Blog - Tahoe Fund

TAHOE FUND LAUNCHES CALDOR TRAILS RESTORATION FUND

November 15, 2021 by tahoefund

After the Caldor Fire devastated some of Tahoe’s favorite trails, extensive restoration work is required

While firefighters were able to successfully keep the Caldor Fire from claiming homes and businesses in South Lake Tahoe, the fast moving wildfire laid waste to some of the region’s favorite trails. As the U.S. Forest Service, Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association (TAMBA) and the Tahoe Rim Trail Association continue to assess the extent of the damage, the nonprofit Tahoe Fund has launched the Caldor Trails Restoration Fund to aid in the extensive trail restoration work that will be required.

“Based on early assessments, there’s no question that there is going to be a lot of trail restoration work in our region’s future,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “We’ve pledged to our trail building partners that through the establishment of the Caldor Trails Restoration Fund, we will be ready to help support this important work as they are able to get crews out to rebuild some of Tahoe’s most beloved trails.”

“The most popular mountain bike trails in the South Lake Tahoe area sustained heavy damage from the Caldor Fire, including burned bridges, signs and trail retaining structures. Between damage from fire itself as well as from dozers constructing suppression lines, more than 15 miles of trail suffered damage in the Tahoe Basin,” said Patrick Parsel, TAMBA trails director. “Additionally, areas that burned hottest will be prone to increased damage from winter storms due to lack of vegetation and hydrophobic soils which can contribute to debris flows and landslides. We will need to rebuild the damaged infrastructure as well as mitigate the potential for increased runoff by installing erosion control measures.”

Trail builders anticipate there will be increased maintenance needs on these trails over the next 10 years as trees come down and stump/root holes collapse. Donations to the Caldor Trails Restoration Fund will be used to repair the diverse trails that provide experiences for hikers, mountain bikers and other recreational users. Trail restoration efforts will leverage innovative, sustainable designs to protect the environment and minimize climate change impacts.

Learn more about the Caldor Trails Restoration Fund here.

With the Final Push Underway, SCUBA Divers Have Already Removed 18,215 Pounds of Trash from Lake Tahoe

November 10, 2021 by tahoefund

Divers circumnavigating 72-miles of Lake Tahoe’s shoreline set their sights on the final stretch to complete trash recovery effort, a project made possible by a $100K donation from Tahoe Blue Vodka, 135 Tahoe Fund donors & other grant giving foundations

Despite a summer dive season filled with challenges, the SCUBA dive team that embarked on the effort to clean up Lake Tahoe is now well past the halfway point, having reached the west shore. The team has covered over 43.5 miles of shoreline since the clean-up effort began at Edgewood on Lake Tahoe’s south shore on May 14, and is bracing for a cold winter of diving with just over 28 miles to go until they reach the finish line. Led by the nonprofit Clean Up The Lake, the effort was made possible by a $100,000 matching donation from Tahoe Blue Vodka, contributions from more than 135 Tahoe Fund donors including Vail Resorts, and the Nevada Division of State Lands’ Lake Tahoe License Plate program and other local grant giving foundations.

Over the past six months, divers have recovered 21,091 pieces of trash, bringing the total weight removed to 18,215 pounds. Clean Up The Lake intends to collaborate with scientific institutions and environmental consultants to study the submerged litter to develop a better understanding of its impact on Lake Tahoe. Along the north and west shores, divers have recovered not only plastic bottles, cans and other “typical” trash, but a variety of unique items such as an engagement ring, a toy BB gun, a BBQ, poker chips, lawn chair, and an international drivers license.

“Since this effort began, our team of professional and volunteer divers have been in the water as much as possible. We’ve faced significant challenges including heavy winds, wildfire smoke, divers being evacuated from their homes due to the Caldor Fire, and record snowfall in October, yet we’re still ambitiously focused on the finish line,” said Colin West, Clean Up The Lake founder and executive director. “Although this effort has successfully removed a tremendous amount of trash from Lake Tahoe, all of us who have been diving to recover it hope the message it sends is louder–that we all need to do everything we can to prevent trash from getting into the lake to begin with.”

“At Tahoe Blue Vodka, we’re proud and honored to be the presenting sponsor of this unprecedented and meaningful underwater scuba clean-up of the entire 72-miles of Lake Tahoe,” said Matt Levitt, founder of Tahoe Blue Vodka. “With the finish line now in sight, we also want to share how incredibly impressed we are with the perseverance of the dedicated team of divers and volunteers determined to see the project through. Tahoe Blue is the only vodka in the world inspired by and crafted from waters of Lake Tahoe so we are thrilled to support efforts to keep the water pure and pristine.”

Divers will continue the clean-up throughout the winter as conditions allow, and expect to complete the effort in early 2022, weather and conditions permitting.

“When we agreed to support this project, we knew it was a unique opportunity to contribute to the health of Lake Tahoe. It continues to be amazing how much and what type of trash has been recovered,” said Allen Biaggi, Tahoe Fund board chair. “The importance of this work and the value it has to those who love Lake Tahoe was evident when so many individual and corporate donors stepped up to help. It wouldn’t have happened without them.”

The project was funded by contributions raised by the Tahoe Fund from more than 135 businesses and people who donated to the cause, including an initial $100,000 match offered by Tahoe Blue Vodka. Additional funding support came from Vail Resorts, the Nevada Division of State Lands Lake Tahoe License Plate program and other grant-giving foundations.

Learn more about the project here.

Superior Boat Sales and the Tahoe Fund Float New Donation Program

November 9, 2021 by tahoefund

A portion of every boat sale will be donated to support outdoor recreation

Superior Boat Repair and Sales, operating out of the Homewood High & Dry Marina on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe during the summer season and full time in Rancho Cordova, CA has pledged to donate a portion of all boat sales to the local nonprofit organization the Tahoe Fund.

“Giving back to our community is one of our core values,” said Bob Bense of Superior Boat. “An ongoing partnership with the Tahoe Fund helps us further our mission to support outdoor recreation.”

The Tahoe Fund is currently focused on building support for trail restoration through its Caldor Fire Trails Restoration Fund and the Tahoe Trails Endowment, which focuses on providing funding for annual trail work for trails around Tahoe.

Superior Boat and the Tahoe Fund first partnered this past summer to introduce the 2021 Nautique GS22E, the first all-electric powered towboat, to Tahoe Fund supporters.

Superior Boat Repair and Sales is also Tahoe’s local Barletta dealership. This partnership with the Tahoe Fund is part of a larger commitment by Barletta Boat’s Bill & Kristin Fenech Foundation to donate 1% of all wholesale shipments to charities that support outdoor recreation, health and human services, and community vibrancy.

“We are very grateful for this partnership with Superior Boat supporting our ongoing efforts to improve sustainable outdoor recreation in the Tahoe Basin,” said Tahoe Fund CEO Amy Berry. “Donations from local businesses like this make what we do possible.”

Free Sugar Pine Seedlings Available this Weekend! (October 29-31)

October 25, 2021 by tahoefund

Tahoe Environmental Research Center encourages Tahoe residents to plant the seeds of a healthier, more drought resilient forest in their own backyard

The UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center is offering free sugar pine seedlings to Tahoe residents October 29-31 as part of a restoration project funded by the Tahoe Fund and the California Tahoe Conservancy. The goal of the project is to establish a new generation of genetically diverse sugar pines that can withstand the threats of climate change, including drought and bark beetle outbreaks. By restoring native sugar pines to the area and increasing their genetic diversity, the overall forest will benefit.

Thriving sugar pines with their giant, foot-long cones, once covered a quarter of Lake Tahoe’s forests. Comstock Era logging devastated the population and now they are down to 5% or less. A significant share of their genetic diversity was also eliminated. Over the years, white pine blister rust, bark beetles and drought have impacted those that remain. Drought and bark-beetle infestation killed more than 129 million trees between 2012 and 2016 in the Sierra Nevada.

UC Davis biologist Patricia Maloney and a team of researchers collected seeds from 100 surviving sugar pine trees. These seeds were then used to grow more than 10,000 seedlings. Most of these were planted in the forest along the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. Two thousand seedlings are now available to Tahoe residents to plant in their own backyards.

Residents can pick up the sugar pine seedlings:

Fri October 29
2pm – 5pm

Sat & Sun October 30-31
11am – 2pm

Location:
Tahoe City Field Station
2400 Lake Forest Road
Tahoe City, CA

TAHOE FUND SUPPORTS ANOTHER SEASON OF SOS OUTREACH

October 19, 2021 by tahoefund

Grant will expand the outdoor youth program’s impact in Lake Tahoe

The Tahoe Fund is proud to announce it will continue its support of SOS Outreach, a nonprofit that provides opportunities for underserved youth to experience the outdoors while participating in a mentorship program that is designed to prepare them for life’s challenges. The Tahoe Fund’s support will expand the program’s impact in Lake Tahoe where more than 585 kids learn to ski and snowboard, learn leadership skills, and learn the importance of protecting the environment through service projects each year. In the summer months they participate in mountain biking, backpacking, and kayaking. Off the slopes, they engage in social service projects that help improve their local community.

Over the past 10 years, SOS programs have led to more kids graduating from high school, attending college, finding careers and giving back to their communities. In fact, 96% of SOS youth plan to attend college, and 61% return to mentor peers. Staff of the Tahoe Fund have also served as mentors in the program since 2017.

“At its core, our programs are meant to encourage a deep sense of belonging for underserved youth in our outdoor community,” said Heather Schwartz, North Lake Tahoe Program Manager. “Through positive mentorship and the power of community, our kids feel empowered to engage in service projects, learn leadership skills, and are mentally and emotionally equipped to handle all that life throws their way. What starts as just learning to ski or snowboard, soon transpires to tangible life skills that these kids will use for years. We’re incredibly thankful for the continued partnership of the Tahoe Fund and our community of supporters who make this work possible.”

“The SOS Outreach program supports the Tahoe Fund’s mission to use the power of philanthropy to improve the Lake Tahoe environment for all to enjoy,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “Making these outdoor opportunities available to the next generation is critical to the long term sustainability of special places like Lake Tahoe. It is also a wonderful opportunity for our staff to participate as mentors and see firsthand how impactful the program is.”

SOS Outreach is looking for positive adult mentors and volunteers! If you love to ski or snowboard and want to support local youth, this is your program. Reach out to Heather Schwartz, North Lake Tahoe Program Manager at hschwartz@sosoutreach.org.