SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) will host a public meeting Thursday, July 16, from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Board Room to share plans for the Trout Creek Fuels Reduction and Meadow Restoration Project and gather community feedback before work begins.

The project is funded by a grant from the California Wildlife Conservation Board, announced earlier this year. The Tahoe Resource Conservation District (TRCD) is a lead partner on the restoration, which will remove conifers that have encroached into roughly 30 acres of historic meadow behind campus. Thinning the dense stands reduces wildfire fuel loads near campus and neighboring communities while restoring the meadow’s ability to filter runoff before it reaches Lake Tahoe, a key factor in the lake’s clarity.

“Restoration of the Trout Creek Meadow will not only help improve meadow biodiversity, but this project marks the first critical step in reconnecting Indigenous communities with the landscape,” said Dr. Scott Valentine, faculty lead for LTCC’s Earth and Environmental Sciences Department. “Traditional ecological knowledge will help to increase the diversity of native plants, meadow habitat, and culturally significant species once found in the area. We are happy to have the support of the California Wildlife Conservation Board to bring this level of ecosystem resilience and cultural connectivity back to the Lake Tahoe Region.”

Community members are invited to review the restoration plan, ask questions, and speak directly with project staff before operations begin. Written comments can be sent anytime to meadow@ltcc.edu. Full project details and an FAQ are posted at ltcc.edu/meadow