What runs deeper than Lake Tahoe? Our desire to preserve it.
Firefighters are bravely battling the Mosquito Fire, which continues to burn in the Tahoe National Forest. More than 11,000 residents of Placer County and El Dorado County are under evacuation orders. In Tahoe, smoke from the fire continues to impact air quality.
Here’s a round-up of resources to help you stay informed about the fire itself, evacuation orders, air quality, and closures.
Mosquito Fire Incident Reports
Air Quality/Smoke
Evacuation Maps
U.S. Forest Closures
Relief Fund
On the eve of the 26th annual Lake Tahoe Summit, Tahoe Fund supporters, friends and elected officials gathered for an evening of cocktails in celebration of Lake Tahoe.
Guests had the opportunity to hear directly from US Senator Jacky Rosen, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak, Secretary Wade Crowfoot, and NV Energy President and CEO Doug Cannon. The event was sponsored by NV Energy and featured wines from axr Napa Valley.
Photos by Hannah Pence are now available on Flickr and Facebook for all to see. Please feel free to share your favorites and tag @TahoeFund!
Tahoe Nature For All Program will provide guided outdoor experiences for hundreds of local youth and adults, thanks to support from Tahoe Fund and Palisades Tahoe
To provide opportunities for underserved community members of all ages to connect with nature, the Tahoe Fund has partnered with the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS) to bring a new pilot program to life. Aligned with the State of California’s Outdoor Access for All initiative, the Tahoe’s Nature for All program will provide immersive experiences to hundreds of people who do not currently have access to the outdoors.
“It’s easy to assume that those who live in close proximity to Tahoe’s trails and recreation activities have the same level of access as everyone else. Unfortunately, that couldn’t be further from the truth,” said Cory Ritchie, Tahoe Fund board chair. “By funding the Tahoe Nature for All program, our hope is that more people in our community will be able to experience the benefits of Tahoe’s natural beauty.”
Part of the funding provided by the Tahoe Fund for TINS’ Tahoe Nature for All program comes from Palisades Tahoe. The resort participates in the $1 for Tahoe program, which allows guests to support conservation, recreation, and stewardship education throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin and the Truckee River Watershed through their purchase of lift tickets and season passes. This year, these contributions from Palisades Tahoe will be earmarked for the Tahoe Nature for All program. In addition to their financial support, Palisades Tahoe will also host one of the nature experiences at High Camp in late August.
“Our employees and our guests are passionate about doing all we can to inspire others to enjoy the outdoors. We realize the value that comes from connecting with nature not only for an individual’s own personal well-being, but for that of the greater community,” said Dee Byrne, president and COO of Palisades Tahoe. “Supporting this effort is a meaningful way to put funds raised through our guest donation program to work.”
In the inaugural year of the program, the experts at Tahoe Institute for Natural Science will provide free nature experience programs in partnership with four nonprofit and educational partner organizations. This includes:
“We wish to serve as many people as possible through connections with both nature and each other, as it encourages everyone involved to improve our community and to be good stewards of our natural resources,” said Will Richardson, TINS co-founder and executive director. “Our hope is that the success of these programs will result in the opportunity to partner with additional community-focused organizations, break down past barriers to our programming, and reach additional sectors of our community in the future.”
Wildfires are burning hotter, faster and larger than ever before. Improving ailing forest health and preventing catastrophic wildfire is dependent upon a robust and specially trained Forestry workforce.
Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) is launching a new Forestry Education & Job Placement Program to prepare students for careers in this currently understaffed field. To incentivize participation and expand access to this new program, the Tahoe Fund will provide a scholarship to every student enrolled in its inaugural year.
Over the next five years, forestry management occupations are projected to have more than 200 annual job openings in the greater Sacramento region alone. Approximately 76% of these jobs will be for middle- and high-skilled occupations. California community colleges like LTCC are a big part of the plan to prepare this crucial workforce of the future.
“The Tahoe Fund’s top priority is forest health, and one of our greatest needs is getting more skilled professionals into our forests,” explained Tahoe Fund Board Member John Jones. “By providing scholarships for every student in LTCC’s new Forestry program, we are one step closer to strengthening this understaffed workforce that will make our forests healthier and help prevent wildfires.”
Beginning this fall, LTCC’s Forestry Education & Job Placement Program will teach students how to assist with forest management, planning, and implementation work. Participants can earn an Associate of Science degree along with several other certificates and industry-recognized credentials. Upon completion of the program, students will be prepared for employment with local, state, and federal natural resource agencies.
The Tahoe Fund will provide $1,000 scholarships for each and every student majoring in the new program. In order to receive this free funding, which will cover the majority of tuition, students must be registered in a minimum of five units per quarter of related coursework and maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average (GPA).
“LTCC is focused on providing students with an affordable path to college completion,” said LTCC Superintendent/President Jeff DeFranco. “These scholarships, combined with our Promise program, financial aid, and other programs, will help Forestry and Fire students graduate and move directly into employment in the field with little to no college debt.”
LTCC Forestry program graduates will be prepared for careers with Tahoe-based employers, including CAL FIRE, the USDA Forest Service, the California Tahoe Conservancy, the Tahoe Resource Conservation District, private forestry contractors, and other agencies that are part of the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team.
To learn more about the program, and see how you can apply, click here.
To support the Tahoe Fund’s forest health work, click here.
Sponsored by Tahoe Heartbeat & Tahoe Blue Vodka, this Eco-Friendly Live Music Event is coming to South Lake Tahoe on Aug 20
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (July 14, 2022) –The inaugural Tahoe Heartbeat Festival, an exciting eco-friendly live music event benefiting the Tahoe Fund is taking place on Saturday, August 20, 2022, in South Lake Tahoe. Sponsored by Tahoe Heartbeat and Tahoe Blue Vodka, the family-friendly one-day outdoor musical event offers a diverse and dynamic line-up of entertaining live performances by talented bands and musicians that include Thievery Corporation (electronic duo), Trevor Hall (roots, folk & reggae), Ozomatli (Latin, hip hop & rock), Arden Park Roots (surf, rock & reggae), and more to be announced. Taking place on the Community Playfields at Lake Tahoe Community College and starting at 2 p.m., the live music event will also include a vendor village along with food & beverage trucks.
In collaboration with Tahoe Blue Vodka and the Tahoe Fund, the live music festival is presented by Good Vibez and PRentertainment. Tahoe Blue Vodka is the official cocktail sponsor and donating 100 percent of its proceeds from the event to the Tahoe Fund.
“From day one, Tahoe Blue Vodka has been committed to supporting environmental organizations such as the Tahoe Fund that are focused on lake clarity, outdoor recreation, bike trails, conservation and stewardship in Lake Tahoe,” said Matt Levitt, Founder of Tahoe Blue Vodka. “The Tahoe Heartbeat Festival offers a fresh new way we can connect with Northern Californians, raise awareness about the importance of protecting the magnificent Lake Tahoe area, and further our efforts to give back to the community we so proudly serve.”
Along with parent company Tahoe Spirits, Inc., Tahoe Blue Vodka has donated more than $200K of its proceeds to organizations that work to protect Lake Tahoe and its surrounding environment.
Tickets for the inaugural Tahoe Heartbeat Festival are on sale now. For more information about the inaugural live music event and/or to purchase tickets, please visit www.tahoeheartbeatfestival.com. For more information about Tahoe Heartbeat, please visit www.tahoeheartbeat.com, and for more about Tahoe Blue Vodka, please visit www.tahoebluevodka.com.
About Tahoe Fund
The Tahoe Fund is a nonprofit founded in 2010 to support environmental improvement projects that restore lake clarity, enhance sustainable recreation, promote healthier forests, improve transportation, and inspire greater stewardship of the region. Through the generous support of its donors, the Tahoe Fund has leveraged more than $10 million in private funds to secure more than $60 million in public funds for more than 60 environmental projects. The projects include new sections of the Lake Tahoe Bikeway, restoration of watersheds, removal of aquatic invasive species, forest health projects, new hiking trails, and stewardship programs. Learn more at www.tahoefund.org.
About Tahoe Blue Vodka
Tahoe Blue Vodka was founded in 2012 by local entrepreneur Matt Levitt. The award-winning taste combines pristine Tahoe sourced water with a blend of grapes, corn and sugarcane for clean, gluten-free, crisp taste and smooth finish. Tahoe Blue Vodka has won over 25 prestigious awards at the highest regarded spirits tasting competitions. Through its parent company, Tahoe Spirits, Inc., Tahoe Blue Vodka has donated over $200K of its proceeds to organizations that work to protect Lake Tahoe and its surrounding environment. Tahoe Blue Vodka is available in stores throughout Reno/Tahoe/Northern Nevada, Sacramento, San Francisco and will soon be available in Southern California. For more information about Tahoe Blue Vodka, please visit www.tahoebluevodka.com.
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