Three Lake Tahoe area projects will be receiving a share of the $34 million the California Natural Resources Agency is giving out for river parkway projects statewide.

“Our river parkway grants help communities connect children with nature, promote public health by providing families with greater outdoor recreational opportunities, and protect the rivers that provide us with clean water,” Secretary for Natural Resources John Laird said in a statement released Nov. 26. “The river parkways program is a great example of local agencies working together with the state to create increasingly sustainable communities in California.”

Regionally, Truckee is getting the largest sum — $2.9 million.

This will be for the Truckee River Legacy Trail Phase 3B. The money will be used to construct approximately 1.5 miles of class 1 bicycle/pedestrian trail, continuing the Truckee River Legacy Trail from the town of Truckee east just across Martis Creek where a trailhead will be constructed. The project will also install signage interpreting the natural and cultural resources of the Truckee River.

Tahoe City Public Utility District is getting $344,263 for the Truckee River Restoration and Access Project. This will create three formal access points to the Truckee River and the Truckee River Bike Trail along Highway 89, north of Tahoe City; restore degraded riparian habitat on riverbanks and wet meadows, create staging areas and install directional and interpretive signage.

In Alpine County, $136,000 has been granted for the 6-acre Markleeville Creek acquisition. The money will also be used to restore riparian habitat, re-establish historic floodplain and provide passive recreation in Markleeville.

In 2006, California voters passed Proposition 84, the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act, which authorized the Legislature to appropriate funds to benefit river parkway projects.

The California River Parkways Program, a competitive grant program administered by the secretary for natural resources, awards funds to public agencies and nonprofit organizations to develop river parkways in their communities. Thirty-three projects received funding in this round.

 — Lake Tahoe News staff report