On behalf of Senator Cortez Masto, we are pleased to invite you to the first-ever virtual and 24th annual Lake Tahoe Summit on August 25, 2020. This year’s Summit keynote speaker will be Nevada native and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist David Wise.

Click on this link or the picture below to register for the 2020 Lake Tahoe Virtual Summit!

Educational campaign works to create a balance between recreational uses and wildlife protection

TAHOE CITY, Calif. (Aug. 17, 2020) – Lake Tahoe organizations working to harmonize wildlife protection and responsible recreation reported today a successful effort to protect fledgling peregrine falcons while still allowing access to popular hiking and climbing routes near the birds’ nesting sites. For the second year in a row, young peregrine falcons successfully left their nest at Castle Rock. 

“The goal of this collaborative is to learn more about how the pair of falcons respond to different types of human presence so we can better tailor our management. This approach allows us to take the proper actions to protect the future of these birds while keeping the area open. We want to keep it open but encourage people to be mindful of what they’re doing and to be smart about how they’re recreating in the area,” said Stephanie Coppeto, wildlife biologist at the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. “We’re thrilled that our collaboration has been able to increase public awareness and we appreciate the public’s cooperation in adhering to the signs and protecting these birds and their young.”

The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), Nevada Department of Wildlife, California Tahoe Conservancy, Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS), and Sierra Ecotone Solutions have monitored peregrine falcons as a special interest species dating back to 2009. Over the years of monitoring, falcon populations increased and expanded to new areas of the Basin like Castle Rock. Located in the southeast region of Lake Tahoe near Kingsbury Grade, the granite outcrop is an ideal nesting spot for the special bird. However, with excellent views of the lake, its popularity among climbers and hikers presented a new challenge for the raptors.

The Castle Rock nest successfully fledged for several years until 2017, when it failed for the first observed occurrence. That year, construction began at the trailhead to expand the parking lot, attracting more people to hike and climb and come in close contact with the falcons. The exact reason the nest failed however, is unknown due to the myriad obstacles the birds must overcome before leaving the nest.

The following year, the collaboration brought on another partner, the Tahoe Climbing Coalition, who worked with the organizations to inform the climbing community to avoid routes closest to the nesting site. The climbing community obeyed these requests, but for the second year in a row the nest failed. 

Things changed in 2019 when the collaboration conducted an experiment with staff who were monitoring the nests. They sent volunteers up the climbing and hiking routes nearest the nests while observing the falcons’ behavior. They discovered that hikers caused more distress than the climbers when they traveled above the birds’ nests. The question became:  how do you protect the birds from disturbance and ensure compliance from hikers who frequented the area? 

The solution was to educate hikers about the impacts their actions have on the young birds with signage along the many trails at the site. The Tahoe Rim Trail Association (TRTA) helped place signs requesting hikers not to summit Castle Rock until the birds have fledged. In addition, the Climbing Coalition’s influence among the climbing community helped encourage climbers to select other routes during the nesting season for the sake of the birds.

This spring and summer, as COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders drove people to spend more time outdoors, TINS noticed an immediate impact on the falcons when hikers returned to where they were nesting. The group was alerted and the partners sprang into action. The TRPA printed signs and installed them on the trail, and the nonprofit Tahoe Fund jumped in to help pay for the continuation of the monitoring by TINS. Normally, each partner contributes several monitoring visits per season to this unique site, but with COVID most of the partners were not able to get into the field during the critical spring months. With the support of the Tahoe Fund, TINS was able to keep the monitoring schedule on track and remove the signs as soon as the young fledged.

“Lifting the closure once it’s no longer needed each year gains the confidence of the hikers and climbers using the area, building trust that these voluntary closures are not arbitrary, which in turn leads to better compliance and better outcomes for the birds,” said Will Richardson, executive director of Tahoe Institute for Natural Science. “This was the first year they raised triplets!”

Trail improvement project will enhance trail user experience and reduce environmental impacts to Lake Tahoe

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. (Aug. 11, 2020) – A $45,000 grant from the Tahoe Fund has allowed the nonprofit Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association (TAMBA) to begin a trail improvement project that will reconstruct sections of the Upper Tyrolian Trail in Incline Village. The project is designed to enhance the user experience, make critical trail connections, rehabilitate and restore old logging roads to reduce erosion and improve lake clarity. It is expected to be completed by the end of October 2020

In partnership with the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, TAMBA’s intention is to improve the existing trail conditions and establish a dedicated mountain-bike focused connection to the Tyrolian Downhill Trail. TAMBA has contracted with local professional freeride mountain bike athlete Cam Zink’s nonprofit trail building company, Sensus R.A.D. Trails, to convert old logging roads into nearly two miles of sustainable singletrack trail that will connect the existing Tyrolian Downhill Trail to the Mount Rose Highway at Tahoe Meadows. 

A new upper section of the trail will provide an official start trailhead with improved signage, and reduce mountain bike traffic on the Tahoe Rim Trail. The current Tyrolian Downhill Trail will not be closed during construction. To avoid slowing construction down, TAMBA asks that rider stay off the new trail until it has been completed. 

“TAMBA has established themselves as an organization committed to building sustainable trails in the Tahoe Basin,” said Allen Biaggi, Tahoe Fund board chair. “This project supports our effort to create expanded opportunities for sustainable recreation, while balancing the environmental initiatives of our region”. 

“The support provided by the Tahoe Fund is what has allowed this trail project with tremendous environmental benefits to move forward,” said Ben Fish, TAMBA president and board chair. “This project is a long time coming, and the Tahoe Fund’s mission is well-aligned with ours. Their contribution made it possible to bring a professional trail contractor to build the flow style upper trail, and decommission and restore the logging roads.” 

The first part of the Upper Tyrolian Trail will be built as a flowy singletrack trail that incorporates natural features to enhance the rider experience. After 0.75 miles, the trail will transition to one with professionally designed and built rollover, tabletops, step-ups, step-downs, and triple-options jumps that provide a unique and challenging experience for riders to practice and increase their skills. 

The second connection to be made is a 0.4-mile long realignment of the existing trail known as the Tyrolian Connector Trail that connects the Tahoe Rim Trail to the Upper Tyrolian Trail. A low-angle singletrack traverse will be created to join the proposed alignment of the new Upper Tyrolian Trail. The realignment will have beautiful panoramic views of Lake Tahoe and will avoid old, eroded, fall-line dirt roads. 

The trail project is still in need of $15,000 to be completed this year. Donors interested in supporting the project can contribute at tahoefund.org or tamba.org. Learn more about the Upper Tyrolian Trail project here. 

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – The Tahoe East Shore Trail will be temporarily closed to public access between the Tunnel Creek Café and Sand Harbor on Tuesday, August 4 (all day), and Wednesday, August 5 through Friday, August 7 (after 8:00 p.m.) for the initial phase of a community mural art project. The Tahoe Fund, Tahoe Public Art and Nevada State Parks collaborated to commission the mural to augment the natural beauty of the Tahoe East Shore Trail and transform a utilitarian tunnel into a community-involved, relevant art experience. “We are excited to be adding a community art project to one of Nevada’s most iconic State Parks,” said Robert Mergell, administrator for Nevada State Parks. “Our hope is that this unique art installation will inspire and connect with locals and visitors for generations to come.” In response to the call for artists earlier this year, 34 artists submitted proposals for the chance to paint the mural. The project scope required artists to involve local youth in the creation of the project and ensure its completion could be accomplished with minimal closure of the tunnel and trail. Submissions came from as far as the UK and Canada with the majority coming from local and regional artists. Tyler Rivenbark and Frida Ticehurst-Rivenbark, a husband and wife art and design duo based in North Lake Tahoe, were selected to paint their mural concept by a panel of judges. Raley’s is providing a $5,000 stipend to the artists and Kelly Brothers Painting will donate all of the paint required for the mural. “Our intent with this art piece is to convey the natural beauty of this region,” said Tyler and Frida. “We want to remind people of the gift we all share by living in or visiting this region, amplifying the sense of belonging, and encouraging participation in keeping this place beautiful and full of enjoyment.” A physically distanced ribbon-cutting celebration is planned for when the tunnel art project is complete, which is anticipated to be sometime in mid August. Please note that access to Sand Harbor via the Tahoe East Shore Trail remains closed until further notice for COVID-19 health and safety precautions.

Todd Chapman Joins Tahoe Fund Board of Directors

TAHOE CITY, Calif. (July 21, 2020) – As the nonprofit Tahoe Fund celebrates 10 years of service in support of environmental projects in the Tahoe Basin, the organization’s board of directors gains new leadership with the naming of longtime board member Allen Biaggi as its new board chair, and the addition of Todd Chapman to its board of directors.

During his tenure with the State of Nevada, Biaggi served on numerous boards and commissions including the Commission on Workplace Safety, the Governor’s Climate Change Committee and the State Petroleum Board. Most notably for the Lake Tahoe Basin, he served on the Bi-State Fire Commission in the wake of the Angora Fire and sat on the Governing Board of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency for six years, including three years as its chairman. He succeeds Katy Simon Holland as board chair, a role Holland held for two years. She will remain on the Tahoe Fund Board of Directors.

“It has been a pleasure to serve on the Tahoe Fund board for the past 10 years,” said Allen Biaggi, Tahoe Fund board chair. “I look forward to taking on this leadership role at a time where we are celebrating 10 years of success, while staying laser focused on the impact we want to have over the next 10 years.”

Todd Chapman, president and CEO of JMA Ventures, also joins the Tahoe Fund Board of Directors. Chapman has spent much of his life visiting Lake Tahoe and has deep ties to the region through JMA’s ownership of Homewood Mountain Resort and the West Shore Cafe. The company also recently completed construction of the new Soaring Ranch mixed use project anchored by a new Raley’s marketplace in Truckee, California. Mr. Chapman has also participated in other boards including The Bay Club Companies, Squaw Valley-Alpine Meadows, and Schools of the Sacred Heart in San Francisco, where he served as vice chair.  He earned his B.S. from Boston College, and Juris Doctorate from Santa Clara University.

“Todd is a great addition to our board of directors,” said Biaggi. “The experience he brings to the Tahoe Fund, and the passion he has for Lake Tahoe will be a tremendous asset to the organization and the environmental projects we continue to be focused on.”

The Tahoe Fund is a nonprofit organization that supports environmental improvement projects that restore lake clarity, expand sustainable recreation, promote healthier forests, improve transportation and inspire greater stewardship of the region. Learn more about the Tahoe Fund and its current and completed projects at www.tahoefund.org