Nevada State Parks Offering Free Access to Sand Harbor, Cave Rock, and Spooner Lake.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. and Nev. – July 26th, 2014 – The Tahoe Fund is partnering with Nevada State Parks to offer free access to Sand Harbor, Cave Rock and Spooner Lake on Saturday, July 12th to current owners of Lake Tahoe license plates. The event is meant as a thank you to those who support Lake Tahoe with the purchase of Tahoe license plates.

Funds generated through the sale of Tahoe license plates support projects that help to preserve and restore the natural environment of the Lake Tahoe Basin. The Tahoe Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to raising money and support for environmental improvement projects, promotes the sale of Tahoe license plates on behalf of the stewards of the plate fees, the California Tahoe Conservancy and the Nevada Division of State Lands.

“Buying a Tahoe license plate is one of the easiest ways to help the Lake,” said Tahoe Fund CEO Amy Berry. “Thanks to Nevada State Parks, we are able to show our appreciation to Tahoe plate holders with a free day at the beach or park.”

“We are thankful to the thousands of people who choose to buy and renew their Tahoe license plates,” said Jay Howard of Nevada State Parks. “Our Lake Tahoe parks benefit greatly from those funds, with beach improvements, watershed restoration work, and new hiking trails.”

Nevada State Parks operates four miles of shoreline and four management areas along the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. Sand Harbor, the region’s most popular beach, hosts an average 800,000 visitors a year, while more than a million people visit Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park in general. The funds from the license plates help State Parks, and other public agencies maintain the environment of the parks and Lake Tahoe while improving recreational access to the public.
Founded in 2010, the Tahoe Fund is a nonprofit dedicated to raising money for projects that will improve lake clarity, enhance recreation and inspire environmental stewardship in the Lake Tahoe Basin. In addition to the Tahoe Beaches App, the organization has funded two high priority watershed restoration projects, the Blackwood Creek/Eagle Rock Trail restoration on the West Shore and the Incline/3rd Creek Restoration on the North Shore; segments of the Tahoe Bikeway in 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; and the UC Davis “State of the Lake” report. The Tahoe Fund seeks donations of any size to help sustain the organization and the extraordinary natural environment of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Tahoe License Plates Provide Funding for Environmental Improvements at Lake Tahoe

Tahoe license plates can be purchased from the DMV. For more information, please visit www.tahoeplates.com.

TAHOE BEACHES APP IS READY FOR SUMMER
Free App Helps Beachgoers Find More Than 50 Beaches around Lake Tahoe

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. and Nev. – June 19, 2014 – The summer season is here and more people than ever are expected to visit the shores of Lake Tahoe to find respite from the hot temperatures and dry conditions in the region. The Tahoe Fund is once again promoting the Tahoe Beaches App to help beach-goers find their way to more than 50 public beaches around the Lake. The App is also built to help spread out the crowds and provide an opportunity for people to discover new beaches while learning ways to care for Lake Tahoe.

“When we launched the Tahoe Beaches app last summer we received great feedback that people were now finding beaches they had never known existed before,” said Tahoe Fund CEO Amy Berry. “With record temperatures and visitors predicted for this summer, we hope more people will download the app and discover new ways to cool off in the beautiful waters of Lake Tahoe.”

Screen shots of the Tahoe Beaches App

The app, available in iTunes and Google Play, allows visitors to plan their Tahoe experience with images and details about beach amenities, including barbecues, boat rentals, pet restrictions, and public transportation. With more than 50 public beaches, the app allows users to plan their Tahoe experience from home or while traveling around the Lake. Twitter feeds enable real time information from the public agencies managing the beaches. Users can post their favorite beaches to Facebook and invite family and friends to join them. The app also includes important stewardship information to help beach goers take care of the environment.

The Tahoe Beaches App was developed by the Tahoe Fund and co-funded by the California Tahoe Conservancy through the Lake Tahoe License Plate Program. Seven public agencies collaborated to develop the app, seamlessly integrating public beach information across their organizations to get information to their users. The partners include: California Tahoe Conservancy, California State Parks, Tahoe City PUD, North Tahoe PUD, Nevada Division of State Parks, the U.S. Forest Service, and Tahoe Transportation District.

“The Conservancy has worked with our partners for nearly thirty years to increase public access to Tahoe’s incredible beaches,” said Patrick Wright, Executive Director of the Tahoe Conservancy. “We hope that this app continues to encourage people to bring their friends and family to enjoy the beautiful beaches we have worked so hard to create.”

The Tahoe Beaches App is available on both Apple and Android phones and is available for free in their respective App Stores. To learn more or to download the app, please visit www.tahoepublicbeaches.com.

Founded in 2010, the Tahoe Fund is a nonprofit dedicated to raising money for projects that will improve lake clarity, enhance recreation and inspire environmental stewardship in the Lake Tahoe Basin. In addition to the Tahoe Beaches App, the organization has funded two high priority watershed restoration projects, the Blackwood Creek/Eagle Rock Trail restoration on the West Shore and the Incline/3rd Creek Restoration on the North Shore; segments of the Tahoe Bikeway in 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; and the UC Davis “State of the Lake” report. The Tahoe Fund seeks donations of any size to help sustain the organization and the extraordinary natural environment of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

About the Tahoe Fund
The mission of Tahoe Fund is to restore and enhance the extraordinary natural environment of the Lake Tahoe Basin by building broad support and funding for projects and programs that increase the enjoyment of the region for current and future generations. The Fund focuses grants on the core areas of conservation, recreation and education/stewardship. More information available at http://www.tahoefund.org

About the California Tahoe Conservancy
Established in 1984, the mission of the Tahoe Conservancy is to lead California’s efforts to restore and enhance the extraordinary natural and recreational resources of the Lake Tahoe Basin. More information available at http://tahoe.ca.gov/

South Lake Resort’s customers support Tahoe through dollar donations on hotel rooms

LAKE TAHOE Calif. and Nev. – May 27, 2014 – MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa presented a check for $18,116 to the Tahoe Fund donation program called Green Bucks in front of the iconic entranceway to the South Lake Tahoe location. The check is courtesy of donations from guests at MontBleu who added a dollar donation onto their room nights. MontBleu joins other Green Bucks businesses from around the region, including Edgewood Tahoe, Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel, and the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, who are helping to support the Tahoe Fund’s mission to restore and enhance the Lake Tahoe environment.

“Our guests love this incredible lake and the surrounding mountains,” said Steve Ditchkus, general manager, MontBleu Casino Resort & Spa. “We are thankful for their support as together we help to take care of Tahoe through the Green Bucks program.”

“MontBleu has been an early and strong supporter of Green Bucks and the Tahoe Fund,” said Amy Berry, CEO of the Tahoe Fund. “We are so thankful to their guests for supporting our efforts to make their time in Tahoe even more enjoyable with new bike trails and parks right out the hotel doors.”

Green Bucks is a donation program coordinated by the Tahoe Fund in partnership with the Truckee River Watershed Council. The program helps the organizations fulfill their missions to support new hiking and biking trails, watershed restoration projects, wildlife protection and other environmental stewardship programs. Local businesses can call 775-298-0035 to learn more and sign up to participate in the Green Bucks program.

Founded in 2010, the Tahoe Fund is a non-profit dedicated to building support and funding for environmental projects that will restore and enhance Lake Tahoe. The organization has funded over a dozen projects around the lake that will help restore lake clarity, improve recreation and inspire stewardship. In the South Shore, Tahoe Fund donors have helped support the Van Sickle Bi-State Park, the Rabe Meadow bike path and Asian clam control at Emerald Bay. In the North Shore, Tahoe Fund donors have helped support the restoration of Blackwood Creek and the Eagle Rock Trail, Lakeside Bike Trail, and the West Shore Bike Trail and beach improvements at Sand Harbor State Park.

LAKE TAHOE Calif. and Nev. – May 12, 2014 – The Tahoe Fund today announced the election of Katy Simon to its board of directors. Simon recently retired from a distinguished career in public service, most recently as the Washoe County Manager, a position she held for 15 years. She has a deep connection to Lake Tahoe, starting with her first job at the Northstar ski resort more than 30 years ago.

“Katy brings an incredible level of passion and history of community service to our organization,” said Tim Cashman, Chair of the Board. “We are honored to have her join our efforts to restore and enhance the Tahoe environment.”

“Tahoe has always been an incredibly special place to me,” said Simon. “I look forward to working with this wonderful board of directors to increase the impact of the organization to help preserve something that means so much to so many.”

Simon has been a tireless supporter of community organizations, serving on the boards of the United Way, the Children’s Cabinet, the Nevada Land Trust, Truckee Meadows Tomorrow, Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada, Truckee Meadows Community College Foundation Board, Sierra Arts Foundation Board, Nevada Women’s Fund, and the Truckee Alliance for the Musical Arts (TAMA).She was recently named a Senior Consultant with International City/County Management Association, and serves on the faculty and as an Innovation Mentor for the Alliance for Innovation’s national Innovation Academy. She has also served as a guest lecturer and Manager in Residence for the USC Sol Price Graduate School of Public Policy.

Founded in 2010, the Tahoe Fund has supported high priority watershed restoration projects such as the Blackwood Creek/Eagle Rock Trail restoration on the West Shore and the Incline/3rd Creek Restoration on the North Shore; segments of the Tahoe Bikeway in Tahoe City and South Lake Tahoe; the Van-Sickle Bi-State Park in South Lake Tahoe; and the UC Davis “State of the Lake” report. The Tahoe Fund supported four 2013 Signature Projects that included beach improvements at Sand Harbor State Park, Asian Clam control in Emerald Bay, a mile of bike trail along the West Shore, and a new bridge across Angora Creek in the Washoe Meadows State Park. The Tahoe Fund 2014 Projects will be announced in late spring.

For more information on the Tahoe Fund and how you can help make an impact, please visit www.tahoefund.org

TAHOE FUND SEEKS CORPORATE SPONSORS FOR WATERCRAFT INSPECTION STATIONS

The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe Signs on to Support the Northstar Station

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. and Nev. – May 15th, 2014 – The Tahoe Fund is seeking corporate sponsors for the four aquatic invasive species watercraft inspection stations located around the Basin that inspect approximately 8,000 boats a summer. The stations are a critical component of a nationally recognized basin-wide effort to prevent the spread and introduction of aquatic invasive species (AIS) into Lake Tahoe that have wreaked havoc on other clear lakes around the nation.

Sponsorships offer brands the opportunity to connect with the boat owners who visit the inspection stations while helping to close a funding gap in the current inspection program. The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe has agreed to sponsor the inspection station at Northstar, with three station sponsorships still available.

“This is one of those win-win situations we love to see,” said Amy Berry, CEO of the Tahoe Fund. “This is an opportunity for businesses to get wonderful exposure to a highly desirable demographic and for the Lake to get the help it needs to prevent the introduction of AIS that will forever change the Tahoe we all know and love.”

“In order to maintain the clean, clear waters of Lake Tahoe that both local residents and visitors enjoy year-round, watercraft inspection stations are critical,” said Joseph Mattioli, general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe. “As stewards of the environment, we have to do what we can as a community to assist in supporting the continuation of these inspection stations. Currently, this is the only way to ensure the lake remains free of invasive species that could dramatically alter the way so many people experience Lake Tahoe.”

The Lake Tahoe Region Aquatic Invasive Species Program (AIS Program) is implemented by more than 40 federal, state, and local partners that are committed to preventing the introduction or spread of aquatic invasive species in Lake Tahoe. Recreational activities involving watercraft (i.e. motorized vessels, personal watercraft, kayaks, canoes, inflatables) and/or fishing are the most likely sources of the introduction of AIS into Lake Tahoe. The Watercraft Inspection Program is led by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the Tahoe Resource Conservation District, in partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and myriad other public and private partners.

The combined economic impacts from invasive species to recreation value, tourism spending, property values, and increased boat/pier maintenance, when evaluated over a 50-year period, is estimated at $417.5 million (present value), with an average annual equivalent value of $22.4 million per year, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The largest estimated impacts would be to property values and lost tourism spending. Investments in prevention and early eradication produce a higher benefit-to-cost ratio than post-infestation control programs such that maximum benefits are realized through early and preemptive action.

The inspection stations are located in Meyers, Spooner Summit, Northstar and Alpine Meadows. Sponsorships, ranging from $11,000 to $34,000 based on traffic estimates at each station, include signage, literature distribution, sampling opportunities, and custom promotions.

For more information on the AIS Watercraft Inspection Stations Corporate Sponsorship program, please visit the Tahoe Fund site or contact Amy Berry at aberry@tahoefund.org.

About the Tahoe Fund
The mission of Tahoe Fund is to restore and enhance the extraordinary natural environment of the Lake Tahoe Basin by building broad support and funding for projects and programs that increase the enjoyment of the region for current and future generations. The Fund focuses grants on the core areas of conservation, recreation and education/stewardship.