MAP E-Newsletters
Stay up to date with Mountain Area Preservation by signing up for our Monthly E-Newsletter. MAP News highlights are featured below and our past monthly e-newsletters can be accessed on our Archive Webpage.
January 2026 E-News
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January 2026 E-News 〰️
Power Advocacy Year-Round | Become a Monthly MAP Member
In 2025, we tracked more than 20 land-use projects from the Tahoe Basin to Nevada County, and we continue to follow many of them as we enter 2026. Tracking projects takes time, energy, and historical knowledge. Supporting MAP through membership makes this work happen. And when you spread your giving throughout the year with a monthly gift helps power advocacy year-round and fuels MAP's ability to stay engaged, track projects for years (even decades), and be ready for what comes next.
Help MAP start the new year strong by becoming a monthly member. By pledging a monthly donation, you are making a difference in your community's future. NEW monthly members who pledge $5 a month will receive a limited-edition Klean Kanteen Rise Low Ball Mug (pictured above), perfect for pre-powder day coffees and apres bevvys with friends.
ALIBI TRIVIA | Get Your Brain Going with MAP
Tuesday, February 17, 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Come out to support MAP at Alibi and be a part of Truckee's favorite trivia night hosted by Craig Rowe, and featuring a MAP-themed trivia round! MAP will be there, giving away MAP merch, raffling off prizes, and engaging with our community! Alibi will be doing what they do best: pouring tasty, locally made brews, supporting local nonprofits, and serving up tasty bites. Trivia starts at 6, and be sure to show up early as Craig draws a great crowd and space can be limited! The event will serve as our kickoff to promote MAP’s 10th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival - On Tour, taking place May 1st and 2nd at Alibi Ale Works - Truckee Public House and Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Center. At trivia, we will be raffling off two VIP tickets for both nights of our festival in May, along with MAP swag.
MAP Events |10th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival
Sponsors Make MAP Events Magical - Join Us!
We have been planning our 10th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival, which returns to Truckee in May. We are seeking sponsorship support to make our festival the best it has ever been! Sponsorship support helps MAP execute a feel-good community event that brings awareness to MAP’s mission, supports local artists, both filmmakers and local musicians, and highlights the importance of activism in our community. Sponsors will receive a wide range of benefits to promote their businesses and support grassroots environmental advocacy in Truckee Tahoe. You can read more about sponsorship levels here. Sponsorship is open until March 5th, 2026, but don't wait, get involved now!
MAP Business Member Spotlight | Tahoe Luxury Properties
We are excited to welcome Tahoe Luxury Properties to our business member family! They joined in late 2025, and their support helped us reach our year-end fundraising goal, for which we are very grateful! Thanks to the nomination by staff member Natalie Garnett. The protection of 3,500 acres in the Martis Valley is important to them because it preserves land not only for future generations of locals and visitors but also protects the rich indigenous history of the Martis Valley.
Since 1994, Tahoe Luxury Properties has been family-owned and operated. Whether you desire a luxury Lake Tahoe vacation rental or a beautiful family home to enjoy for generations, the Tahoe Luxury Properties team of long-time Tahoe & Truckee residents will assist with all aspects of your Lake Tahoe & Truckee real estate search or your luxury vacation rental needs. We always encourage our supporters to support MAP business members, such as Tahoe Luxury Properties. Whether you are looking for a home or a place for loved ones to stay on their next visit, we recommend working with Tahoe Luxury Properties!
Truckee Pedestrian Bicycle Railroad Crossing
Town Council Direction - Deferred
On January 13th, 2026, the Truckee Town Council held a hearing to accept the Pedestrian/Bicycle Railroad Crossing Feasibility Study and to decide whether to pursue the capital improvement project or defer it until the Trails and Bikeway Master Plan is updated. The council unanimously accepted the report and deferred any further work on the project until the Trails and Bikeways Master Plan is updated. There was a good turnout for the first Truckee Town Council meeting of the year, with 11 public comments, including MAP, requesting that the project not be pursued and that capital improvements focus on finishing the Trails and Bikeway Master Plan projects first, then consider future active transportation after the update. We want to thank the Council for their thoughtful deliberation and direction for the railroad crossing deferral.
Truckee Railyard Hotel Planning Commission
Hearing Continued To a Date and Time Uncertain
The Truckee Planning Commission held a 5.5-hour meeting on Tuesday, January 20th, 2026, to review the Railyard Hotel application. The commission heard a presentation from the Truckee Planning team and the applicant and received over 60 written public comments from citizens and stakeholders, most of whom opposed the project. The majority of commenters, including MAP, support the use but want the project to align with the Railyard Master Plan goals and vision, while also considering safety mitigation for the site and the surrounding current uses downtown. The commission requested that the applicant make design changes to align with the Master Plan, along with updated solar aspect and shade studies due to concerns about building height and public safety. The project will return to the Planning Commission at a later date, but that date is uncertain at this time. If you missed the hearing, you can watch it on YouTube or read the Sierra Sun hearing recap here.
TRPA | Cultivating Community Conserving the Basin
Governing Board Hearing Recap from 1.28.2026
Yesterday, the TRPA Governing Board held a hearing to begin the environmental review process for Cultivating the Community, Conserving the Basin, also known as the Phase 3 Housing Amendments. It is important to note that no new policies have been approved to date; the hearing focused on initiating the Notice of Preparation (NOP) and the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process. The next TRPA meeting will be a NOP Scoping meeting at the Advisory Planning Commission (APC) on Wednesday, February 11th.
The Governing Board received 16 written public comments, including letters from MAP, the League to Save Lake Tahoe, Friends of the West Shore, the North Tahoe Preservation Alliance, and many citizens, who asked for specific considerations in the EIS process. MAP expressed gratitude for removing the policy geared toward market-rate housing, with advocacy focused on advancing deed-restricted housing for the workforce and those in need, including our seniors, low-income, and disabled communities. If you want to learn more and use your voice to tell the TRPA your concerns with workforce housing, use our form and learn the facts about the Tahoe Housing Needs!
Cultivating Community, Conserving the Basin | Notice of Preparation Released
The TRPA Housing Policy Amendment Process, Cultivating Community, Coserving the Basin (also known as Phase 3), just released the Notice of Preparation (NOP). The NOP initiates the environmental review process by notifying agencies, stakeholders, and citizens of the review, what will be analyzed, how to provide comments, the review timeline, and the specific deliverables, and by inviting public comments that help shape the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The EIS is a legal document under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) that has to evaluate the project and disclose to the public and agencies the associated impacts that would come from the project, and mitigation measures to reduce impacts to the environment and public.
DOWNLOAD THE NOP
Stay tuned for our next Action Alert, with our NOP comments, and be sure to read the NOP if you want to help shape the environmental review for the EIS. The NOP has a 45-day comment period, and the Scoping Meeting is set for February 11, 9:30 am to 3:00 pm at TRPA offices in South Lake Tahoe or via Zoom, where the public can weigh in on the NOP.
39°N | North Tahoe Regional Advisory Council Hearing
Thursday, February 12, 2026
SAVE THE DATE - Thursday, February 12th, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, the Placer County, North Tahoe Advisory Council (NTRAC) will have a presentation and update on the 39°N project proposed for Kings Beach. This is a significant portion of the North Lake Tahoe community slated for redevelopment with a four-story hotel, retail, market-rate condos, and deed-restricted workforce housing. Getting it planned right for North Lake Tahoe and Kings Beach is essential for current Lake Tahoe residents and future visitors. For now, if you care about the future of Kings Beach, be sure to attend NTRAC on Thursday night, February 12th. Stay tuned for the hearing location and agenda details in our February Action Alert.
MAP News | Stay in the Know with Us!
2026 has started off as a very busy year for land use in Truckee Tahoe! Our local and regional news blog can help you stay in you in the loop between monthly E-newsletters. We also share these updates regularly on social media, so if you don't already follow MAP, follow us on Instagram or Facebook to stay up to date!