Outdoor aficionados will be happy to learn the United States Forest Service procured a 777-acre parcel near Incline Village, Nev., which will allow the public recreational use of a property once reserved for a privileged few.

The parcel contains Incline Lake – now drained dry to concerns over the viability and safety of the dam – a meandering Third Creek with tributaries and a host of wildflowers emblazoned on the mountain slopes which creep up gradually to the Mt. Rose Wilderness area.

“This is one of the richer areas that I’ve seen in the entire basin from a diversity of plant life standpoint,” said Michael Gabor, Forest Engineer for the U.S. Forest Service.

The land was purchased by the Forest Service for $46 million in 2008 from Incline Lake Corp.

While the Forest Service owns the land, the agency is embroiled in a lawsuit currently in federal court which will determine whether the sellers are entitled to more money from the land deal.

“The project is about acquiring environmentally sensitive lands and removing them from the threat of development,” said Cheva Heck, spokeswoman for the Forest Service. “It’s also about opening the land up to the public and allowing others to enjoy it.”

Small summer cabins which once dotted the northeastern shore of Incline Lake were torn down when the property was purchased. Today, only vestiges of development remain on the property.

Heck said the land was the largest remaining parcel on the forest service’s running list of properties it would like to acquire. The Forest Service recently obtained a 200-acre parcel which contains Quail Lake, located adjacent to the Homewood Ski Area.

“All the participants are willing sellers,” said Mike LeFevre, planning officer for the forest service. “We don’t use imminent domain.”

The property’s use

The Forest Service is conducting a comprehensive resource analysis, cataloging wildlife, botany, cultural and historical resources before making decisions regarding the types of uses permitted on the Incline Lake property.

One of the largest, looming decisions facing the Forest Service is whether to refill Incline Lake or let it return to its natural state as a spacious mountain meadow.

“The forest service tends to opt for the more natural side of land management, but we are open to public input,” said LeFevre.

The public will have the opportunity to provide feedback regarding how the property should be used before final decisions are made, said Heck.

Some of the choices include if, and where, a trail system should be installed; whether to allow horses, mountain bikes, and snowmobiles on those trails; and how much signage should be installed on the property.

“The parcel provides links to the Tahoe Rim Trail and the Mt. Rose Wilderness area, where mountain bikes are not allowed,” said Gabor. “So the question becomes if we allow mountain biking on this property, does that encourage infringement onto other adjacent properties.”

“Regardless of ongoing litigation or questions of permitted use, the bottom line is that this property is open to the public right now for non-motorized use,” said Heck.