Watch is joined by League to Save Lake Tahoe, Mountain Area Preservation Foundation, Planning and Conservation League, and Sierra Club in a legal challenge to Placer County’s 2003 approvals of Martis Valley Community Plan.
Sierra Watch submits comments on the Draft EIR for the proposed Hopkins Ranch project, a gated golf resort, and comments on the Draft EIR for the Siller Ranch proposal, a gated subdivision that would become Martis Camp.
Placer County Planning Commission approves Hopkins Ranch proposal; Sierra Watch appeals. Placer County Supervisors deny Sierra Watch appeal.
Sierra Watch’s legal challenge to the Martis Valley Community Plan gets a boost when Bill Lockyer, California State Attorney General, sends a scathing letter to Placer County, taking the County to task for shoddy environmental review and calling plans for Martis Valley “the opposite of smart growth.”
Sierra Watch urges Placer County Planning Commission to deny the Siller Ranch and Eaglewood development proposals and, instead, “pursue planning for Martis Valley which would enhance, not threaten, the values of the Tahoe-Truckee Region.” The Commission instead approves both. Sierra Watch appeals the decisions to the Board of Supervisors. The Board denies the appeals and approves both projects.
Sierra Watch joins Mountain Area Preservation Foundation and Planning and Conservation League in a legal challenge to Placer County’s approvals of Hopkins Ranch.
Sierra Watch’s case against Martis Valley development is bolstered by an amicus brief from the Town of Truckee, characterizing Placer County’s planning process as “both unsatisfactory and, in the Town’s opinion, unlawful.”
Sierra Watch submits comments on the Draft EIR for the Northstar Highlands project, proposing 1,866 units, a 255-room hotel, and a 3,500 capacity ampitheatre.
“High-country resort sprawl” in Martis Valley makes national news as the Wall Street Journal features Sierra Watch’s work in a detailed article, reporting “In the Martis Valley outside Truckee, Calif., a small Sierra Nevada town, a wave of thousands of new homes is set to cascade over the ridge from Lake Tahoe.” More national coverage of Martis development when a piece in the Los Angeles Times, Suburban Sprawl in the Sierra, is published in papers throughout the western United States.
Placer County Board of Supervisors denies Sierra Watch appeal and gives final approval to the Eaglewood proposal.
2005
Victory! Sierra Watch secures court order declaring Placer County’s approvals illegal and suspending further development. Success in court encourages real conversation at the negotiating table.
Placer County Superior Court rules in Sierra Watch’s favor, concluding that approvals of the Martis Valley Community Plan Update violated state law by failing to properly analyze potential impacts on Lake Tahoe, biological resources, air quality, traffic, water resources, and affordable housing. Judge James D. Garbolino writes, “The Martis Valley itself is a critically important area for wildlife, habitat, and water resources” and “…more importantly, …runs along the peaks and rims which form the crucible which has forged Lake Tahoe.” And directs Placer County to “set aside” its development approvals and “suspend” development activities based upon the flawed Martis Valley plan.
Sierra Watch testifies at Planning Commission hearing for the Highlands project at Northstar, “Our goal for the Highlands proposal is that it play a responsible role in ensuring a bright future for Martis Valley and the Tahoe-Truckee Region.”
Sierra Watch reaches agreement with Northstar developers that includes a cap on future development and permanent protection of more than 80% of Northstar’s Martis holdings.
Sierra Watch and allies file suit in Placer County to overturn approvals of Siller Ranch and challenge permits at a hearing of the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Sierra Watch announces agreement with Eaglewood developers to raise an initial $8 million for open space funding and to secure commitment to workforce housing.
2006
Peace in the valley!
Landmark agreement with Placer County and Martis Valley landowners settles litigation over the Martis Valley Community Plan Update and establishes, for most of Martis Valley, a shared vision of limited development and targeted conservation.
Sierra Watch and Mountain Area Preservation announce agreement with Martis Camp developer DMB/Highlands to create The Martis Fund to support protection of open space and construction of workforce housing.
2007
Waddle Ranch preserved!
Funding from 2006 agreement applied to the purchase and protection of Waddle Ranch Preserve – 1,500 acres previously slated for golf courses, a shopping mall, and subdivisions.
The Martis Fund holds public workshop to seek input on creation of its Habitat and Forest Restoration and Management Program.
2008
Good times in the valley – Waddle Ranch opened to hikers, habitat preserved.
The Martis Fund makes initial investment in the region’s watershed by awarding two grants to the Truckee River Watershed Council.
Waddle Ranch Preserve, slated for development under the Martis Valley Community Plan, is dedicated – and opened to the public – as permanently protected open space.
2009
Steps taken to implement collaborative blueprint for Martis Valley and solve the last piece of the puzzle.
Sierra Watch works with Northstar to create its Habitat Management Plan, focusing on portions of the property protected by a collaborative agreement. “We’re grateful for Sierra Watch for working with us to create these agreements and the Habitat Management Plan. It’s an important step towards achieving our goal of making Northstar a sustainable resort.”
Sierra Watch begins collaborative discussions with landowners and developers to plan for permanent protection of conservation lands on the SPI property.
2010
Lingering effects of recession slow development; habitat improvement efforts carry on.
Martis Valley developers East West Partners files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy., eventually becoming Mountainside Partners.
The Martis Fund awards the Truckee River Weed Warrior Program a multi-year funding grant.
2011
Truckee Donner Land Trust announces purchase and protection of 122-acre known as Martis Creek Estates property with funds generated by Sierra Watch’s 2005 agreement with Northstar.
2012
Truckee Donner Land Trust purchases Jones Property in Martis Valley—another 32 acres protected with funding from agreements with landowners and developers.
Negotiations regarding future of SPI’s property ongoing.
2013
Progress on conservation; new threats to Martis resources.
After four years of discussion, Sierra Watch, conservation allies, and landowners sign the Martis Valley Opportunity Agreement (MVOA) designed to ensure permanent conservation and consider limited development on the SPI property.
Squaw Valley Public Services District proposes 8-mile pipe from under Martis Valley to tap Martis groundwater for Squaw development. Sierra Watch opposes plan as scheme to “apply state funding to subsidize private resort development.”
2014
Martis Valley West proposed, threatening ongoing collaboration.
SPI and Mountainside Partners file application for development beyond what had been agreed to in MVOA, including gated Martis Valley West project with 760 new units, buildings as tall as 75 feet, and a new road to connect to Highway 26 – all in a “Very High” Fire Hazard Severity Zone.
SPI proposes still more development for 112 ridgeline acres on the rim of the Tahoe Basin on what is known as ‘The Brockway Parcel’.
2015
Pulled projects, new proposals, and steady progress.
SPI pulls application to develop ridgeline portion of its Martis property. Sierra Watch tells Sierra Sun, “This is good news for Tahoe because it removes the potential for misguided development in the basin.”
SPI and Martis Valley West developers file initial application with Tahoe Regional Planning Agency for a massive 500 unit resort, dubbed “Brockway Campground”.
Sierra Watch secures Northstar Conservation Easement Implementation Agreement to finalize protection of another piece of Martis Valley as negotiated in 2003.
Placer County releases its Draft EIR of the proposed Martis Valley West project. Sierra Watch speaks before Placer County Planning Commission, urging caution on mounting Martis Valley project proposals; sends comments on Martis Valley West Draft EIR to Placer County, characterizing the proposal as “a major step backward in the ongoing, collaborative effort to secure a better blueprint for the region”
2016
Placer County rubberstamps Martis Valley West subdivision; Sierra Watch challenges approvals in court.
Placer County releases Final EIR for Martis Valley West proposal. Sierra Watch submits final comment letter, pointing out that “the project would threaten the most fundamental values of North Tahoe and Martis Valley – from the clarity of the lake to the stars in the night sky; the EIR fails to provide even the most basic assessment of impacts on some of the most important issues in the region.”
Placer County Planning Commission holds public hearings on Martis Valley West project and the Commission votes – stunningly – to recommend to the Board of Supervisors that they deny approval.
California State Attorney General Kamala Harris weighs in with a scathing nineteen-page letter to Placer County, urging denial of the Martis Valley West project. “We are concerned about the impacts that development will have within the Tahoe Basin,” reads the letter from the Attorney General, urging Placer County to deny the project.
In spite of the recommendation from the Planning Commission, Placer County Board of Supervisors approves the Martis Valley West development project. Vote comes after an eight-hour hearing in a packed room of 300 North Tahoe locals, many of whom spoke against the project.
Sierra Watch, Mountain Area Preservation, and the League to Save Lake Tahoe file suit to overturn approvals of the Martis Valley West Project.
Meanwhile, The Martis Fund launches Down Payment Assistance Program (DPAP) to support local working families looking to purchase homes in the region.
2017
Fight over last piece of Martis Valley moves to court.
Conservation groups and developers file dueling legal briefs. SPI and Placer County continue to ignore impacts on Tahoe, “Sierra Watch’s main argument is that the Project will inflict damage on Lake Tahoe,” developers claim. “But the Project proposed no development in the Tahoe Basin. Its impacts would be indirect, caused not by the Project itself, but by residents driving into the Tahoe Basin.”
Trial Court hears arguments in Martis Valley West challenge. Sierra Watch counsel points to an ongoing “50 year effort to preserve the lake’s clarity” ignored in the County’s planning process.
Meanwhile, in a victory for Martis resources, the Squaw Valley Public Services District quietly abandons its scheme to import water from Martis Valley.
2018
Victory in Trial Court as fight rages on.
Sierra Watch and co-plaintiffs prevail in court challenge of Martis Valley West proposal. Judge Michael Jones issues order to vacate and set aside Placer County’s approval of the project due to concerns that they did not adequately analyze or disclose the impact the project would have on fire risk and evacuation plans in the area.
Sierra Watch and allies file appeal of the Martis Valley West decision in California’s Third District Court of Appeals, seeking to further trial court victory. Legal brief points out why Placer County’s approval of the project “violated two state laws designed to protect the environment: the California Environmental Quality Act (‘CEQA’) and the Timberland Productivity Act.”
Trial court issues final Writ and Judgment in Martis Valley West case, demanding Placer County and SPI “suspend all project approvals and activities that are based upon, or related to, the MVWP Approvals and that could result in any change or alteration to the physical environment.”
2019
Another year in court as Sierra Watch and co-plaintiffs deliver final brief to the California Third District Court of Appeals in legal challenge to the Martis Valley West project.
2020
Legal fight goes on as conservation work continues.
The Martis Fund tops $2 million in grants for the year to support of land conservation, wildlife habitat, and workforce housing.
Key piece protected: portion of contested SPI property, once proposed for ‘Brockway Campground’ resort, purchased by United States Forest Service.
2021
Final arguments made in Martis Valley West case as both sides end the year waiting for decision from Court of Appeals.
2022
Victory! Sierra Watch and allies prevail again.
California’s Third District Court of Appeal hands down landmark ruling in conservation groups’ favor, calling Placer County’s review of the Martis Valley West project “inadequate” in its disclosure of the impacts on Lake Tahoe and the project’s significant impacts on climate change.
Sierra Watch, conservation allies, and land trusts pursue collaborative effort with landowners and developers to secure SPI property.
2023
Collaborative efforts continue
The Martis Fund distributes $3,976,690 to eleven projects in 2023; $914,000 for Habitat Restoration and Forest Management; $104,440 for open space; and $3,051,250 for workforce housing.
2024
Seeking last piece of conservation puzzle
Sierra Watch and allies support land trust efforts to secure public funding for the SPI property, “It has incredible conservation value within its own boundaries and, equally important, plays a central, connective role in the surrounding region.”
