The Tahoe Daily Tribune says the Truckee Donner Land Trust is $1 million closer to purchasing more than 500 acres in Martis Valley. The funds are an advance from East West Partners based on a real estate transfer fee agreement made between developers and local environmental groups more than a year and a half ago in order to protect open space in Martis Valley. The money , which came from Northstar's Highlands project, is the first of other real estate transfer fees that will continue to contribute to the protection of open space in Martis Valley in the future .One half of a percent of each sale of a condo or townhome on the Northstar project, known as a transfer fee, will go to the land trust to buy land in and around the Martis Valley. The land trust is expected to receive close to $30 million over the next 25 years from East West Partners' transfer fee agreements, including Northstar and Truckee developments Old Greenwood and Gray's Crossing. Read full article by Sierra Countis.