The California Tahoe Conservancy recently awarded more than $2 million in grants for projects around Lake Tahoe.

The conservancy board awarded $900,000 to improve lakefront public access and recreation, including giving $650,000 to California State Parks to relocate and rebuild the pier at Kings Beach State Recreation Area.

Another $150,000 was awarded to the Sierra Business Council for outreach and education to paddlers using the Lake Tahoe Water Trail. And $100,000 was given to state parks to improve the Rubicon Trail and facilities near Vikingsholm at Emerald Bay State Park.

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The board also approved $676,000 for three grants to California State Parks, the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, and the Great Basin Institute to help reduce carbon emissions from forest restoration efforts. The grants will fund the transport of woody biomass from forest thinning projects for bioenergy, wood products, home-heating fuelwood, and other uses.

In South Lake Tahoe, a $425,000 grant was awarded to help plan the future of a 56-acre site, which will become a south shore hub of civic and recreation activity across Highway 50 from Lakeview Commons.

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“The 56-acre site is already a vibrant gathering place for community members and visitors alike, and it has the potential to be so much more,” said South Lake Tahoe City Council member and Conservancy Board member Tamara Wallace.

The conservancy’s grant builds upon its $6 million investment in 2010 to partner with South Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County to construct Lakeview Commons, the city’s local gathering area. The most recent grant will provide funding for the city to partner with the county and the local community to complete a master plan for the remaining areas of the 56-acre site. The site includes a campground by the lake, a recreation center, ice arena, library, and senior facilities. Future plans could include a new government center, a new recreation center, an outdoor music amphitheater, and additional lakefront improvements.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to build on the important collaborative work done in the mid-2000s by the city of South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County, and the conservancy,” said El Dorado Supervisor and Conservancy Board Chair Sue Novasel.