The user-created trails near Martis Peak that have been around for about two decades are located on privately-owned land. It’s owned by Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) as part of their vast logging holdings. The trails and land in its current state of ownership has no protection to remain as is. The landowners are considering transferring this area into conservation ownership, and the mountain bike community can play a major role to make this possible. While the management of the trails is still unknown, getting the land into conservation ownership would be a huge step forward to making sure the existing trails remain and new trail connections are built while preserving some of the most beautiful land in the Truckee area. 

No is the time to let your voice be heard that you want to keep riding these trails and that the land should be put into conservation.

The Truckee Donner Land Trust, with support from the national Trust for Public Land, has executed an option agreement that is in escrow to acquire the roughly 6,376 acres of private land currently owned by SPI. With over 40 miles of trails there that are actively used year round it is an unofficial mountain bike mecca that has high recreational value. The conservation groups’ acquisition of this land is crucial to ensure recreation in this area remains accessible for future generations.

What can you do? Write two support letters! Below are addresses and some talking points. Please use these talking points to personalize your letter. Let them know how important this is to you.

• I support the efforts of the Trust for Public Land and the Truckee Donner Land Trust in acquiring the East Parcel from Sierra Pacific Industries. Conservation of this land means that recreation opportunities will be preserved for all to enjoy.
• I support conservation of the East Parcel as proposed in the Martis Valley West Project. The East Parcel has over 40 miles of trails that are currently used year round by the community. I want to ensure that the public will be able to access these trails forever.
• Reference what you enjoy about the trails, how often you ride them, and why you’d like to see them made public and preserved for the future. If you enjoy some of the more technical mountain bike features, please include that and state that you would like to see that advanced trails preserved as there is a shortage of challenging trails in the region.
• Mention that you understand if the area is not conserved there it might no longer be accessible in the future and that would be a loss to you, your friends, kids, and future generations.

Send your letters to:

Placer County Board of Supervisors
175 Fulweiler Avenue
Auburn, CA 95603
email: SHerring@placer.ca.gov

Truckee Donner Land Trust
Perry Norris, Executive Director
P.O. Box 8816
Truckee, CA 96162
email: perry@tdlandtrust.org