Blog - Tahoe Fund

FIRST OF ITS KIND DEFENSIBLE SPACE SOFTWARE BRINGS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ENTIRE TAHOE BASIN

May 29, 2024 by Caroline Waldman

Fire Aside Platform Offers Streamlined Defensible Space and Home Hardening Process In Time For Wildfire Season

With support from the Tahoe Fund and Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation, every local fire agency in the Tahoe Basin now has access to Fire Aside, a software platform that makes defensible space and home hardening evaluations significantly faster to carry out, and risk mitigation recommendations easier for residents to implement.

Fire Aside’s Defensible Space Evaluation software makes it easier for fire agencies and residents to conduct inspections by replacing manual forms and checklists with an interactive digital platform. Through the software, fire inspectors are able to share clear, actionable information with residents about their property, including photos of vulnerable items and associated risk levels. This helps residents receive information quickly and prioritize action items. It also helps fire agencies create home hardening prescriptions more efficiently, reducing over 50% of office hours that could be better spent in the field engaging with the community.

“The threat of catastrophic wildfire is always present in Tahoe, so it’s critical that we do everything possible to prepare our community—and that starts at home,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “We are excited to help bring a cost-effective, easy-to-use defensible space and home hardening solution like Fire Aside to every single fire district in the Tahoe basin.”

This basinwide expansion of the Fire Aside software follows a successful pilot in 2023 with the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District funded by Parasol Tahoe Community foundation, who expanded their funding to the rest of Nevada in 2024. A grant from the Tahoe Fund’s Smartest Forest Fund helped expand the software to the entire California side of Lake Tahoe.

“Funding for Fire Aside comes from our Tahoe Fire Safe Fund, which was set up to protect the people and properties of Tahoe,” said Claudia Andersen, CEO of Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation. “This is a great example of how philanthropy can step in and fill funding gaps to make Tahoe communities safer for everyone.”

Fire Aside has been successful in other regions, leading to a 5x increase in wildfire prevention actions among residents. In addition, over 81% of residents who used Fire Aside in 2023 credited the platform for motivating them to remove hazardous vegetation.

“We know that it’s not a matter of if there will be another fire in this area, but when,” said Fire Chief Scott Lindgren of Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District. “The Tahoe Fund and Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation partnership bridges private sector funding to local fire agencies, brings advanced technologies like Fire Aside software to residents, and is exactly the type of brain trust we need to take action where federal and state funding is not enough and insurers are fleeing our communities.”

To request a free defensible space inspection and home hardening evaluation, visit: tahoe.defensiblespacerequest.org.

For more information on preparing Tahoe’s communities for wildfire, visit www.tahoelivingwithfire.com.

TAHOE FUND INSTALLS NEW DONOR ENGRAVED BEARS IN TAHOE CITY’S HERITAGE PLAZA

May 16, 2024 by Caroline Waldman

Popular engraved bears have already raised more than $100,000 for North Lake Tahoe Trails

Twenty-five new engraved bears are now hanging from the railings in Tahoe City’s Heritage Plaza through a partnership with the Tahoe Fund, Placer County and the Tahoe City Public Utility District to raise money for trails in North Lake Tahoe. Since launching the new program this fall, more than $100,000 has been raised for trails through the generosity of private donors.

“The Tahoe City Bears program offers donors a unique opportunity to contribute to trails in North Lake Tahoe while leaving a visual reminder of their lasting legacy,” said Karolina Hedman, chief operations officer for the Tahoe Fund. “We’re thrilled with the success of the program and want people to know there are still opportunities to purchase and personalize their own bear plaque.”

The engraved bears, originally available along the popular Tahoe East Shore Trail, have been embraced by those who love Tahoe and want a way to memorialize their investment and commitment to improving the Tahoe environment for all to enjoy. Bears were chosen for this location to celebrate the proximity to the iconic Penny Bear statue in Heritage Plaza.

“Partnerships like this with the Tahoe Fund not only help bring important trail projects to fruition, they demonstrate the value our community places on projects that enhance the Tahoe experience for all,” said Cindy Gustafson, Placer County District 5 Supervisor.

The bear plaques are available in two sizes. For $5,000, the Mama Bear plaque measures 13” tall x 20” wide and has space for a 40-45 character message. For $2,500, the Baby Bear plaque measures 8” tall x 12” wide and has space for a 20-25 character message.

For more information and to purchase a Tahoe City bear plaque, visit https://www.tahoefund.org/projects/active-projects/tahoe-city-bear-plaques/.

The Tahoe Fund also offers engraved trout plaques and bear pavers along the East Shore Trail, a three-mile paved path from Incline Village to Sand Harbor. To learn more, visit https://www.tahoefund.org/projects/active-projects/tahoe-east-shore-trail/.

Introducing the Tahoe Fund’s Project Portfolio 2023-2024

May 8, 2024 by Caroline Waldman

The Tahoe Fund is powered by philanthropy—your philanthropy. Your generosity made a
tremendous impact this past fiscal year, which came to a close on March 31, 2024.

Thanks to the unwavering support of our Stewardship Circle members and more than 1,500
donors, we awarded nearly $1.4 million to 50-plus projects, and helped leverage $40 million
in public funds. Together with over 30 partners, we made significant progress on improving
the Lake Tahoe environment for all to enjoy.

In March, we joined forces with a handful of other Tahoe organizations to provide critical
funding for the California Tahoe Conservancy’s acquisition of the Motel 6 property and
surrounding 31 acres within the Upper Truckee River watershed. This made way for what
will become one of the most important restoration projects in Lake Tahoe’s history.

In December, we celebrated the opening of the new sawmill in Carson City, alongside Tahoe
Forest Products and the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California. Through a grant from our
Smartest Forest Fund and support from key public and private partners, we introduced the
Tahoe-Truckee region to BurnBot’s suite of remote-operated tools that will help remove
excess fuel from our forests.

Construction has begun on new parking lots along State Route 28, marking the first step toward
expanding the East Shore Trail. Over the next several years, we will be working with our partners
to design, fund and build more off-highway parking and the next eight miles of path.

These are just some of the game-changing projects that are powered by your philanthropy.

As you read this project portfolio, know that all of this work was possible because of you.

Read our FY 2023-24 Project Portfolio.

TAHOE ARTESIAN WATER IS GIVING BACK TO TAHOE FUND WITH EVERY CASE

April 18, 2024 by Caroline Waldman

Every purchase of the brand’s still and sparkling water will help improve the Tahoe environment for all to enjoy

Those who love Tahoe now have a refreshing way to give back to the environment. Starting this spring, Tahoe Artesian Water is donating $1 from every case of still or sparkling water sold through the Tahoe Fund’s $1 for Tahoe program.

“We love partnering with local companies that are passionate about the Tahoe environment,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “With plastic bottle bans taking effect in the Tahoe region, now is the perfect time to choose glass bottles or cans from Tahoe Artesian whenever you can’t get Tahoe tap!”

Tahoe Artesian Water is high quality, naturally alkaline and sustainable. Sourced from a family owned artesian well in the Sierra Nevada mountains, Tahoe Artesian Water spends decades being naturally filtered through the earthen layers of the mountains. It is bottled to order in Eco Glass high in the Tahoe National Forest.

“Our mission is to rebuild a connection between people and the source of their water, and to share our sacred resource,” said Cory Daiker and Simona Celante, co-founders of Tahoe Artesian Water. “Sustainability and stewardship are fundamental to our practices, so partnering with the Tahoe Fund to give back to the environment and community where we operate is a natural fit for us.”

Started to harness the passion of visitors and residents to help care for Tahoe’s extraordinary environment, participating businesses in the $1 for Tahoe program collect dollars from their guests through their purchases of lift tickets, hotel accommodations, food and drink, and other items.

Donations collected through the $1 for Tahoe program contribute to the Tahoe Fund’s efforts to improve the Lake Tahoe environment, including supporting hiking and biking trails, watershed restoration projects, environmental stewardship programs, open spaces for wildlife habitat and scenic views, and much more.

View Tahoe Artesian Water’s store locator for a list of locations to purchase, or buy online at tahoeartesian.com.

Learn more about the $1 for Tahoe program and the Tahoe Fund at www.tahoefund.org.

NORTHSTAR WOOD ENERGY FACILITY GETS $250,000 BOOST FROM TAHOE FUND & NORTHSTAR, HEAVENLY & KIRKWOOD THROUGH VAIL RESORTS EPICPROMISE

April 2, 2024 by Noah Shapiro

The Tahoe Fund and Vail Resorts today announced a contribution of $200,000 in support of the new Northstar Community Services District (NCSD) Wood Energy Facility. This grant is made possible by Vail Resorts’ guest donation program, which supports the Tahoe Fund. The Tahoe Fund is also contributing $50,000 from its Smartest Forest Fund to the facility, which will convert hazardous fuels from local forests into heat for the Village at Northstar.

Through Vail Resorts’ EpicPromise program and the Tahoe Fund’s $1 for Tahoe program, guests of Northstar, Kirkwood and Heavenly can add one dollar to their lift tickets, season passes, golf rounds, accommodations and more. Over the years, those dollars have made a significant impact on Tahoe’s environment.

“We are immensely grateful for the generosity of our guests who give back every time they ski or ride at our resorts here in the Lake Tahoe region,” said Amy Ohran, Vice President and General Manager of Northstar California Resort. “We are truly honored to make a contribution of this magnitude in service of a project that will help support forest health and protect our community from wildfire – and it’s made possible by our guests who have a love and passion for these beautiful mountains.”

The Tahoe Fund supports innovative projects that increase the pace and scale of forest restoration through its Smartest Forest Fund. NCSD’s new facility will advance those goals by creating a badly needed offtake solution for hazardous fuels. In doing so, it will help land managers meet treatment targets, reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, and improve forest health in the region.

This 6,000-square-foot facility will offer a local solution for excess woody material – such as underbrush, shrubs and dead trees – from overcrowded forests in the Tahoe-Truckee region. This material is normally piled and burned on the forest floor or trucked long distances to be processed outside of the region, producing greenhouse gasses that pollute the environment.

With the new facility, NCSD will be able to process this material locally, cutting emissions and costs associated with using natural gas. In fact, the process will produce heat for 14 buildings in the Northstar community, meeting about 99% of the average thermal demand for those facilities and replacing approximately $700,000 in natural gas costs annually.

“The Tahoe Fund believes that NCSD’s new system will change the game for our forests,” explained Tahoe Fund Board Member John Jones. “Using state-of-the-art technology, NCSD will be putting wood waste to good use right here at home, while also making our forests healthier. We are so grateful to Vail Resorts and their guests for their tremendous support.”