Tahoe National Park Traditional Cache
A Team Vallejo: Reviewer wants me to archive it bye
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Easy drive up on your way in or out of south lake tahoe
Way back in the 1800's Thomas Star King an early day visitor, called Lake tahoe, "a mass of pure splendor." And to many today,even with all the urbanization, the development that has taken place around the lake, it still stands out as a charmingly picturesque natural wonder, with millions of visitors each year. It's natural beauty hides the history of the basin. A history that touched the gold rush, the Comstock discovery,the expansion of a nation. A nation that would initially value the lake and it's resources for it's forests, its fish and its waters to help move it towards it destiny...its manifest destiny. Today we can only wonder why this beautiful place was never made into a National Park??? Well it may have been and perhaps should have been.But there have been studies to make Tahoe into a national park. The first was in 1900, and again in 1913, 1931, and as recent as 1935. The first National Forest reserves were established here after 2/3rds of the old growth trees were cut down for the Comstock mines, The railroads and cities. But a national park would have meant more preservation and less development. Much of what you see here today would not exist, had Tahoe become a park. But even years ago, the 1935 Park Service Evaluation explains that even by then it was too late...for Tahoe was no longer pristine. The evaluation was for a massive land area 178 square miles that would have encompassed much of the lake shore and the high country surrounding the basin. Park Service inspectors were impressed with Tahoe's recreation attributes and potential. There were bountiful opportunities for boating, swimming, fishing, hiking, camping, hoarseback riding, and winter sports. Water supplies were unlimited, and plenty of parking. and even by the then the extensive timber harvesting was beginning to re grow. So it seemed that Tahoe just might have the qualities to get established as a Park. But there were problems, serious problems. One conclusion from the evaluation was that the local attitude was "antagonistic." A number of Locals were against a park being established here. along with that land values were listed at $10,000 an acre and up. And back the it was considered to be "speculative," and excessive. The Chief inspector William P. Mott, jr summarized his opinion to the Director of the Park Service by stating that in its pristine state, the Lake Tahoe area was worthy but he didn't feel it was justified in recommending this area for future consideration as a national park. So it is today, that there is no national park but at least 80% of the land is public land and national forest land. It may not bee a National Park but it is a great place to live, to visit hopefully for present and future generations.
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