Invasive Plant Barrier Installation Complete at Popular South Shore Marsh

Invasive Plant Barrier Installation Complete at Popular South Shore Marsh

INTERAGENCY NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Victoria Ortiz, 775-589-5251 or Lisa Herron, 530-721-3898
For Immediate Release September 6, 2023

Invasive Plant Barrier Installation Complete at Popular South Shore Marsh

Public reminded to stay out of fenced areas

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Agencies restoring the Taylor and Tallac marsh areas have completed the installation of bottom barriers to remove 17 acres of invasive plants as part of the comprehensive restoration of one of the last natural wetlands in the Lake Tahoe Basin, the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) announced today. The collaborative project that began in December 2021 is one of the largest aquatic invasive species control projects ever undertaken in the Tahoe Basin.

“We’ve appreciated the public’s patience and cooperation as our contractors have been installing the barriers the last couple of years,” said Sarah Muskopf, aquatic biologist with the LTBMU. “Unfortunately, these marshes are infested with aquatic invasive species that threaten the ecosystem, and installing these barriers is a critical first step in restoring the area.”

Crews have staked large tarps known as bottom barriers to the bottom of the marsh to starve invasive weeds such as Eurasian watermilfoil of sunlight. Bottom barriers are commonly used in the Tahoe Basin to control infestations. Laying the barriers followed significant prep work by agency staff and volunteers from the local youth group Generation Green and Blue Waters Exchange, a Forest Service program that brings young adults from California and Hawaii together to explore cultural and natural resource issues facing both states.

The tarps are expected to remain in place through 2026. Crews will be monitoring the area throughout the treatment to ensure the barriers remain in place.

The agencies say residents and visitors have a crucial role in the restoration as well. Success of the project requires staying away from bottom barriers and out of fenced areas. Ensuring boats, paddle craft, and water toys brought to Tahoe are Clean, Drained, and Dry will further reduce the threat of new invasive species. The public is also asked to share official information about the project with others and to send any questions to the project team by visiting https://eip.laketahoeinfo.org/Project/FactSheet/01.02.01.0034.

“This high-priority Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) project focuses on restoring ecological processes and functions while maintaining and enhancing existing recreational facilities and infrastructure,” said Dr. Kathleen McIntyre, TRPA’s EIP Department Manager. “It will provide improved habitat and restored ecosystem function while maintaining public access to a beloved area on the South Shore.”

Controlling invasive plants is the first phase in the larger, comprehensive Taylor and Tallac Creeks Restoration Project, according to the agencies. This multi-million-dollar project is part of the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program and is funded through the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, USDA Forest Service, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, as well as $100,000 in private contributions from the Tahoe Fund.

Learn more about the project at https://eip.laketahoeinfo.org/Project/FactSheet/01.02.01.0034.

Photo Caption: Agencies restoring the Taylor and Tallac marsh areas have completed the installation of bottom barriers to remove 17 acres of invasive plants as part of the comprehensive restoration of one of the last natural wetlands in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Photo credit: Lisa Herron, USDA Forest Service LTBMU

Photo Caption: The bottom barriers to remove invasive plants are expected to remain in place through 2026. Crews will be monitoring the area throughout the treatment to ensure the barriers remain in place. Photo credit: Lisa Herron, USDA Forest Service LTBMU

Lake Tahoe Summit Returns to Kings Beach August 9

Lake Tahoe Summit Returns to Kings Beach August 9

The 27th annual Lake Tahoe Summit will be held on August 9, 2023, at the Kings Beach Recreation Area from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

This year’s summit will highlight Tahoe’s Environmental Improvement Program, a successful bipartisan, bi-state collaboration among local, state, federal, and private entities. It will also examine the challenges that lie ahead in the face of climate change and increasingly unpredictable weather whiplash, as well as the growing demands on regional infrastructure.

U.S. Senator Alex Padilla of California is this year’s host and has been a key champion for Lake Tahoe in the U.S. Senate. In 2021, Padilla led the 25th annual Tahoe Summit and launched the first virtual exhibit to highlight the pioneering conservation work of the Lake Tahoe Summit.

WHEN: WEDNESDAY, August 9, 2023
WHO: California and Nevada Senators, Governors, and Congressmembers representing Lake Tahoe. Keynote address by House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. Open to the public.
PUBLIC REGISTRATION: Pre-registration is now closed. You can register at the event.
WHERE: Kings Beach State Recreation Area
SUMMIT PROGRAM: 27th Annual Lake Tahoe Summit Program: Sustainability and Stewardship in the Face of Climate Crisis

Here’s what you need to know for the event:

  1. There will be no on-site parking. Please use the free Summit shuttles from Tahoe City, Northstar, and Crystal Bay (details here), TART fixed-route buses, TART Connect, or walk or bike to the event. There will be a bicycle valet service courtesy of the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition.
  2. Registration opens at 9 a.m. at Kings Beach State Recreation Area. After you check-in, you can browse the booths of various Tahoe organizations before the program begins at 10 a.m. After the program, you will have time to enjoy the booths and local food trucks from noon to 2 p.m.
  3. The event will also be live-streamed on Vimeo for those who are not able to attend in person. You can watch the event here.

If you have any questions or would like to request ADA parking accommodations, please contact Senator Padilla’s office at 202-224-3553.

The annual gathering is a chance for locals, agencies, government, and others to come together to discuss ways to improve the Lake Tahoe basin.

The Lake Tahoe Summit is free and open to the public. Due to limited on-site parking, attendees are encouraged to use public transportation or the complimentary shuttle service to get to and from the summit. There will also be a bicycle valet service courtesy of the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition.

Protecting Tahoe’s Iconic Clarity In Changing Times

Protecting Tahoe’s Iconic Clarity In Changing Times

By Julie Regan

Julie Regan is Executive Director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

It feels like it was just a short time ago that this year’s mighty winter was still strong-arming Tahoe and the wet spring was keeping summer at bay. Now temperatures are climbing here and around the country like in Phoenix, Ariz. which earlier this week marked a record 19th straight day with heat over 110 degrees. On a different scale, climate change is impacting Lake Tahoe as well. Shoreline water temperatures hit 70 degrees this week and the lake’s average temperature is 1.4 degrees higher since 1970.

More extreme weather events like last winter’s historic storms are threatening water quality gains and underscoring the need to strengthen regional resilience.

Tahoe has no shortage of challenges. Achieving affordable housing, reducing wildfire risk, connecting Tahoe’s transportation system, and better managing recreation and tourism all require significant focus and attention, but safeguarding the health of the lake itself is a thread running throughout the Lake Tahoe Regional Plan and remains central to the work of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and our many partners.

While TRPA Regional Plan measures to limit development, manage growth, and protect and restore sensitive lands have helped stabilize lake clarity, climate change is driving emerging issues, the need for innovative science, and additional priorities for TRPA and the basin.

Stopping harmful practices that lead to a decline in clarity can only go so far. In 2010, basin partners brought forward a water quality restoration program called the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) to reverse the trend and restore Lake Tahoe’s lost clarity. The study identified fine sediment and two nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) that help algae grow as the main culprits and helped us establish reduction targets and strategies.

A recent 10-year interim report on the TMDL is promising for the lake and our region’s climate resilience. Through stormwater Best Management Practices and other improvements, basin property owners and public agencies achieved a 23 percent reduction in pollutants. Now 600,000 lbs. of fine sediment are being kept out of the lake every year. Researchers also reported lake clarity rebounded for a short time last year to the clearest it has been in 40 years.

Meanwhile, aquatic invasive weeds and smelly, sometimes harmful, outbreaks of algae are being reported in certain areas. In addition to invasive weed control projects underway, TRPA is looking to researchers and the Tahoe Science Advisory Council for answers to algae problems.

As we increase our understanding of algae growth and explore possible connections between native microorganisms and lake clarity, there is broad agreement in the science community that advancing Lake Tahoe’s innovative pollutant reduction strategies will remain foundational even as the ecosystem reacts to rising temperatures and more extreme weather events.

Adding to water quality challenges, the lake’s vast depth and size cause it to hold particles and pollutants for a long time—650 years or more. A recent report comparing the concentration of microplastics measured in Lake Tahoe to other lakes points to this long hold time as a possible factor in the study’s findings. While the authors point to the need for additional research to understand the source and character of microplastics in Tahoe, we will continue to fight against littered beaches and local sources of plastic trash to protect the health of the lake.

Unlike fine sediment and algae-feeding nutrients, litter doesn’t require a sophisticated filtration system. It requires changes in behavior, better infrastructure, and on-the-ground management. Recent bans on single-use plastics in the City of South Lake Tahoe are positive steps forward, as is the launch last month of the first-ever Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan to better manage outdoor recreation and tourism. While overall development and capacity in the Tahoe Basin are closely managed, hotter temperatures and growing population centers are making Lake Tahoe a climate refuge, with traffic into Tahoe sometimes doubling when temps rise to 100 degrees a few hours away.

I’d like to express a special thanks to the volunteers and organizations that helped clean up our beaches after the Fourth of July this year. The mind-blowing amount of trash removed by League to Save Lake Tahoe volunteers, the TRPA Blue Crew, and Clean Up The Lake at Zephyr Shoals was more than disheartening. We must continue working together to take care of Tahoe and bring greater education, infrastructure, and enforcement to recreation sites around our precious lake.

To learn more about climate resilience and our regional water quality initiatives, visit clarity.laketahoeinfo.org.

–Julie Regan is Executive Director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

18th Annual Tahoe Bike Month Draws Record Participants

18th Annual Tahoe Bike Month Draws Record Participants

Lake Tahoe wins from the long-running, friendly challenge and local events

 

Contact: Kira Smith, ksmith@trpa.gov, 775-589-5236
Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition: info@tahoebike.org

Stateline, NV – With a record number of participants this year, the 18th annual Tahoe Bike Challenge got more people than ever out of their cars to help improve Lake Tahoe’s environment and communities, according to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition who again teamed up to organize the basin-wide celebration through the month of June.

Additional bike, pedestrian, and transit improvements in the Tahoe Region come forward every year to help reduce reliance on the private automobile, increase safety, and improve Lake Tahoe’s air and water quality. Bike Month encourages more people to take advantage of the improvements and builds support for transportation and maintenance projects. Participants also track their rides, which creates a fun competition to see which individuals and teams can record the most rides.

Here is the recap:

A record 450 Tahoe residents and visitors signed up online, and even more participated in bike-friendly events throughout the month. Tahoe Bike Month participants made a combined 7,109 bike trips, racking up 52,789 miles and 3,749,683 vertical feet of elevation.

South Lake Tahoe kicked off Bike Month with the annual bike path cleanup organized by the League to Save Lake Tahoe and Clean Tahoe. The beginning of June also marked the return of Bike & Walk to School days with more than 400 North and South shore students riding bikes or walking to school.

Participants logged their trips and miles at tahoebikemonth.org during the month-long competition and were entered in weekly raffles for prizes donated by local businesses around the lake. Participants also competed for prizes, and glory, by recording the most rides, miles, elevation gain, biggest ride, and for riding every day in June, according to the organizers. Leaderboards can be viewed at tahoebike.org/bike-month-leaderboard.

TRPA and the Bike Coalition are also recognizing a handful of individuals who encouraged others by leading the pack:

Number of Rides – Tojo Moco (150 rides)
Elevation Gain – Jake Mann (73,648 vertical feet)
Distance – Jake Mann (1,221 miles)
Biggest Ride – Jess Latta (120 miles + 10,367 vertical feet)
Consecutive Days (all 30 days of June) – Tojo Moco, Miles Schulman, Daniel Bergman, Nick Speal, Jessica Wackenhut Lomeli, Rebecca Cremeen, John Hitchcock, Rose Hoffmann, Topher Lauria, Cormic Brennan, Natasha Buffo, Blair Davidson, Jason Ishii, Reeve Dunne, Druin Roberts, Michelle Glickert, Mason Bindl, Jeremy Benson, Harvey Mushman 95, Andrew Yeh, Katy Waldie, and Bye Tahoe.
Team Category – “Wheelie Wheelie Ridiculously Good Looking” won the challenge by earning 146 points over the course of the month.

“Bike month is such a fun and fulfilling way to start the summer and it inspired our team to bike instead of drive almost every day!” said Rose Hoffman, a team member with Wheelie Wheelie Ridiculously Good Looking. “The Tahoe bike paths are beautiful, but we experienced firsthand the need for safer bike infrastructure when one of our team members was the victim of a hit and run on Pioneer. We’re grateful to TRPA and the Tahoe Bike Coalition for sponsoring such an awesome event and hope it brings awareness and action for more bike-friendly development throughout the basin.”

In addition to the competition, residents and visitors gathered for over 20 bike-friendly events throughout June:

  • Over 80 Tahoe residents stopped by “bike kitchen” pop-ups to learn how to fix up and tune their bikes. The Bike Coalition and El Dorado County Library hosted the popups around the basin every Friday in June.
  • The Truckee community encouraged volunteers to bike for the 19th annual Truckee Day Cleanup event.
  • The 30th annual America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride around the lake returned.
  • Over 70 commuters stopped by Bicycle Coalition booths for donuts on their way to work.
  • Lake Tahoe Pride hosted the second annual Pride Bike Ride.
  • Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association again hosted the annual Mountain Bike Festival in Meyers.
  • The Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition closed the month-long challenge with its Bike Month Celebration Ride.

The 18th Annual Tahoe Bike Challenge was made possible by sponsors from Heavenly Epic Promise, the Tahoe Fund, Bike the West, Stio, Tahoe Gear Exchange, Shoreline Bikes, Fast Print, Empanash, Blue Granite Climbing Gym, Bare Roots Coffee Roasting Co., Shedcat Distillery, Tahoe Bear Tea House, Pine Nut Cycle Café, South Shore Bikes, Rose Street Studio, Beach Hut Deli, Clyde’s Coffee Roasting Company, Luna Lending, Gear Lab, Keep Tahoe Blue, the Hangar, Alibi Ale Works, the Town of Truckee, and the City of South Lake Tahoe.

Bike Month organizers say they hope to see people continue to bike, walk, and ride transit this summer. TRPA and its partners maintain a website dedicated to information about getting around Tahoe without driving at LinkingTahoe.com. An interactive bike map can be found at map.tahoebike.org and paper maps are available at bike shops and visitor centers throughout Tahoe and Truckee.

The Tahoe Bike Challenge will return in June 2024.

Image Caption: Bike Challenge riders volunteer in the annual bike path cleanup on South Shore to kick of the month-long event. Credit: Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition

Image Caption: Bike Month included more than 20 events throughout the region to celebrate cycling, including several “bike kitchen” pop-ups to teach people how to fix and tune their bikes. Credit: Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition

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The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency leads the cooperative effort to preserve, restore, and enhance the unique natural and human environment of the Lake Tahoe Region, while improving local communities, and people’s interactions with our irreplaceable environment.

 

The Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition works to make Tahoe more bicycle-friendly by providing the free Tahoe Bike Map, free and discounted bike racks, promoting bike safety, bike valet at events, and ongoing advocacy. Learn more at www.tahoebike.org.

Partnering for Destination Stewardship at Lake Tahoe

Partnering for Destination Stewardship at Lake Tahoe

By Amy Berry, Carol Chaplin, Tony Karwowski, Julie Regan, and Erick Walker

Lake Tahoe means many things to many people. It is at once the cultural home of the Washoe, a natural wonder, an expansive recreation area for residents and visitors, an economic center, and a collection of communities that share this giant blue gem with each other and the world. These meanings and the desires that come with them are often in balance, but tensions have been growing in the Tahoe Region.

Like many outdoor recreation communities, the pandemic exacerbated challenges that were already on the rise. Changes in Tahoe’s economy, rising interest in outdoor recreation, hotter temperatures and growing populations in areas within a short driving distance, and a crisis of affordable and workforce housing have necessitated urgent action.

These tensions and a desire to create a sustainable future for Tahoe have brought an unprecedented collaboration of organizations together for a new approach to recreation and tourism management in the region. Seventeen partner organizations, most of whom have been working together since before the COVID-19 pandemic, spent the past year-and-a-half collecting community and stakeholder input to create the first Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan to address the future of tourism and outdoor recreation. Earlier this week, these organizations gathered to sign an agreement forming the Destination Stewardship Council and setting the plan into action.

This partnership evolved around a simple vision and purpose: Lake Tahoe’s communities and economy are rooted in recreation and tourism, touching the lives of all who work, live, and play here. The region must come together to create a shared destination stewardship plan to ensure Tahoe remains a cherished place, welcoming to all, where people, communities, and nature benefit from a thriving tourism and outdoor recreation economy.

Under this vision, four main goals or pillars were developed to guide this work. The first is to foster a thriving tourism and recreation-based economy that gives back to the community by visibly improving quality of life and addressing community concerns. The second is to turn this shared vision into shared action by establishing Tahoe’s first destination stewardship council to collaboratively guide the actions of the plan. Third, the plan will advance a culture of caring for Tahoe. Throughout the community engagement process, it was crystal clear that the top priority for all stakeholders is taking care of Tahoe’s environment, and the plan will help the region develop an ethos of taking care to ensure recreation doesn’t impact communities and the environment.

The final pillar underpinning this work is to improve the Tahoe experience for all. Together, member organizations will improve infrastructure and visitor management, reduce litter, and support transportation and parking improvements, especially at recreation hotspots. Unified stewardship messaging will provide clear expectations for anyone using public lands and address unwanted behaviors.

It was important to ensure the plan was thoroughly grounded in the community’s vision. Collectively, public engagement sessions, discussion groups, in-depth interviews and a resident survey gave more than 3,900 Tahoe area residents and visitors opportunities to contribute direct input into this plan.

Lake Tahoe is not alone in these challenges. Before the pandemic, global tourism had become one of the world’s largest industries, supporting the livelihood of an estimated one in 10 people worldwide. Here in Tahoe, the visitor economy with a $5 billion impact has undeniable importance. Yet nearly 90 percent of the Tahoe Basin is public land where open and equitable access connects people with the outdoors and provides benefits that cannot be measured. To safeguard the Tahoe experience for all, we are committed to harnessing the visitor economy in ways that benefit the environment and quality of life.

This summer, visitors and residents at Tahoe will see destination stewardship program already at work. Key programs include Take Care ambassadors at recreation sites and trailheads, expanded litter clean-ups, solar compacting trash cans, and coordinated stewardship education campaigns focused on visitors and outdoor recreation users. In the immediate term, the focus will be on building the capacity of the destination stewardship council, including securing funding and staffing to facilitate implementation and communications of the plan.

Beyond our immediate actions, Lake Tahoe needs you. As the work of the plan unfolds, its success hinges upon the continued engagement and commitment of all stakeholders working together in pursuit of a shared vision for the Lake Tahoe Region. Everyone has a role to play taking care of Tahoe. Thank you for joining our efforts. Learn more about the Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan at stewardshiptahoe.org.

Amy Berry is CEO of the Tahoe Fund, Carol Chaplin is President and CEO of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, Tony Karwowski is President and CEO of the North Tahoe Community Alliance, Julie Regan is Executive Director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, and Erick Walker is Forest Supervisor for the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

Destination Stewardship Plan Launched

Destination Stewardship Plan Launched

Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan Introduced to Address Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Challenges

Lake Tahoe, CA/NV – An unprecedented group of Lake Tahoe destination management, land management, and non-profit organizations launched the Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan today with the signing of an agreement to create the first destination stewardship council for the greater Tahoe region. The plan outlines a comprehensive framework and sets in motion action priorities to better manage outdoor recreation and tourism and ensure the sustainability and preservation of an iconic natural treasure and its local community.

Speakers gathered at Roundill Pines Beach on the Southeast Shore. From left: TRPA Executive Director Julie Regan, Tahoe Fund CEO Amy Berry Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority President and CEO Carol Chaplin, North Tahoe Community Alliance President and CEO Tony Karwowski, and USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Forest Supervisor Erick Walker

Today’s event capped an extensive stakeholder engagement and community visioning process that began in 2022 after the community felt immense challenges initially brought on by COVID. The plan’s vision and actions were developed in collaboration with 17 regional organizations and participation of over 3,000 residents, visitors, and businesses through surveys, interviews, and workshops.

The Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan establishes a shared vision for the region’s recreation and tourism system: A cherished place, welcoming to all, where people, communities, and nature benefit from a thriving tourism and outdoor recreation economy. The plan identifies 32 actions across four strategic pillars:

  • Foster a tourism economy that gives back
  • Turn a shared vision into shared action
  • Advance a culture of caring for the greater Lake Tahoe region
  • Improve the Tahoe experience for all

By implementing this plan, member organizations, and Lake Tahoe communities will reinforce their commitment to responsible recreation and tourism practices, ensuring the continued enjoyment of this national treasure for generations to come.

“At its heart, this plan is about taking care of Tahoe for generations to come,” said Amy Berry, CEO of the Tahoe Fund. “With the entire region putting this strategy into action, we will be able to build a sustainable future for the Lake Tahoe environment that everyone can enjoy.”

“The launch of the Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan represents a significant step forward in preserving the natural beauty and cultural heritage of this beloved destination,” said Tony Karwowski, President and CEO of the North Tahoe Community Alliance. “It demonstrates the commitment and partnership of the local community, government agencies, and tourism industry to safeguard Lake Tahoe’s future.”

“This plan responds to the need to balance a robust tourism economy, a fragile environment and thriving local communities,” said Carol Chaplin, President and CEO of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. “And the collaboration and commitment by our lakewide partners to achieve that balance is extraordinary and powerful towards achieving our shared vision.”

“As the Tahoe region’s primary economic engine, tourism must be nurtured and shaped to support the wellbeing of its communities, visitors, businesses, natural environment, and cultures,” said Erick Walker, Forest Supervisor of the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Forest. “It is everyone’s responsibility to safeguard and improve Lake Tahoe and its surrounding lands, tributaries and forests. To protect the quality of the Tahoe experience, it is vital to manage use while providing opportunities for all to enjoy it.”

“The culmination of this plan and creation of Tahoe’s first destination stewardship council underscore the commitment we all share to a brighter future where the lake, our communities and visitors, and the backbone of our regional economy can thrive together,” Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Executive Director Julie Regan said. “The diverse makeup of our region has put Lake Tahoe on the forefront of collaborative conservation and today that spirit of partnership is taking us forward to be a model for sustainable recreation and tourism as well.”

Action Priorities

To implement the plan, partners agreed today to establish a Lake Tahoe Stewardship Council that will actively engage with stakeholders, residents, and visitors to foster a collective sense of responsibility towards the destination’s sustainability. The plan will be continuously reviewed, updated, and adapted to address emerging challenges and opportunities.

This summer, visitors and residents at Tahoe will see destination stewardship programs already working. Key programs include Take Care Ambassadors at recreation sites and trailheads, expanded litter clean ups, solar compacting trash cans, and coordinated stewardship education campaigns focused on visitors and outdoor recreation users.

For more information about the Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan and to access the full plan document, please visit www.stewardshiptahoe.org.

The public can learn more about the plan at an upcoming online webinar on July 10 from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. or by signing up for the eNews on the website.

The plan was developed in collaboration with 17 regional organizations including the California Tahoe Conservancy, City of South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County, Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce, Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation, North Tahoe Community Alliance, Placer County, Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority, Tahoe Fund, Tahoe Prosperity Center, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Travel North Tahoe Nevada, USDA Forest Service – Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Visit Truckee-Tahoe, Washoe County, Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California.

Media can download the press conference video and additional assets here.

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The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency leads the cooperative effort to preserve, restore, and enhance the unique natural and human environment of the Lake Tahoe Region, while improving local communities, and people’s interactions with our irreplaceable environment. For additional information, contact Jeff Cowen, Public Information Officer, at (775) 589-5278.