Awards

Lake Spirit Awards

The Lake Spirit Awards recognize individuals in the community who show exceptional commitment to protecting Lake Tahoe. Lake Spirit Awardees exhibit not only a strong commitment to the Lake Tahoe environment but also model a spirit of collaboration and cooperation in their efforts. Multiple recipients from around the region will be selected in each category.

• Exemplary Citizen
• Agency Representative/Environmental Scientist
• Lifetime Achievement

2025 Lake Spirit Awards Recipients

Citizen Category

Tim Kosier

Nominated by numerous peers, Tim Kosier is recognized for his outstanding commitment to Lake Tahoe and its surrounding communities. Through his involvement with the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, Sierra Watershed Education Partnerships, and the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science, he has spent over a decade inspiring curiosity and fostering a love of science in the next generation of Tahoe stewards. Peers describe Tim’s passion as contagious, his energy as tireless, and his leadership as truly inspiring—qualities that make him a deserving recipient of the Lake Spirit Award.

Citizen Lake Spirit Award recipient Tim Kosier explores the science behind Lake Tahoe’s protection with visitors to the Tahoe Center for Environmental Science. Credit: UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center

Sydney Morrow

As a Glenbrook HOA Director and FireWise Coordinator, Sydney Morrow has shown exceptional leadership in protecting Lake Tahoe from wildfire risk. She led a large-scale tree-thinning project that has removed roughly 450 hazardous trees on Tahoe’s East Shore, reducing wildfire danger and strengthening community resilience. And earlier this year, Sydney helped organize a National Lieutenant Governor’s Conference to demonstrate the effectiveness of the BurnBot—which utilizes technology for wildfire fuels mitigation. It shined a light on Tahoe as a national model, mobilizing technology and collaboration for effective fire preparedness. Her collaborative spirit, persistence, and foresight have set an example for how local action can protect both neighbors and Tahoe’s environment.

Citizen Lake Spirit Award recipient Sydney Morrow, Glenbrook Homeowners Association Director and FireWise Coordinator.

Agency Representative / Environmental Scientist Category

Tom Berndt

Recognized by his peers as a dedicated Tahoe steward, Tom Berndt has been instrumental in advancing the Roving Inspector Program within the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Program. Implemented in partnership between the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the Tahoe Resource Conservation District, the program places roving inspectors around Tahoe’s shoreline to raise awareness about the serious threat aquatic invasive species pose to Lake Tahoe’s ecosystem. By educating beachgoers and non-motorized paddlers on how to Clean, Drain, and Dry their watercraft and equipment, Tom is helping promote the most effective way to prevent their spread.

As Lead Roving Inspector, his expertise, enthusiasm, and ability to connect with the community have strengthened public trust and inspired collective action to protect Tahoe’s watershed.

Agency Representative Lake Spirit Award recipient Tom Berndt, roving invasive species inspector with the Tahoe Resource Conservation District. Credit: Clean Up The Lake

Kirstin Guinn

As Director of Marketing for the North Tahoe Community Alliance, Kirstin Guinn has led innovative campaigns that champion stewardship, support local businesses, and protect the Lake Tahoe environment. She also drives communications for the Destination Stewardship Council, guiding efforts that educate visitors on how to be good neighbors and responsible guests. Beyond her professional work, Kirstin is deeply involved in the North Lake Tahoe community, volunteering with youth sports and local initiatives. Her passion for her people and the lake reflects a steadfast commitment to balancing visitation, community well-being, and environmental preservation.

Agency Representative Lake Spirit Award recipient Kirstin Guinn, Marketing Director for North Tahoe Community Alliance.

Lifetime Achievement Category

Jim Baetge

Jim Baetge’s leadership has left an enduring mark on Lake Tahoe. Having served as former Executive Director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency from 1994-2000, his lifelong dedication is deeply woven into the health of the lake. It was under Jim’s leadership that TRPA spearheaded the ban on carbureted two-stroke boat engines, cutting polluting gasoline compounds in the water by 90 percent—a landmark achievement for water quality. And Jim was also the visionary of the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program, laying the foundation for decades of collaborative restoration surpassing more than $3 billion in investments to date. The EIP is now heralded as one of the most successful landscape-scale, public-private conservation initiatives in the United States. His vision, integrity, and unwavering dedication will continue to shape the Tahoe Basin far into the future.

Lifetime Achievement Lake Spirit Award recipient Jim Baetge, former Executive Director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, 1994-2002.

We look forward to your nominations in 2027.

Questions? Contact Thea Schwartz at tschwartz@trpa.gov or (775) 589-5251.

Best in Basin Awards

Nominations for 2024-2025 are now open and will close 5:00 p.m. May 1, 2026.

Nominate a project here.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Best in Basin Awards program showcases projects, programs, and actions around Lake Tahoe that demonstrate exceptional planning, implementation, and compatibility with Tahoe’s natural environment and communities. The program runs ever two years and alternates every other year with the Lake Spirit Awards. Nominated projects need to have been completed in 2024 or 2025. Nominated programs and actions need to have been initiated and evaluated for initial results in 2024 or 2025. The Best in Basin nominations are evaluated by a team of judges from the public and private sectors the following spring when project sites can be viewed without snow. Those award winners will be determined in September, 2026. If it is a TRPA-permitted project, the final inspection must have been complete and/or the security returned to be nominated.

Nomination categories are:

• Water Quality, Scenic Improvement, and Watershed Restoration
  Ex: Residential or commercial projects, environmental redevelopment, aquatic invasive species management, stream restoration
• Climate Resilience and Sustainability
  Ex: Electric vehicle charging, alternative energy, single-use plastic reduction
• Affordable Housing and Community Revitalization
  Ex: Deed-restricted workforce housing, walkability improvements, Complete Streets projects
• Transportation and Sustainable Recreation
  Ex: Microtransit, multi-use pathways, parking management, litter cleanups
• Forest Health and Defensible Space
  Home hardening, Fire Adapted Communities, forest fuel reduction, water infrastructure for firefighting
• Science and Innovation
  Ex: Robotic cleanups, microplastics research, aquatic invasive species pilot projects

Nominations will be evaluated by a panel of TRPA staff, partner agency staff, and/or local experts.

If you know of individuals in the community who deserve to be recognized for exceptional commitment to protecting Lake Tahoe, the Lake Spirit Award nominations are open as well.

Questions? Contact Jeff Cowen at jcowen@trpa.gov or (775) 589-5278.