Van Norden Meadow Restoration and Recreation Project

The Sierra Nevada Conservancy is providing funding to the South Yuba River Citizens League for the Van Norden Meadow Recreation Project, located on 485 acres of Tahoe National Forest land within Placer and Nevada counties. The project aims to protect sensitive meadow habitats by managing recreational use through the construction and improvement of formalized trail alignments. Key deliverables include a 5.5-mile multi-use loop trail featuring interpretive signage, boardwalks, and viewing platforms, as well as two new trailheads and a connector trail linking the loop to the existing adjacent trail network. The project was approved on June 4, 2026, following an Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration certified by Nevada County on May 11, 2022. The Sierra Nevada Conservancy has independently determined that the project will not result in significant adverse environmental impacts, provided that all work complies with the established Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration. Consequently, the project includes specific mitigation measures and a monitoring plan as conditions of approval to ensure environmental compliance. The Sierra Nevada Conservancy serves as the public agency, while the Nevada County Planning Department acts as the lead agency.