By Tony Karwowski

Stewardship isn’t an abstract idea in Lake Tahoe—it’s a vital part of caring for this incredible place. Every day, those of us who live, work, and build businesses here feel the responsibilities and pressures that come with caring for a world-renowned destination we call home. 

We share the same roads, trails, beaches, waters, and forests with visitors—many of whom also have a deep appreciation of this place. Ultimately, I believe we all want the same thing: to ensure Lake Tahoe remains healthy, thriving, and accessible for generations to come. That’s why I am honored to step into the role of co-chair of the Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Council.

This council was created because the region required better collaboration between jurisdictions, agencies, the business sector, and other community organizations. It reflects a simple truth: the future of Tahoe depends on active collaboration across the boundaries we have ourselves created. We need a unified vision backed by shared accountability, aligned outcomes, and the collective will to take action.

The Destination Stewardship Plan we adopted together offers exactly that. It lays out a roadmap for managing Tahoe as a place to live as much as a place to visit. It recognizes that our environment and our economy do not exist in separate lanes, and that community wellbeing is central to everything we hope to accomplish.

One of the initiatives the over 30 partners of the Destination Stewardship Council are actively collaborating on to help encourage stewardship of Tahoe is the “Destination Champion” program. Developed as an online training program for community members and local professionals and front line employees, when it launches, it will provide effective strategies for teaching visitors about our region’s unique culture and how to encourage people to help care for and protect what makes Tahoe and Truckee special.

It is through our collaborative efforts that progress is being made throughout the region. Whether individual, or sometimes joint organizational initiatives, those aligned with Destination Stewardship Plan goals are advancing our collective efforts and making true the popular proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

The opportunities ahead for Tahoe—expanding environmental stewardship, enhancing shared transportation options, workforce retention—do not recognize county lines or organizational boundaries. They require a coordinated response. The council brings together public agencies, nonprofits, businesses, tribal partners, and local representatives from around the basin to set priorities and move from discussion to action.

As co-chair alongside Daniel Cressy from the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, and Nettie Pardue the Destination Stewardship Council’s Managing Director, our focus will continue to be deepening our alignment across the region and ensuring that we are all working in the same direction, toward the same goals.

I also want to thank Carol Chaplin, CEO of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, for leading the way as one of the first co-chairs of the Council. Together with Daniel Cressy, the Executive Council and Council members, her leadership has set a path forward for us to build upon in the future.  

I am continually inspired by the leadership and commitment around the Council table—these are people and organizations who care deeply about this place and their role in helping to take care of it. Lake Tahoe is extraordinary, and this council established a framework, the partnerships, and the shared resolve we need to move forward together.

– Tony Karwowski is president and CEO of the North Tahoe Community Alliance

In collaboration with area partners, including Supervisor Gustafson’s office and area nonprofits, including the Sierra Nevada Alliance, Tahoe Rim Trail Association, Tahoe Backcountry Alliance, the Tahoe Resource Conservation District and others, the NTCA recently participated in an aerial tour of Tahoe’s roadless areas with a staffer from State Representative Kevin Kiley’s team.

The intention of the tour and subsequent roundtable discussion was to share local perspectives about how rescinding the Roadless Rule could impact our local communities, economy and environment.

Adopted in 2001 after one of the largest public engagement efforts in U.S. history, where over one million people commented when the original rule was being considered, the Roadless Rule currently protects 58 million acres nationwide, including 4.4 million acres in California.

The rule sought to protect areas that were identified as key for water quality, backcountry recreation experiences, and biodiversity by preventing new permanent road construction and reconstruction, with a few exceptions (e.g., for public safety, wildfire response, or certain access needs like mining claims with valid existing rights), and preventing commercial timber harvesting (large-scale or industrial logging), while still allowing limited tree cutting for wildfire fuel reduction, restoration, personal firewood/gathering, or when necessary to protect public health and safety.

This year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a process to rescind the Roadless Rule. If adopted, this change would lift restrictions on new road construction and industrial logging in inventoried roadless areas.

Congressman Kiley’s district includes some of the most visited and beloved Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRA) in the Sierra Nevada, spanning the Tahoe and Eldorado National Forests and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Together, these landscapes protect lands vital to clean water, recreation, habitat, and wildfire resilience.

With that in mind, the tour highlighted key places that are central to both the region’s ecology and outdoor economy, including Castle Peak and Granite Chief, areas surrounding Desolation Wilderness and Freel Pass, terrain around the West Shore of Lake Tahoe, and east of the California border to the Mt. Rose Wilderness.

This year, the annual Tahoe Summit, started nearly 30 years ago by California Senator Dianne Feinstein, Nevada Senator Harry Reid, and President Bill Clinton, was centered around the theme of “Protecting Lake Tahoe: Balancing Sustainable Recreation and Conservation.”

Unlike other advocacy opportunities the NTCA has participated in, this gathering, which has historically served as a bipartisan collaboration in support of protecting Lake Tahoe, presented a unique chance to meet and connect with more elected officials from both states at a single event than we’ve had the privilege of participating in before.

It provided a chance to explain how our local business community has helped establish and expand opportunities for public-private partnerships. And, it was an opportunity to highlight the TBID and its role in broadening the funding sources for our community’s priorities – such as transportation and trails, human impact mitigation, environmental stewardship initiatives, as well as business advocacy.

NTCA president and CEO Tony Karwowski shared with California Senator Adam Schiff, Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen, Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, California Assemblywoman Hadwick, and Senator Alvarado-Gil, among others, how the NTCA and the committees it convenes are putting TBID dollars to work on behalf of our community in support of collaborative stewardship efforts in North Lake Tahoe and beyond.

He also addressed the NTCA’s involvement in the creation of the Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan, its implementation, and the efforts we’re aligning on across agencies, businesses, NGOs and land managers to elevate the Tahoe experience for all.

By directly engaging and building relationships with elected officials, citing real examples of how North Lake Tahoe is investing in itself, we not only elevate local leadership but also increase the likelihood of securing future state and federal support for community-driven solutions.

This summer and fall, ECO-Clean Solutions is again leading the charge to clean Lake Tahoe’s beaches in partnership with TOT-TBID Dollars At Work. As part of year 2 of a 3-year grant program, ECO-Clean will conduct 14 cleanings across key lakefront properties and public beaches, removing harmful debris, protecting native species, and keeping Lake Tahoe clean. In 2024, ECO-CLEAN Solutions removed 19,753 non-native/inorganic items, including 9,195 pieces of plastic. The overall area cleaned was approximately 482,000 sq/ft.

Below is the full schedule of 2025 cleanings, including demo events open to the public.

2025 Beach Cleaning Schedule

Kings Beach State Recreation Area

• July 2, 3 & 5, 2025
• October 1 & 2, 2025

Mourelatos Lakefront Resort

• May 7 & 8, 2025
• September 10, 2025

Franciscan Lakeside Lodge

• May 7 & 8, 2025
• September 18, 2025

Lake Forest Public Beach

• May 15, 2025
• September 18, 2025

Moon Dune Public Beach

• May 14, 2025
• September 11, 2025

Demo Cleanings & Public Events

These special cleanings are paired with education and demonstrations of ECO-CLEAN’s innovative technology:

Commons Beach – Farmers Market Demo & Cleaning

• July 17, 2025

Tahoe Vista Recreation Area – Demo & Cleaning

• September 11, 2025

TOT-TBID Dollars At Work helps to fund BEBOT and other projects focused on human impact mitigation. Learn more here.

NTCA President and CEO Tony Karwowski shares his insights from the CalTravel Board of Directors Meeting.

As part of the NTCA’s advocacy efforts, I attended the CalTravel Board of Directors Winter Meeting in San Francisco last week. I participated in conversations related to destination stewardship, North Lake Tahoe’s hosting of the CalTravel Summit in October 2025, and more.

This forum also provided an opportunity for North Lake Tahoe to have a voice at the table as it relates to proposed legislative actions that can have impacts on the tourism industry and affect businesses in our region.

Other topics discussed include:

• San Francisco is working hard with new leadership to provide a safe, clean city with a thriving business community targeted at reviving the tourism industry. As San Francisco is a major entry point into Northern California for international visitors, North Tahoe will benefit from the success of tourism in San Francisco as international visitors return. 
• The two-year legislative session has opened. CalTravel is monitoring proposed legislative actions that have both positive and negative impacts on the tourism industry and preparing positions on the bills moving forward for the membership. At Advocacy Day on May 20, NTCA will join over 200 other Travel and Tourism industry representatives to meet with legislators and share the real-world impacts of the proposed legislation on our local businesses and communities. 
• Visit California gave an update on the statewide Destination Stewardship planning process they have been working on in conjunction with the 12 different tourism regions and representatives of those regions. As a partner involved in the High Sierra region planning effort, NTCA was able to bring themes that surfaced in our Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan development process. We also helped integrate regional priorities into the state-funded effort while highlighting relevant priorities like workforce housing, transportation, human impact mitigation, and environmental stewardship.
• CalTravel also highlighted CalTravel Summit 2025, which will be held at Everline Resort in Olympic Valley from October 6-8, 2025. This is their largest annual gathering, bringing over 400 travel and tourism leaders for three days of compelling speakers, interactive breakout sessions, and unique networking opportunities—all geared toward professional and personal growth. Through our strong partnership with CalTravel, NTCA was instrumental in bringing this iconic summit to North Lake Tahoe, allowing us to showcase our destination to the most influential travel professionals from across the state of California and beyond. There is a discounted rate for members who wish to attend. For more info, visit https://www.caltravel.org/upcoming-events and let us know if you would like to attend!

Sara Van Siclen

Published in Moonshine Ink on December 12, 2024 >

As the snow begins to fall, many of us are eagerly planning our winter trips to the ski resorts. For years, the routine has been the same for residents and visitors alike: load up the car, drive to the resort, and look for parking for a day of skiing or snowboarding. But with the introduction of parking reservations at Northstar California Resort and Palisades Tahoe starting last winter, it’s time to consider an alternative: taking fare-free transit to the slopes.

This season presents the perfect opportunity to explore transit options. Not only do these services provide an environmentally-friendly, free, and convenient solution when resort parking is full, but they also offer a chance to connect with fellow skiers and enjoy a more relaxed, community-focused experience.

Last winter, the parking reservation programs at Northstar and Palisades helped stagger arrival times, easing congestion on weekends and reducing traffic on Highways 89 and 267. Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit (TART) has been supporting this change, offering fare-free and convenient transportation alternatives. By utilizing the TART Park & Ride program, TART’s mainline bus service, and TART Connect, skiers and snowboarders can leave their cars behind and take free transit to the resorts.

For visitors heading to Palisades, TART and Palisades Tahoe have teamed up to offer a free weekend Park & Ride program again this season at two locations: Truckee High School and the Tahoe City Transit Center. From there, passengers can catch a free shuttle to the resort. New for this season, the TOT-TBID Dollars at Work program, which reinvests revenue into the community, will be funding additional shuttles that will add service and reduce headways to every 20 minutes when traffic is flowing smoothly.

Palisades Tahoe skiers and riders are encouraged to use Mountaineer, the free, on-demand transportation service providing rides within Olympic Valley, Alpine Meadows, and between the valleys. For more details, visit mountaineertransit.org.

Northstar also offers a convenient Park & Ride service on weekends. Parking is available at Lift Workspace near the Truckee Tahoe Airport with free hourly TART service to Northstar. Additionally, supplemental shuttle services will operate on holiday weekends to accommodate the larger crowds expected on those dates.

Sugar Bowl and Donner Ski Ranch are joining the transit trend this winter with shuttle service between Truckee and Donner Summit. Starting this season, there will be free daily shuttle service from the Coldstream transit stop in Truckee to these resorts. Employees, visitors, and residents can catch a TART bus to the Coldstream bus stop or get an on-demand ride from TART Connect, then transfer to a shuttle that will take them directly to Sugar Bowl or Donner Ski Ranch. This new service offers a hassle-free alternative to driving up Old 40 or I-80.

In addition to Park & Ride options, TART Connect provides on-demand microtransit to help skiers make that first and last mile connection. TART Connect allows riders within a designated service area to request a fare-free ride from their home or rental property to the nearest shuttle stop. Simply download the app, schedule a pickup, and you’ll be on your way shortly. This added layer of convenience makes it easier than ever to leave your car at home.

These transit options are made possible through the collaboration of local organizations, including Placer County, the Town of Truckee, Tahoe Forest Hospital, Visit Truckee-Tahoe, Palisades Tahoe, Northstar, Sugar Bowl Resort, and North Tahoe Community Alliance.

By ditching your car and enjoying a more relaxed journey to your favorite ski resorts this season, you’ll also have the opportunity to enjoy the ride and connect with others on the way to the slopes. You might just find that the journey to the resort is as fun as the skiing and riding itself.

All schedules and route details are available at tahoetruckeetransit.com.

Sara Van Siclen is the executive director of the Truckee North Tahoe Transportation Management Association, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering public-private partnerships and resources for advocacy and promoting innovative solutions to the unique transportation challenges of the Tahoe/Truckee Resort Triangle. Sara lives in Truckee with her husband, son, and dog, Jax.

The Lake Tahoe Ambassador program received grant funding to hire additional participants in North Lake Tahoe this summer. The Sierra Nevada Alliance is actively recruiting to fill four (4) more positions. Interested students can email le’a@sierranevadaalliance.org.

About the Lake Tahoe Ambassador Program

The nonprofit Sierra Nevada Alliance is hiring Lake Tahoe Ambassadors for various sites around the Lake Tahoe Basin this summer. During the summer, Ambassadors are stationed at various popular beaches, trailheads and visitor centers around Lake Tahoe during peak times. Ambassadors motivate and inspire community members and visitors to recreate responsibly while enjoying Lake Tahoe’s parks, trails and beaches. In addition, Ambassadors receive training in basic environmental research skills and complete a summer-long research project with a professional mentor, utilizing the data collected on the job.

Learn More

About the Sierra Nevada Alliance

Since 1993, the Sierra Nevada Alliance has been working to protect and restore Sierra lands, water and wildlife. The organization manages a variety of service programs, legislative initiatives and community engagement programs to make progress on priorities including climate resiliency, resilient forests, and watershed protection and restoration. Created to be a hub for stewardship, the Sierra Nevada Alliance facilitates the successful ambassador program throughout the Tahoe Basin by empowering and collaborating with partners including the NTCA.

In a recent 101.5 Tahoe Truckee Radio Community Spotlight, NTCA Marketing Director, Kirstin Guinn, shared three key initiatives funded by TBID dollars that fall into the marketing world to promote environmental stewardship to residents and visitors alike.  

Listen Now

What is the TBID?

The TBID, or Tourism Business Improvement District, is how North Lake Tahoe generates revenue from tourism and shopping locally. The business community agreed on a self-assessment of the revenue that tourism generates in restaurants, retail shops, and activity providers like rental shops. Those tourism dollars then get funneled back into the community through the TOT-TBID Dollars At Work program. 

Clean, Drain and Dry with the Tahoe Water Trail

• NTCA is investing TBID dollars into a partnership with the Lake Tahoe Water Trail. The water trail has been around for years – it’s 72 miles of liquid fun – and this partnership expands education around stopping the spread of invasive species in Lake Tahoe and the surrounding lakes. This campaign focuses on the role that “Clean, Drained, and Dry” plays when it comes to inflatable paddleboards. New Zealand Mud Snails can be transported in just a few drops of water – think about the water that collects in the folds of a paddleboard or the paddle. NTCA is enabling the Lake Tahoe Water Trail to expand its outreach to rental shops in North Lake Tahoe’s drive-up markets and educate paddleboarders about the importance of “Clean, Drain, and Dry” before they launch. 

Learn About the Lake Tahoe Water Trail

Expanding Bike Valets with the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition

• NTCA is working with the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition to create more bike valets around the North Shore this summer. Last summer, the Bicycle Coalition, a group of passionate and entirely volunteer locals, wanted to offer more bike valets around North Lake Tahoe but needed resource support to execute the vision. This summer, TBID dollars will enable the organization to purchase additional valet set-ups and hire a part-time coordinator to increase bike valets in the region, reducing cars on the road.

Learn About the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition

Sierra Nevada Alliance Ambassador Program

• For the second consecutive summer, NTCA is investing in the Sierra Nevada Alliance Ambassador program. In partnership with the Sierra Nevada Alliance and Truckee Trails, the program hires local youth to hang out on popular beaches and trailheads and talk to people about responsible stewardship, model good behavior, and hand out dog poop bags. This is an impactful way for young people to interact with the public. They also provide data for the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, and in some cases, they even find smoldering illegal campfires and put them out. NTCA plans to continue to grow this program with our partners and make it the most coveted summer job in Tahoe!

Learn About Ambassador Program

These partnerships are an invaluable piece of the puzzle when it comes to human impact mitigation around North Lake Tahoe. They are a great investment of TOT-TBID Dollars At Work. 

The North Lake Tahoe community is invited to attend a Washoe cultural event, hosted by the Gatekeeper’s Museum on Saturday, May 18. Members of the Washoe community, independent artists and conservation groups are holding a community-centered conversation about the Rights of Nature and the future of Da’aw’ ‘Tahoe through decolonizing the design of a stewarding process that holds Indigenous Knowledges at the Center.

Artists, scientists and Washoe basketmakers, singers and Knowledge Keepers are creating the Future Gardens together, a process of land stewarding that prioritizes indigenous leadership and the material, cultural and spiritual plants of importance to the Wà:šiw. 

This event will include Washoe-led song, dance, stories, demonstrations and discussions as well as museum and garden tours. 

Plant seeds and imagine together!

Hosted on the patio by the Gatekeeper’s Museum
Saturday, May 18
11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
130 West Lake Blvd., Tahoe City, CA

The National Association of Conservation Districts’ Stewardship Week, an annual program since 1955, stands as one of the nation’s largest initiatives dedicated to promoting the conservation of natural resources. Between the last Sunday in April and the first Sunday in May, this week-long event reminds us of our responsibilities to safeguard our precious natural resources. With today’s environmental challenges, resilient forests are indispensable in fostering a sustainable world. This year’s theme, “May the Forest Be with You, Always”, signifies our commitment to responsible forest stewardship, emphasizing their enduring strength and adaptability.

During NTCA’s April edition of the First Tuesday Breakfast Club, Kerri Timmer, Regional Forest Health Coordinator, Agriculture, Parks and Natural Resources Placer County, shared information about the county’s forest health program, focusing on wildfire risk reduction and the use of the Land Tender tool for prioritizing work. Discussion followed her presentation about the challenges of working with federal agencies, the importance of continuity in projects, and the potential of the county’s forest coverage for better attention.

Environmental Stewardship is a key element of NTCA’s mission. As an active partner in the collaborative development of the Basin-wide Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan, the NTCA is activating the plan’s vision and actions in its efforts to better manage outdoor recreation and tourism. The robust plan’s goals also include ensuring the sustainability and preservation of an iconic natural treasure and our local community.

Learn more about NTCA’s role in the Destination Stewardship plan, as well as how TOT-TBID Dollars at work go towards projects and programs that cultivate environmental stewardship and tourism impact mitigation in the North Lake Tahoe Region.

To learn more about Earth Day festivals in North Lake Tahoe, visit gotahoenorth.com. Plus, locals and visitors alike can take the Traveler Responsibility Pledge to share a commitment to preserving the natural wonders of the Lake Tahoe region.