The Sugar Pine Foundation

Over the last 15 years, TTCF and our donors have distributed more than $60,000 to SPF.  In addition, a gift in honor of the Martis Fund has been given in celebration of TTCF’s 15 Year Anniversary.

The Sugar Pine Foundation (SPF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring sugar pines and other white pines in the Lake Tahoe region. Since 2004 SPF has involved volunteers in hands-on forest stewardship, educating local communities about the importance of conserving native species and people’s role in enhancing forest health.

Sugar pines are known as the most princely of pines with the longest cones. They used to be 25% of the Sierra mixed conifer forest but now they are less than 5% due to logging, fire suppression and a non-native invasive fungus. The Sugar Pine Foundation has worked with the USFS to identify 65 sugar pine and 2 western white seed trees in the Tahoe area resistant to blister rust.  Since 2008, SPF plants about 10,000 trees per year with the help of its partners and over 500 students and community members.