advocate | engage | create
Storms & Snow - The Perfect Start to 2021
With the new year underway, our team at the League is excited to continue our 64-year quest to Keep Tahoe Blue, and ready to embrace novel opportunities to protect the lake we love in 2021. We're also excited for snow!
We have big plans for this year and are pleased to share them with you. Please read on to see our Objectives for 2021 and a few of our most significant Accomplishments from 2020. We don't like to look backward, but studying the past helps us find success in the future.

As we move forward, we're reminded how critical your support is to the Lake and the League. Thank you for sticking with us and standing up for Lake Tahoe. Together, we Keep Tahoe Blue.
2021 Objectives
ADVANCE RESTORATION
Advocate: Pursue policy changes in the California Legislature to
remove bureaucratic hurdles that are
slowing critical landscape restoration efforts.

Engage: Collaborate with land managers to push forward important restoration projects in the Basin, including at Meeks Bay, the Upper Truckee Marsh, and the 59,000-acre Lake Tahoe West area.

Create: Build and deploy volunteer “restoration strike teams” as a rapid response to unforeseen challenges and the needs of land managers.
COMBAT POLLUTION
Advocate: Work at all levels of government to create policies, streamline implementation and secure funding to put transportation and litter solutions on the ground now.

Engage: Provide virtual lesson plans and hands-on environmental learning to local and visiting students through our Keep Tahoe Blue Schools program.

Create: Develop a range of volunteer engagement levels so everyone who loves Tahoe can make a difference. (Photo: Clearly Tahoe)
TACKLE INVASIVE SPECIES
Advocate: Address the infestation of aquatic weeds in the Tahoe Keys by advancing a plan to identify a
sustainable, long-term solution to the Lake's most dire ecological threat.

Engage: Expand our Eyes on the Lake citizen science monitoring
program into the Truckee region to stamp out invasive species threats.

Create: Control the spread of
aquatic invasive weeds by installing a second bubble curtain in the Tahoe Keys and continuing to remove an
infestation of weeds in the Lake itself.
2020 Accomplishments
ADVANCE RESTORATION
Cutting the Green Tape
2020 was a historic wildfire year, driven in part by climate change. The League works to advance the pace and scale of restoration projects in the Basin to make the Lake resilient to the impacts of the climate crisis.

Last year, we drove a collaborative effort with Secretary Wade Crowfoot and the heads of other California state agencies to remove bureaucratic hurdles that delay or prevent landscape-scale restoration projects. The “Cutting the Green Tape Initiative” produced a set of policy recommendations to facilitate restoration projects across California.

COMBAT POLLUTION
Tahoe Blue Crew
COVID concerns, heavy visitation and other pandemic challenges led to an explosion of litter this year,
especially single-use plastics and food containers.

The League answered by expanding our Tahoe Blue Crew program to help struggling land managers keep Tahoe clean. We grew from 18 volunteer Crews to 90 in 2020 and removed more than 5,600 pounds of trash from Crew-adopted areas (shown in the map). Our ultimate goal is to have every square inch of the Tahoe Basin adopted.

TACKLE INVASIVE SPECIES
Tahoe Keys Complex
The Tahoe Keys is ground-zero for the infestation of aquatic invasive
weeds at Tahoe. The weeds are spreading into the Lake itself, damaging its delicate ecology and water clarity.

To tackle this threat, the League advocated for the immediate removal of the densest growth in the “Tahoe Keys Complex” – an infested area spanning more than 100 acres in the Lake proper. We provided a donation that unlocked public funding for suction dredging to remove the weeds. The photos show before (Sep) and after (Nov) treatment.
(Photos: Sierra Overhead Analytics)

Our accomplishments are only possible with your support. Please consider giving to Keep Tahoe Blue.
Heavenly & Vail Help Keep Tahoe Blue
We’re excited to share that the League has been awarded an EpicPromise Community Grant from Vail Resorts!

To preserve Tahoe for future generations, we look to our community. Heavenly, the south shore's neighborhood ski resort, doesn't just spin you up the mountain. Their #TahoeBlueGooder team also removes litter from the environment as a fully fledged Tahoe Blue Crew.

We look forward to growing our partnerships in environmental stewardship with Heavenly, the US Forest Service and all who want to Keep Tahoe Blue.

To form your own Tahoe Blue Crew and protect Tahoe from flimsy plastic sled pollution (the scourge of winter) visit keeptahoeblue.org/tbc.
Lake Tahoe News
January 10 | KCRA 3 Sacramento

Sleds are a great way to enjoy Tahoe's snow. But when they break, plastic fragments become litter that harms the environment. Practice good #slediquette to Keep Tahoe Blue.

January 12 | SFGATE

The growing infestation of aquatic weeds in the Tahoe Keys threatens Lake Tahoe's delicate ecology and famed water clarity. In the search for a long-term solution, protecting the health of the Lake and those who use it is paramount.

January 23 | League to Save Lake Tahoe

In January, the League launched a new monthly email series to share stories of Tahoe's human and natural history. Check out our first edition and keep an eye on your inbox for another Gem next month.
(Photo: Desolation Hiker/Flickr)

January 26 | SFGATE

Climate change is pushing Tahoe to the extremes - longer, deeper droughts punctuated by more intense storms. The climate crisis' effects exacerbate every environmental threat facing Lake Tahoe.

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The Perfect Hoodie
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Bundle up with our perfectly weighted hoodie for that extra layer of warmth.
Featuring graphics by RISE Designs, this hoodie is made from organic and recycled fabrics. Grab one for yourself or give the perfect Valentine's Day gift.

All proceeds benefit efforts to Keep Tahoe Blue, now and for future generations.
Together, We Keep Tahoe Blue
Our team at the League to Save Lake Tahoe wishes you health and happiness.
League to Save Lake Tahoe | 530.541.5388 | keeptahoeblue.org