Blog - Tahoe Fund

If It’s Your Dog, Then It’s Your Doody

April 22, 2015 by sdbx

Take Care campaign materials are now ready for download

LAKE TAHOE Calif. and Nev. – April 15, 2015 – Litter. Dog poop. Unsafe fires. Bear safety. These are just some of the issues impacting our region. Today, the Lake Tahoe Outreach Committee unveiled the Take Care™ campaign to help reduce these impacts and promote a more responsible use of our great outdoors.

The campaign was designed for use in outreach efforts by public agencies, private businesses and nonprofit organizations in the Region. Aimed at residents and visitors, the campaign is a series of reminders that poke fun at the mistakes we all make when we’re not paying attention.

The initial launch includes messages for the 2015 summer season: general litter, cigarette butts and beer bottle litter, dog waste, fire safety, bear awareness, and aquatic invasive species prevention. A Take Care Kit featuring the digital files for all of the messages is now available to download for free at takecaretahoe.org.

“We held a workshop in September 2013 with more than 60 regional stakeholders to address these issues,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO and member of the Lake Tahoe Outreach Committee. “We heard loud and clear that a unified stewardship brand was needed to bring the region together to elevate our messages and see the biggest impact. We are thrilled to finally make the materials available to our regional partners for use in their outreach efforts.”

“The campaign is really fun and so different than what we normally use,” said Madonna Dunbar, of the Incline Village General Improvement District and the Tahoe Water Suppliers Association. “We are excited to join the regional effort by using the Take Care campaign to help keep our beaches, parks and trails clean.”

“We picked up more than 2,300 pounds of litter from just six beaches after last year’s July 4^th holiday,” said Jesse Patterson, Deputy Director of the League to Save Lake Tahoe and member of the Lake Tahoe Outreach Committee. “It is our hope that the community will adopt this new campaign in time to see a dramatic difference this year.”

Take Care was developed by the Lake Tahoe Outreach Committee, which is comprised of the Tahoe Fund, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, League to Save Lake Tahoe, UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, Tahoe Resource Conservation District, and Tahoe Sustainability Collaborative.

Funding for Take Care was provided by Tahoe Fund, Martis Fund, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and Barton Health. The campaign was developed by the creative team of Meg Siegal and Nate Laver.

For more information please visit www.takecaretahoe.org

Public Invited to Aquatic Invasive Species Panel May 19th in Tahoe City

April 22, 2015 by sdbx

Experts to explain current control efforts and answer questions in face of drought

LAKE TAHOE Calif. and Nev. – April 13, 2015 – The Tahoe Fund and the Tahoe City Rotary invite the public to a panel discussion and dinner with local aquatic invasive species (AIS) experts to learn about current efforts to control the spread of aquatic invasive weeds at the Tahoe City Dam and down the Truckee River. The event will take place at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, May 19 at Moe’s Original BBQ in Tahoe City. Admission is free to attend the panel discussion. A BBQ buffet will be offered featuring Moe’s Original famous BBQ for $25 per person. Space is limited. Please RSVP to Patti Boxeth at pdboxeth@charter.net.

“With the drought conditions, many people have been asking how the lack of water at the Dam and down the Truckee River will impact efforts to remove non-native weeds,” said Amy Berry, CEO of the Tahoe Fund. “We thought it would be helpful to bring the experts together to share their thoughts and answer questions from the public.”

“The Rotary Club of Tahoe City, a group of community leaders, are proud to partner with the Tahoe Fund in this presentation to raise awareness of the AIS issue affecting the Truckee River and Lake around the Tahoe City Dam,” said Rotarian Patti Boxeth.

The panel will feature the following experts who have been working together to rid the Tahoe area of aquatic invasive species:
Dan Shaw, California State Parks
Dennis Zabaglo, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency
Nicole Cartwright, Tahoe Resource Conservation District
Sudeep Chandra, PhD, University of Nevada, Reno
Marion Wittmann, PhD, University of Nevada, Reno

Control efforts started in fall 2014 by installing benthic bottom barriers at the Tahoe City Dam and diver-assisted hand pulling downstream from the Dam. The entire project area, an approximately 3 mile stretch of river from the Dam to Alpine Meadows Road, was surveyed and is currently being analyzed to find out the entire extent of the infestation. This summer, Tahoe Resource Conservation District plans to continue removal techniques while considering low water levels and flow for site determination.

In addition to the Tahoe City Event, There is also an AIS Public Forum at the Lake Tahoe Golf Course in South Lake Tahoe on May 21st.

5th Annual Founders Circle Dinner- SOLD OUT

March 30, 2015 by sdbx

Please join us for the 5th Annual Founders Circle Dinner on August 23rd on the beach at Sand Harbor State Park. Enjoy a gourmet dinner on the white sands of Sand Harbor as we celebrate the extraordinary beauty of Lake Tahoe and our efforts to preserve it.

New Stewardship Circle donors will receive complimentary tickets to the event. For more information on becoming a Stewardship Circle donor or to be added to the invitation list, please email info@tahoefund.org.

Photo © ElizabethCarmel.com

Tahoe Fund Expands Board of Directors

February 9, 2015 by diana

Environmental Nonprofit Adds Kevin Marshall, Pete Sonntag and Julie Motamedi Teel

LAKE TAHOE Calif. and Nev. – Feb. 9, 2015 – The Tahoe Fund today announced the election of Kevin Marshall, Pete Sonntag and Julie Motamedi Teel to its board of directors. The three new members each bring a strong commitment and love of the Lake to their positions. They are charged with helping the organization expand its impact by growing support of environmental improvement projects that will restore and enhance the Tahoe environment.

“With these new board members we are adding even more resources to our already fantastic board of directors,” said Tim Cashman, Chair of the Board. “While each brings their own unique strengths to the organization, they all share a tremendous commitment to the Lake and a history of working hard to achieve goals.”

Marshall is the President of Clear Capital, based in the North Lake Tahoe and Reno region. As a major employer in North Lake Tahoe, Marshall is committed to preserving the mountain environment that he has called home since the late 1990s for his family and his employees.

Sonntag is the Chief Operating Officer of Heavenly Mountain Resort, owned by Vail Resorts, Inc. In the ski industry, he has an extraordinary 30-year track record of developing innovative on-mountain programming and delivering extraordinary guest experiences. He is excited to continue Vail’s commitment to the environment through active support of the Tahoe Fund.

Teel has been a corporate officer for Lakehouse Mall Property Management since 1998, and is a founding member of the Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation. She has a long history of volunteerism and service to the Tahoe community as a former member of the TRPA governing board, Tahoe Maritime Museum, and philanthropic supporter of various causes.

Founded in 2010, the Tahoe Fund is charged with inspiring the private community to support environmental improvement projects that will help restore lake clarity, improve outdoor recreation, and inspire greater stewardship in the region. Projects include new segments of the Lake Tahoe Bikeway; high priority watershed restoration projects such as the Blackwood Creek/Eagle Rock Trail restoration on the West Shore and the Incline/3^rd Creek Restoration on the North Shore; Aquatic Invasive Species projects to remove Asian clams and weeds from the Lake; and environmental improvements at Sand Harbor, Van-Sickle Bi-State Park and Washoe Meadows State Park.

Tahoe Fund Opens 2015 Environmental Project Request Process

November 10, 2014 by sdbx

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. and Nev. – November, 10, 2014 – The Tahoe Fund has issued a Request for Proposals to solicit environmental improvement projects in the Tahoe Basin that will restore lake clarity, improve outdoor recreation, and inspire environmental stewardship in the region. Projects that meet the qualifications of the RFP will be the focus of the organization’s fundraising efforts in 2015. Traditionally, the organization features 3-4 Signature Projects each year that are in need of a final source of funding in the range of $15,000 – $50,000.

“The private community has shown us that they are eager to support great projects,” said Amy Berry, CEO of the nonprofit Tahoe Fund, which raises money for environmental projects at Lake Tahoe. “We hope to find projects that will give our donors the chance to make a meaningful difference at Tahoe.”

The 2014 Tahoe Fund Signature Projects include Aquatic Invasive Weed Removal at the Tahoe City Dam, Aquatic Invasive Weed Removal at Ski Run Marina Channel, and an Environmental Education fund for a number of youth environmental programs. This is an addition to the 2014 Premier Project, a new bike path from Incline Village to Sand Harbor. All projects remain open for donations through the end of the calendar year.

“The Tahoe Fund Projects Committee is focused on projects that have everything in place but the last bit of funding,” said Jim Lawrence, Special Advisor to the Nevada Department of Natural Resources and Co-Chair of the Tahoe Fund Projects Committee. “Our main priorities are restoring the Lake’s clarity, getting people out of their cars with new recreational amenities and teaching people how to take better care of this incredible resource.”

Eligible projects must be able to demonstrate that all environmental permits will be obtained, enjoy strong community support, and have other sources of funding identified. Further details can be found in the Request for Proposals (RFP), available here.

Projects should be consistent with the program level priorities established as part of the 2008-2018 EIP Update. All projects must obtain an EIP number from the TRPA. With the notable exception of education/interpretation projects, the Fund will generally not include funding requests for planning, design, or other preconstruction activities, or for maintenance and monitoring of projects in its portfolios.

Founded in 2010, the nonprofit has inspired private donors to support the Blackwood Creek/Eagle Rock Trail watershed restoration on the west shore; the Incline/3rd Creek watershed restoration on the north shore; segments of the Lake Tahoe Bikeway in Incline Village, Tahoe City, the west shore and South Lake Tahoe; environmental and recreational improvements at Sand Harbor State Park, Van-Sickle Bi-State Park and Washoe Meadows State Park; Asian Clam removal at Emerald Bay; aquatic invasive weed removal in Tahoe City and at Ski Run Marina; the Tahoe Beaches App; and the UC Davis “State of the Lake” report.