Opinion: Restoring golf course reach of river good for Tahoe
By Lester Snow and Ruth Coleman
An article advocated the need to protect the natural habitat and environmentally sensitive lands regarding the Upper Truckee River Restoration and Golf Course Reconfiguration Project. The commentary suggested creating more wetlands, meadow and wildlife habitat to restore the Upper Truckee. We agree with those points, which are clearly spelled out in the proposed project’s goals and objectives. However, given the statements expressed by the author, it would appear that he was unfamiliar with the proposed project.
Contrary to the suggestion that this is a politically motivated golf course expansion, there is no proposal to expand the golf course. There are five alternatives under consideration. Among them are proposals to eliminate the course, reduce the size to nine holes, or keep it at 18 holes and relocate nine holes farther from the banks of the river to less sensitive areas of the existing state park land.
Lester Snow is secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency. Ruth Coleman is director of California State Parks.
I don’t think the authors of this piece are being totally honest when they say that “there is no proposal to expand the golf course.” One of their proposals would move 9 holes onto land relatively far from the existing course. While this land is not pristine, it is far more natural than a golf course.
This is expansion of the golf course to new land.