If you didn’t get a chance to download the Tahoe Tap podcast, don’t worry. We have you covered. Here’s a recap of the interview portion of the podcast.
Lake Tahoe may look much the same as it did decades ago, but according to Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Executive Director Julie Regan, the issues facing the basin have evolved dramatically.
Appearing on the Tahoe Tap Podcast, Regan reflected on more than 30 years living in Tahoe and over two decades with the TRPA, discussing everything from wildfire risk and transportation to affordable housing and the future of Lake Tahoe’s famed clarity.
“The one thing that has not changed is our community’s love for this lake,” Regan said. “To be able to look out and see Lake Tahoe every single day – it takes your breath away, no matter how long you’ve been here.”
While the beauty remains constant, she says the challenges have grown more complex.
A Different Tahoe Than Two Decades Ago
Since joining the TRPA in 2003, Regan has watched the basin transform.
Housing affordability has become one of the region’s most pressing issues. Visitor habits have shifted from casino-focused vacations to outdoor recreation, placing new demands on roads, trails and public lands. At the same time, climate change has intensified wildfire threats, ushering in an era of “mega-fires” unlike anything Tahoe experienced decades ago.
Despite those challenges, Regan pointed to nearly $3 billion in environmental restoration and community investment since the late 1990s as evidence of the region’s long-term commitment to protecting the lake.
“We’ve put tremendous investment into restoring the lake, our forests and our communities,” she said. Redevelopment Instead of Expansion
Large redevelopment projects continue to reshape communities around the lake, from Barton Hospital and Edgewood to the Cal Neva redevelopment, Homewood Mountain Resort and other high-profile proposals.
Regan emphasized that TRPA’s role has evolved into one of collaboration rather than simply regulation.
“Our job is often to help facilitate projects between multiple agencies,” she explained. “Nobody does everything in Lake Tahoe.”
She also noted that many approved projects have taken years (even decades) to materialize because of financing challenges rather than regulatory hurdles.
Meanwhile, smaller redevelopment efforts have quietly transformed communities around the basin, citing projects such as the Crossings at Tahoe Valley, Natural Grocers in Incline Village, the Tahoe Blue Event Center and numerous business renovations.
“We’re not building sprawling new subdivisions,” Regan said. “We’re fixing what we already have while improving environmental conditions.”
Transportation Vision Extends Beyond Roads
Transportation remains one of Tahoe’s biggest challenges, but Regan believes the region finally has momentum.
She highlighted the new Spooner Mobility Hub, which will combine a permanent aquatic invasive species inspection station, park-and-ride facilities, trail connections and expanded transit service along the East Shore.
The project, funded through a combination of federal, state, local, and private dollars, represents what Regan calls the “Tahoe way” of collaboration.
More broadly, she pointed to TRPA’s long-range “Connections 2050” transportation plan, which envisions seamless travel throughout the basin.
That vision includes:
Expanded transit between North and South Lake Tahoe
Additional bike and pedestrian trails
Connected mobility hubs
Improved town centers
Potential future waterborne transit across the lake
“We want people to be able to park their car when they arrive and not need it for the rest of their visit,” Regan said.
Funding remains the largest obstacle. Regan acknowledged ongoing discussions surrounding potential basin entry fees but said no single solution exists.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy Tahoe,” she said. “The challenge is finding sustainable funding without making Tahoe inaccessible.”
The Lake Comes First
When asked which issue she would solve instantly if given the chance, Regan didn’t hesitate. “The lake,” she said. “It’s always the lake.”
Her goal remains restoring Lake Tahoe’s legendary 100-foot clarity.
Today, annual average clarity hovers around 70 feet, far below historic levels but significantly improved from the steep declines seen decades ago.
Scientists had hoped clarity would already be improving toward an interim goal of 80 feet, but recent progress has stalled.
Researchers are now examining whether warming water temperatures, climate change and new forms of algae are slowing recovery despite decades of restoration work.
“We’re holding our own,” Regan said. “But we want to figure out what’s preventing us from getting back to that 100-foot goal.”
She stressed that lake clarity remains the central benchmark because improvements to transportation, forest health and watershed restoration all contribute to cleaner water.
Two Threats Keep Her Up at Night
Asked about Tahoe’s greatest environmental threats today, Regan named two. Catastrophic wildfire and aquatic invasive species.
The recent spread of golden mussels in California’s Delta has heightened concern among resource managers because the species can hitchhike on boats, kayaks, paddleboards, and even children’s water toys. Unlike other invasive species, once established they are virtually impossible to eradicate.
“The best thing we can do is keep them out,” Regan said.
She praised Tahoe’s nationally recognized watercraft inspection program while warning that warming lake temperatures could make Tahoe increasingly vulnerable to invasive species in the future.
Tackling Tahoe’s Housing Crisis
Housing affordability continues to rank among TRPA’s top priorities.
Regan discussed the agency’s ongoing “Tahoe Living” initiative, which is evaluating policy changes designed to encourage workforce housing throughout the basin.
Potential reforms include:
More accessory dwelling units
Increased duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes
Incentives for year-round rentals
Better connections between housing and public transportation
“We need to shift the market toward smaller homes that local working families can actually afford,” she said.
TRPA expects its governing board to consider policy recommendations next year following completion of environmental review.
Looking Toward the 30th Tahoe Summit
This August marks the 30th annual Lake Tahoe Summit, a milestone that holds special meaning for Regan. She attended the inaugural summit in 1997 as a young reporter covering President Bill Clinton’s visit – a moment she credits with shaping her career.
“It changed my life,” she recalled. “Seeing everyone come together around a common purpose to protect Lake Tahoe was incredibly inspiring.”
Nearly three decades later, Regan says the annual gathering continues to unite federal, state, tribal and local leaders around a shared mission.
“It’s never one and done,” she said. “Protecting Lake Tahoe requires sustained commitment, sustained investment and continued collaboration.”
As the basin confronts increasingly complex environmental and community challenges, Regan remains optimistic.
“I feel like the stars are aligning,” she said. “We have the partnerships, we have the vision, and we have more political will than ever before. There’s still a lot of work to do, but I’m bullish about Lake Tahoe’s future.”
(The Center Square) – The California Department of Justice has spent $19.2 million in the last 18 months in 82 different lawsuits against President Donald Trump’s administration, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Tuesday morning.
That has saved an estimated $207.1 billion worth of federal taxpayer-funded programs and services for Californians, Bonta said.
The announcement was made in a press conference at the California Department of Justice building on Tuesday. Bonta also said in that conference that much of Trump’s actions as president in his second term have been unlawful, prompting a flurry of lawsuits that the California Attorney General filed against the federal government, often joined by other states attorneys general.
“He has been blatant and brazen in his unlawfulness, he has been consistent and frequent in his violations of the law and his trampling over the Constitution,” Bonta said. “Over the last year and a half, we have taken Trump and his administration to court 82 times. Not because we want to – we’d rather be suing him zero times.”
Follow-up calls and emails went unreturned to the California Department of Justice, in which The Center Square asked for a fuller breakdown and justification of how Bonta came up with the $207.1 billion savings for Californians.
A bill passed last year, SBX1-1, authorizes the California Department of Finance to appropriate $25 million to defend the state against actions taken by the federal government, according to a Department of Justice report. The Department of Justice has so far gotten $19.2 million of that money. That report also said that the roughly $19 million has contributed to but not sufficiently covers the cost of litigation against the federal government since Trump was re-elected to the White House.
Approximately 83% of the time, Bonta said, the California Department of Justice prevailed in their lawsuits. Bonta secured 21 final orders siding with California, 45 orders granting early relief, and eight cases where the Trump administration settled, Bonta said. All those cases played out across multiple levels of the judiciary system, including in trial court, appellate court and in the U.S. Supreme Court, he added.
Some of those cases challenged the Trump administration on a $10 billion funding freeze to childcare and family assistance programs in California and four other states. Other legal challenges targeted the federal government’s actions on tariffs, the deployment of the National Guard and birthright citizenship, among other issues according to an annual report from the California Department of Justice.
“The Golden State has long set the precedent on what it means to defend civil liberties on the state and the federal level,” Senate President Pro Tempore Monique Limón, D-Santa Barbara, said at the press conference. “We must put an end to the federal overreach that puts lives at risk, tramples on our Constitutional rights and creates uncertainty across our communities.”
Assemblymember Natasha Johnson, R-Lake Elsinore, said she would rather see efforts go towards finding funding for measures like Prop. 36, a 2024 public safety measure that has received little to no new funding in the last two years.
“I don’t want to see any cases, period,” Johnson said on Tuesday. “I think staff is spending time on reports and cost savings, and at the end of the day, I want to make it very clear that the will of the voters has to be fully funded. We shouldn’t be fighting the government. We should be funding Prop. 36.”
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. — If you’ve been hiking, cycling, paddling or spending time outdoors around Lake Tahoe this week, you’ve likely noticed hazy skies and the distinct smell of smoke.
The smoke affecting the Tahoe Basin is primarily drifting in from the Gann Fire burning in Calaveras County. The wildfire, which ignited Monday evening near Valley Springs, has burned approximately 9,360 acres.
“While the westerly winds will help to clear the smoke that was carried from the north on our recent northerly winds, it will also be carrying with it smoke from a newer fire in central California (Gann Fire),” the Reno National Weather Service said in a forecast discussion.
According to NWS, smoke and haze from regional wildfires could bring periods of reduced air quality throughout the week. Smoke conditions may fluctuate from day to day depending on wind direction and fire activity.
The smoky conditions coincide with a heat advisory in effect from 8 a.m. Wednesday through 8 a.m. Sunday for portions of western Nevada and northeast California, including the Tahoe Basin. Forecasters are warning of hot daytime temperatures and limited overnight cooling, warning about the moderate to major risk of heat-related impacts without protective action.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – During its regular meeting on August 11, 2026, the South Lake Tahoe City Council will consider approval of an employment agreement with Hilary Roverud for appointment as the City’s next City Manager.
Roverud has served as Interim City Manager since February 2026, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the City organization, ensuring continuity of services, and implementing the policies and priorities established by the City Council. Prior to her appointment as Interim City Manager, she served as the City’s Assistant City Manager beginning in October 2023.
Roverud brings more than twenty-five years of public sector planning, development, and leadership experience, including 21 years with the City of South Lake Tahoe. Throughout her career, she has held progressively responsible positions within the organization, including Planning Manager, Deputy Director of Development Services, Director of Development Services, and Assistant City Manager.
As Assistant City Manager, Roverud provided organization-wide leadership in transit coordination, economic development, communications, and innovation initiatives. She led the establishment of the South Tahoe Transit Joint Powers Authority and serves as its Executive Director. She also launched the City’s Business Visitation Program to strengthen relationships with the local business community and spearheaded the creation of a Data and Innovation Program Manager position to improve data management and operational efficiency across City departments.
Roverud holds a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is a certified planner through the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), a Six Sigma Lean Green Belt in Government, and has completed executive leadership and economic development training through numerous professional organizations, including the International City/County Management Association and the California Association for Local Economic Development.
“Hilary’s deep understanding of South Lake Tahoe, her long-standing commitment to public service, and her steady leadership during this transition have made her an exceptional choice for consideration,” said Mayor Cody Bass. She has served this community for more than two decades with professionalism, integrity, and a clear focus on strengthening City services. The Council looks forward to considering this appointment and, if approved, working with Mrs. Roverud as she leads the organization, supports City staff, and continues advancing the City’s Strategic Priorities for the South Lake Tahoe Community. “
The City Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, beginning at 9:00am. The meeting agenda and staff report will be available prior to the meeting on the City’s website.
An attorney argued that because a man was sentenced to prison for two felonies for coercion and domestic battery with strangulation, prosecutors couldn’t seek a consecutive sentence for misdemeanor domestic battery and stalking.
Aidan Lee Knight, 21, appeared in Tahoe Township Justice Court on Tuesday where he was convicted of domestic battery and stalking against the same survivor he admitted trying to strangle when she was 16.
Knight is serving a 2-5-year prison sentence in a Dec. 17, 2024, in connection with that case. He admitted those charges and was sentenced in June.
Justice of the Peace Michael Johnson delayed sentencing on the misdemeanors while Jason Gunnell and Chelsea Mazza determine the legality of making those sentences consecutive to his prison term. Knight is scheduled to return on Oct. 13.
Gunnell asked for concurrent sentences for the domestic battery and stalking charges, but Mazza sought to have 120-day suspended sentences consecutive to the prison term, which means he would serve them upon his release.
Knight said he and the survivor were still boyfriend and girlfriend and that he hoped to move past the beating he gave her. Gunnell was quick to counter that statement, since Knight has been under a no-contact order since shortly after the incident.
“This is more of a wish on Mr. Knight’s part,” Gunnell said.
Knight agreed saying he hasn’t talked to her directly, which would constitute a new crime, but has heard from people who know her.
• A South Lake Tahoe man is seeking to represent himself in a July 13 felony domestic battery case.
Garret Richard Vanwey, 29, appeared in Tahoe Township Justice Court on Tuesday with attorney Max Stovall prior to a preliminary hearing set for next week.
Vanwey is accused of using a hammer to question his former girlfriend after he tied her up. He was arrested on July 19. According to the Sheriff’s Report he is on probation in El Dorado County and has domestic battery convictions in 2020 and 2023. A third domestic battery in seven years is a felony.
(The Center Square) – Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced that California is set to increase the statewide minimum wage to $17.40 per hour.
The increase, which is a .50 cent bump from the current $16.90, will go into effect on January 1, 2027. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, and has not changed since 2009.
The Center Square reached out to Governor Newsom’s office requesting an interview but was referred back to a press release.
“For years, Donald Trump and Republicans have blocked efforts to raise the federal minimum wage while handing tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations,” Newsom said in the press release. “California has chosen a different path — one that rewards work, grows the economy, and puts working families first. We believe if you work hard, you deserve a decent paycheck. They think $7.25 an hour is enough. We don’t.”
But economists say increasing the minimum wage can destroy jobs, making it tougher for the people it is trying to help.
“This is bad economically,” Wayne Winegarden, senior fellow of business and economics at the Pacific Research Institute, told The Center Square in an interview Tuesday. “It’s a policy that is deceptively kind, but in practice, it destroys opportunity and worsens the business environment. It’s just the wrong way to go.”
The statewide minimum wage increases automatically each year under California Labor Code 1182.12. The annual adjustment is made to keep pace with inflation and is based off of the Consumer Price Index.
According to Rebekah Paxton, research director for the Employment Policies Institute, rather than help with affordability, the increase will increase cost-of-living conditions in the state and limit job opportunities for Californians.
“Decades of economic research shows that this would kill a significant amount of jobs,” Paxton told The Center Square in an interview on Tuesday. “It’s going to continue to raise prices that businesses have to charge, therefore also contributing to inflation, not making it better.
“It will also leave folks who remain employed potentially with fewer scheduled hours because it’s now making it so expensive for businesses to employ their workers,” Paxton added.
According to Winegarden, the population that could potentially be helped the most by the minimum wage increase is also the population who could be hurt the most.
“If you are a low-skilled worker and you get to keep your hours, and you get the minimum wage increase, you’re going to benefit the most,” Winegarden said. “The people who are going to be hurt the most are the ones who lose the job and now have an income of zero.”
Paxton added that workers in the hospitality and food industries specifically, as well as young workers, are going to be hurt.
“Typically, folks who work in industries like hospitalities, restaurants, and retail are going to be hard hit by this,” Paxton said. “Also a large number of minimum wage earners are 16 to 19 year olds, so folks who are looking to get career experience with their first job, are going to be disproportionately affected.”
An EPI analysis found that a $1 increase in the minimum wage can lead to upwards of a 5.5% increase in prices.
“When the minimum wage goes up, it increases the cost of keeping those employees on staff or hiring new ones, and so a lot of times businesses raise their prices that they charge to absorb some of those increases in labor costs,” Paxton said.
Paxton said that minimum wages hikes are squarely the responsibility of business owners to absorb.
“If you have very few skills to begin with, it’s harder to get a job, and the higher you force somebody to pay you, the less opportunities that there’ll be. So in effect, you’re punishing those companies willing to hire people with low skills, and so you’re going to create less opportunities,” Winegarden said. “This just gives people less opportunity to kind of climb the economic ladder.”
According to Winegarden, businesses are being transferred additional costs because of the failure of the income support system.
“Rather than focusing on the minimum wage, what we should be focusing on is how can we ensure that there is a standard safety net that gives people an incentive to get the skills to continue working, in effect earning income that outgrows the need for income support,” Winegarden said. “It’s really a responsibility for all of society. It’s not a responsibility that should be thrusted upon people who are willing to hire them.
“We have this minimum wage because we have an ineffective income support system,” Winegarden added.
In 2023, Gov. Newsom signed a law that made the minimum wage for fast food workers $20. The law went into effect in 2024, and has cost Californians thousands of jobs, The Center Square has reported.
In San Diego, a new minimum wage law went into effect for hospitality workers on July 1. Under the City of San Diego Hospitality Minimum Wage Ordinance, wages increased for specified workers at event centers, amusement parks, and hotels.
Workers at San Diego event centers must be paid $21.06 per hour, and workers at covered hotels and amusement parks must be paid $19 per hour. The wages will increase every year on July 1 until they reach $25 per hour in 2030.
SLTFR responded to a broken steel gas line at San Francisco and Pasadena AveVictoria Mastrocola / Tahoe Daily Tribune
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – At around 9:16 a.m. on Tuesday, August 4, South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) received a call of a 3/4-inch steel gas line that broke underneath a piece of construction equipment on San Francisco and Pasadena Avenues.
At 9:20 a.m., SLTFR Engine 2 was first on scene, followed by Southwest Gas and together, they addressed the breakage caused by a machine that grinds up asphalt.
“The machine was cutting the asphalt away, and it ran over the gas line and broke it,” said Holt Cawelti, acting Captain at Fire Station 2. “We secured the area, we wet down the area with our hoseline and once the gas company arrived, we assisted them as a back-up team.”
Cawelti said a jackhammer was used to break away asphalt in order to access the line.
No injuries were reported, and crews were able to shut off the gas supply and mitigate the breakage within the hour.
Caution tape tags the trees that have been poisoned at Burnt Cedar Beach.Petra Molina / Sierra Sun
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — Washoe County Sheriff’s Office officials say a series of intentional tree poisoning incidents at Burnt Cedar Beach dating back to 2022 appear to be connected, adding new details Tuesday as the investigation continues.
Incline Village Patrol Captain Joseph Colacurcio said investigators have documented 28 affected trees over three separate incidents. Six trees were damaged in 2022, another six in 2024 and 16 more were discovered this year.
“Looking forward, if the trees were to die, we are looking at well over $300,000 in damage,” Colacurcio said.
Because each incident occurred in the same area of Burnt Cedar Beach and followed a similar pattern, investigators believe the cases are connected.
Incline Village General Improvement District staff said several trees poisoned in the 2022 and 2024 incidents died within months and had to be removed. Stumps from the 2024 incident remain visible at the beach.
Stumps from trees poisoned in 2024 are still visible at Burnt Cedar Beach.Petra Molina / Sierra Sun
Investigators are awaiting the results of soil samples to determine what substance was used in the latest poisoning. Colacurcio said laboratory testing could take several months.
While investigators believe the poisonings were intentional, Colacurcio said it is too early to determine a motive.
“Maybe it’s malicious, they might have intent, but I can’t speak to motives at this time,” he said.
Previous investigations into the 2022 and 2024 incidents did not identify a suspect.
Colacurcio noted that Nevada law provides criminal penalties for intentionally damaging trees and other vegetation, and anyone responsible could face substantial charges.
The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office continues to ask anyone with information about the incidents to contact the Incline Village Substation at 775-328-3001 or submit an anonymous tip through Secret Witness.
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – After breaking the Lake Tahoe True Width record last summer, 56-year-old Alex Kostich from Los Angeles returned to Tahoe on Monday and broke another record.
“I really just wanted to have a good swim and try to be under 4 hours,” he said, after he accomplished his goal with room to spare at 3 hours, 48 minutes, and 51 seconds, outpacing Colombia’s Jorge Angel’s six-year record on the 10.6-mile Vikingsholm swim by 31 minutes.
Alex Kostich swimming through Emerald Bay for the final half-mile before the finish, passing Fannette Island and its iconic stone tea house.Provided / Alex Kostich
The swim from Cave Rock, Nev. to the beach below the historic Vikingsholm Castle in Emerald Bay, Calif. is the second swim in the Lake Tahoe Triple Crown, which includes the Lake Tahoe True Width (12 miles) he completed last year, this year’s Vikingsholm swim and the Lake Tahoe Length (21.3 miles).
In making a habit of coming to Tahoe and breaking records, Kostich has begun to develop superstitions, such as eating at Morelo’s Tacos as his last meal before the swim. It was his last meal before last year’s True Width crossing, so he thought it best to continue that tradition.
“I’ve stayed in touch throughout the year with the proprietors there (Omar, Mari, and Chris) and so it was a nice reunion to see them and enjoy their delicious tacos before my swim the next day!”
He also stopped by another favorite shop, Tahoe City’s Leffler Leather, where he purchased shoes that he says brought good luck.
Alex Kostich’s last meal before the swim at Morelo’s Tacos. Provided / Alex Kostich
Alex Kostich’s visit at Tahoe City’s Leffler Leather IMG_3363
These two shops, along with Emerald Bay Lodge, he says, made his Monday record a team effort.
For Kostich, Tahoe is just as much about the community as it is about swimming, if not more. “I hope it’s apparent how much I value and appreciate the local community,” he says, “I’ve come to know since last year.”
Support extended beyond the land and onto the water. One core memory from the swim was the unexpected messages of encouragement that came via text from family, friends, and the swim community, relayed to him on a whiteboard from a boat as he swam.
It helped Kostich push through a particularly difficult two-mile section in the middle of the lake where he was battling waves.
“Naturally, this swim was metaphoric in terms of the real-world challenges so many people face,” he said, “but it made me aware of the importance and beauty of this sense of community and support.”
When embarking on these swims, boats pilot athletes, while observers ensure proper recording and adherence to rules. Athletes also often have someone who helps feed them and keep them fueled during these marathon swims.
Kotisch completed Monday’s swim with the support of Sylvia Lacock of the Pacific Open Water Swim Co. and the Lake Tahoe Open Water Swimming Association, feeder Suzanne Heim-Bowen, Mikey Flaherty, and observer Kat Filley.
The repeat Tahoe swimmer now has his sights set on completing the Triple Crown. To do that, he’d have to complete the 21.3 miles of the Lake Tahoe Length swim, which he explains is often cited as more difficult than the English Channel due to freshwater, reduced buoyancy, and the 6,000-foot elevation.
“I’ve been thinking about it since yesterday’s humbling success,” he told the Tribune on Tuesday, “and feel maybe I should commit myself and hold myself accountable.”
Kostich in front of the Vikingsholm castle on Aug. 2, the day before his swim, to assess the conditions at the finish line.Provided / Alex Kostich
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — The Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association (TAMBA) announced a transformational $250,000 gift from local philanthropists Kyle and Jessica Aster that will fully fund the 2026 work season on the Meeks Ridge Trail, one of the organization’s most ambitious trail projects to date. The generous donation will enable TAMBA to push toward its ultimate goal of completing the final two miles of trail, reconnecting Meeks Bay to Lost Lake on Tahoe’s West Shore for the first time in decades and bringing a once-lost historic route back to life.
Crews working on Meeks Ridge Trail.Photo credit: Goldin Photography
The gift marks a defining milestone not only for the Meeks Ridge Trail, but for the future of trail development across the Lake Tahoe Basin. As one of the first major trail construction projects to move forward following approval of the U.S. Forest Service’s Basin Wide Trails Analysis Project, Meeks Ridge represents the beginning of a new chapter in expanding and improving Tahoe’s world-renowned trail network.
“This extraordinary act of generosity is about so much more than funding a trail,” said Drew Bray, executive director of TAMBA. “It’s an investment in the future of recreation and community in Tahoe. Thanks to Kyle and Jessica’s incredible generosity, we’re not only completing one of the most exciting trail projects in the Basin—we’re demonstrating what’s possible as we begin bringing the vision of the Basin Wide Trails Analysis Project to life.”
Once complete, the Meeks Ridge Trail will create a spectacular 12-mile loop by connecting with the General Creek and Lost Lake trail systems. The sustainably designed trail will provide hikers and mountain bikers with access to breathtaking granite landscapes, expansive views of Desolation Wilderness, and rare old-growth forests while restoring a route that has been inaccessible for generations.
Since construction began, TAMBA volunteers and professional trail crews have built four miles of trail through rugged backcountry terrain. This summer, crews are tackling the final two-mile section—the most technically challenging portion of the project. The work requires the expertise of professional trail building crews, extensive logistics, and hundreds of volunteer hours to safely construct a sustainable trail through steep, remote terrain.
The timing of the gift is especially significant as Tahoe enters a new era of trail planning. Earlier this year, the U.S. Forest Service approved the Basin Wide Trails Analysis Project, establishing a roadmap for up to 45 miles of future trail opportunities while expanding Class 1 e-bike access across more than 100 miles of existing trails. The approval followed years of environmental review, public engagement, and collaboration among land managers and community partners.
While each future trail project will require its own design, environmental review, fundraising, and construction, the completion of Meeks Ridge demonstrates how that vision can become reality through strong community involvement and local investment.
“Much of Tahoe’s world-class trail network is what it is thanks to the hard work of TAMBA’s dedicated staff, volunteers, and trail builders,” said Kyle Aster. “They’ve become one of my favorite organizations to work with, and it’s deeply meaningful to be able to support their efforts to complete the Meeks Ridge Trail.”
The project also reflects TAMBA’s longstanding partnership with the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and other public agencies to build sustainable, environmentally responsible trails that improve recreation while protecting the landscapes that make Tahoe unique.
As work continues on Meeks Ridge, TAMBA hopes the project will inspire others to support the next generation of trail investments throughout the Basin.
“The Basin Wide Trails Analysis Project gives our community an unprecedented opportunity to thoughtfully expand Tahoe’s trail network,” continued Bray. “Completing Meeks Ridge is the first step on that journey. We hope this incredible gift inspires others to join us in building the next generation of trails that will connect communities, improve access, protect natural resources, and create unforgettable outdoor experiences for decades to come.”
Construction on the Meeks Ridge Trail is entering its final phases, with work expected to be completed in 2027. Community contributions help support the work still ahead and will help bring this landmark trail closer to completion. Learn more at www.tamba.org.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. —The Edgewood Companies announced an initial annual investment of$25,000 to become an operating sponsor of The Atrium, theMarcella Foundation’s new community makerspace and innovation center that will provide free, hands-on learning opportunities for local students. The commitment marks the next chapter in a partnership that has grown from food rescue efforts into a shared investment in the future of South Lake Tahoe.
Some partnerships begin with a single conversation. Others grow into something that changes a community. For the Marcella Foundation and The Edgewood Companies, it began in the kitchen.
When Executive Chef Jon Snyder first connected with FeedTahoe, he saw an opportunity to ensure that surplus food from Edgewood Tahoe Resort could nourish local families instead of going to waste. That simple conversation sparked a partnership that has continued to grow, first through food rescue, then through employee volunteerism, community events, and now an investment in the future of Tahoe’s youth.
Over the past three years,Edgewood Tahoe Resort has become one of FeedTahoe’s valued food donors, helping rescue more than 5,000 pounds of surplus food that has been redistributed to nine local food pantry partners instead of going to waste. Last year, The Edgewood Companies also made a $10,000 investment to strengthen FeedTahoe’s work combating food insecurity, helping provide nutritious meals to families across South Lake Tahoe.
Their support didn’t stop there.
Edgewood Tahoe Resort employees volunteered alongside the Marcella Foundation as Kindle Giveaway at Sierra House Elementary School, placing e-readers into the hands of local elementary students and encouraging a lifelong love of reading. Earlier this month, they once again stepped forward to serve as raffle runners during the Longest Dinner Table, helping generate more than $5,700 to support the Foundation’s work serving children and families.
Now, the partnership is entering its biggest chapter yet.
The Edgewood Companies’ annual investment for The Atrium will help make it possible for the Marcella Foundation to provide free access to hands-on learning experiences for 300 local students every year.
Edgewood Tahoe Resort’s commitment demonstrates how local businesses can play a meaningful role in shaping the next generation. As construction of The Atrium continues, the Marcella Foundation is inviting additional businesses, organizations, and community leaders who share this vision to help expand opportunities for Tahoe’s youth.
The Edgewood Companies became an operating sponsor of The AtriumProvided / Edgewood
“The strongest partnerships aren’t built overnight,” said Melissa Uppendahl, Executive Director of the Marcella Foundation. “They grow because people continue showing up for one another. That’s exactly what Edgewood has done. They first helped us rescue food for families. Their employees volunteered in our schools and community events. Now they’re helping create a place where hundreds of local students every year will discover new skills, new passions, and new opportunities. We’re incredibly grateful for a partnership that continues to grow in both impact and vision.”
The Atrium represents the next evolution of the Marcella Foundation’s mission to Feed, Read, and Lead. The nearly 12,000-square-foot facility will bring together a professional makerspace, teaching kitchen, community event space, and the expanded home of FeedTahoe under one roof.
Students will have free access to woodworking, metalworking, laser cutting, 3D printing, sewing, entrepreneurship programming, digital fabrication, and mentorship from local professionals. At the same time, FeedTahoe will dramatically expand its emergency food storage capacity to rescue and redistribute nutritious food through pallet-scale cold storage, allowing the organization to serve even more food pantries while reducing food waste across the region.
“At Edgewood, we believe strong communities are built by investing in people,” said Corinna Osborne, Chief Operating Officer of The Edgewood Companies. “Supporting organizations that strengthen South Lake Tahoe has always been an important part of who we are, whether that’s helping address food insecurity, volunteering alongside our community partners, or investing in opportunities for local students to learn and grow. The Atrium is an investment in the next generation of Tahoe youth, and we’re proud to help create a place that will inspire creativity, build confidence, and open doors for years to come.”
Since launching FeedTahoe in 2024, the Marcella Foundation has rescued more than 109,000 pounds of food, providing more than 91,000 meals while preventing nearly 472,000 pounds of carbon emissions. As The Atrium opens its doors, the organization expects to expand both its food rescue operations and its educational programming, creating one central hub where students, volunteers, nonprofits, businesses, and community members come together to learn, serve, and build.
For Chef Jon Snyder, what started as a conversation about food has become part of something much bigger.
What began in the kitchen is now helping build the future.
(The Center Square) – California’s ethics agency oversees an unlimited, blank-check system of payments solicited by elected officials — including the $347 million Gov. Gavin Newsom has steered through California politics. An investigation by The Center Square has found the state’s “transparency” portal shows the money, but it omits the conflicts of interest.
Voters using the database have no way to search whether donors had business before the government at the time of their donations, even though that information is collected by the California Fair Political Practices Committee (FPPC).
The omission matters because California caps campaign checks. It does not cap “behested payments.” State law allows elected officials to solicit unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, tribes, foundations and other special interest groups — so long as the money goes to a third party instead of a campaign account.
A California Fair Political Practices Commission database displays behested payment records associated with Gavin Newsom.California Fair Political Practices Commission Form 803 Database / Public records database
That means a donor who would otherwise be limited to $39,200 per election for a governor’s campaign can give millions more to a nonprofit, public project, or outside cause if the money is solicited by that same official and reported as a behested payment.
“It’s another way of trying to influence government,” explained Richard Briffault, a Columbia University law professor and campaign finance expert. “It’s another deposit in the favor bank. That doesn’t necessarily mean there will be a quid pro quo… Occasionally, there might be a real connection. Then that can be criminal. But usually? If they’re buying anything, they’re buying goodwill. They’re buying a favorable disposition.”
The FPPC’s database only reveals behested payments involving state officials. Cities and counties are tasked with managing their own behested-payment data.
Unlike the state database, some cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, Sacramento, and Long Beach post full disclosure forms online that include any conflicts of interest for the public to review.
Connecting the dots
California’s FPPC was born from a demand for transparency. Voters created the agency in 1974 in the wake of the Watergate scandal to shine light on political money and government ethics.
Even if donors have a contract or proceeding before the government, state law does not prohibit them from donating unlimited sums of money to a third party at a politician’s behest. Instead, the FPPC relies on disclosure to inform the public.
Elected officials are required to fill out a Form 803 within 30 days for each behested payment once they total $5,000 or more in a calendar year. The document includes a box for politicians to check if the donor is “a named party or the subject of a proceeding before (the official’s) agency.”
The form also provides half of a line for a brief description.
“The purpose of the behested payment reporting scheme is to allow for payments that serve the public good, and to provide disclosure when there is a potential for influence over an elected official,” wrote FPPC general counsel David Bainbridge in 2021.
Instead, employees of the FPPC input details from the form such as donor (payor), recipient (payee), and dollar amount. The FPPC omits any information about whether donors have outstanding government business; “Copies of the full reports are available at the FPPC office in Sacramento.”
FPPC Communications Director Shery Yang failed to respond to multiple requests for comment from The Center Square since July 15. Staff have not answered why the information is collected but left unpublished.
Sean McMorris, who manages the transparency and ethics program for California Common Cause, said he was disappointed to see an FPPC “transparency” portal concealing the most important information from voters.
“They should be accurately extracting and putting that information into that spreadsheet,” McMorris said. “(Disclosure) is absolutely essential to a well-functioning democracy, because journalists can take this information. They can connect dots and let the public decide if something is appropriate or not.”
Briffault said it can be extremely difficult for members of the public to follow money when key details are not made public.
“It’s the connecting of dots that’s the problem. Just getting the dots can be difficult for most people, but linking them up, I think, is the hard part,” Briffault said. “That’s kind of up to you all. The media are going to be the ones that are hopefully tracking this.”
‘really unfortunate examples’
Sen. Brian Allen, D-Santa Monica, is the most recent state lawmaker to pass reforms to California’s behested-payment system.
Senate Bill 760 went into effect on January 1, 2026. The bill stopped lawmakers from being required to disclose donations made at their behest if the payment results from a “public appeal” such as a television broadcast, radio broadcast, billboard or public online message.
Allen said the bill was spurred by tricky conversations with lawyers telling him not to publicly mention the names of helpful nonprofits in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire.
“I was advised I shouldn’t mention any of these really amazing organizations that were helping in the community. These are organizations that I have no personal connection to besides gratefulness,” Allen said. “That just seemed insane to me.”
SB 760 also codified some of the FPPC’s existing regulations. Allen said it was important for him to ensure elected officials would still be required to disclose behested payments in cases of perceived conflicts of interest.
“If your family or your staff hold a prominent position within the (recipient) organization, that’s a different story. We really want to make sure there’s not even the remotest appearance of self dealing,” Allen said. “The reason why we have these rules in place is to make sure elected officials aren’t appealing for donations for their own private gain or the gain of someone very close to them. A spouse. A family member. Maybe a staffer. I completely understand all of that. I know there have been some really unfortunate examples of that over the years.”
FPPC records show Newsom has solicited 42 payments from 23 donors totaling $4.28 million for California Partners Project, a nonprofit founded by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom. Attorney General Rob Bonta solicited more than $517,000 from four donors for two nonprofits employing his wife Mia Bonta when he was a member of the California State Assembly.
Allen did not elaborate on the “really unfortunate examples.” He did not mention Newsom, Bonta, or any other elected official by name.
Overall, Newsom has used California’s behested-payment system far more aggressively than any other elected official in state history, soliciting more than $347 million from businesses and wealthy individuals to various causes since becoming lieutenant governor in 2010. The next-highest total belongs to former Gov. Jerry Brown, who reported about one-tenth as much money or approximately $35 million.
The FPPC requires disclosure, and Newsom has been fined on multiple occasions for not filing timely reports.
Records show Blue Shield of California and its affiliated entities have donated more than $21 million at the request of California’s elected officials. It was one of the 23 donors that contributed to the first partner’s nonprofit at Newsom’s request.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom at the California Hall of Fame ceremony, March 19, 2026.Office of California Governor / Courtesy of the Office of the Governor
Blue Shield’s largest donation of $20 million was in 2020 to Enterprise Community Partners, also at the request of Newsom.
The health insurance provider donated twice to the Governor’s Inaugural Fund to support Newsom’s inauguration in 2019 and 2023. Those donations totaled $175,000.
In 2021, Newsom awarded Blue Shield a $15 million, no-bid contract to take over California’s COVID-19 vaccine network.
Due to omitted information on the FPPC portal, it’s unknown whether any of Blue Shield’s state business was disclosed at the time of its behested payments. The Center Square has filed a request for the actual disclosure forms, but the FPPC has not provided them as of publication.
Blue Shield has consistently donated to Newsom’s campaigns since he was a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 2002.
“If you’ve tapped out? If you’ve given the maximum that you can to a particular candidate? You can instead curry favor with them by contributing to their favorite donation,” McMorris said. “The politicians know very well who to go to. They’re not calling up an average person. They’re going to someone with a lot of money and someone who they know needs something from them.”
No interview, just statement
Newsom has not responded to interview requests from The Center Square.
Instead, a spokeswoman for Newsom emailed a statement broadly characterizing behested payments as “a lawful, bipartisan tool to support charitable and public-service efforts that benefit Californians (and that might otherwise be borne by taxpayers).”
“Californians deserve transparency, accountability, and confidence that charitable giving serves the public interest,” wrote Diana Croft-Pelayo, the governor’s chief deputy director of communications.
Mark Seelig, a spokesman for Blue Shield, declined an interview request from The Center Square and refused to answer questions related to Blue Shield’s government business at the time of its behested payments.
“We regularly support candidates for public office from both major political parties who share our mission of improving healthcare access and affordability,” Seelig wrote in an email. “Our contributions are fully and properly disclosed according to applicable laws.”
Allen said he was surprised to learn the FPPC doesn’t disclose details about donors with government business. He said he didn’t want to speculate on the reason.
“They should do it. I agree,” Allen said. “Presumably they could certainly figure out a way.”
Few organizations have a greater influence on the future of Lake Tahoe than the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA). From environmental restoration and transportation planning to housing, redevelopment, and shoreline policy, the agency sits at the center of many of the basin’s most important conversations.
On this episode of Tahoe TAP, hosts Mike Peron and Rob Galloway sit down with Julie Regan, Executive Director of TRPA, for an inside look at the opportunities and challenges facing one of America’s most iconic alpine environments.
Regan has spent more than two decades helping shape the future of the Tahoe Basin. In 2022, she was selected by TRPA’s 15-member Governing Board to lead the nation’s first bi-state environmental planning agency, an organization created in 1969 to protect Lake Tahoe while balancing the needs of the communities and the region’s multi-billion-dollar outdoor recreation and tourism economy.
Having served in leadership roles at TRPA since 2003, Regan has helped guide landmark initiatives involving environmental restoration, transportation, climate resilience, and sustainable growth. Her career has been defined by bringing together science, public policy, and community collaboration to address the complex issues facing the basin.
A former journalist with a master’s degree from Temple University, Regan is also pursuing a doctorate in environmental science at the University of Nevada, Reno, where her research examines the relationship between science and public policy. Her leadership extends beyond Tahoe as a former Co-Chair of the Network for Landscape Conservation and a contributor to national discussions on destination stewardship and managing tourism in environmentally sensitive communities.
Now celebrating nearly 30 years in the Tahoe Basin, Regan remains deeply invested in the community she calls home. Beyond her professional work, she has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including as Chair of the Barton Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees, and enjoys skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and exploring the outdoors with her family.
In this episode, the conversation explores how TRPA balances environmental protection with responsible growth, the evolving challenges of climate change and recreation, and the collaborative efforts shaping the future of Lake Tahoe.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — The Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) Board of Trustees unanimously appointed Russi Egan to serve as the college’s Interim Superintendent/President, effective August 1, 2026. The Board approved her employment agreement at its June 23, 2026 meeting.
Egan succeeds Jeff DeFranco, who led LTCC since January 2017 and concluded his tenure at the end of the 2025–26 academic year. DeFranco has transitioned to Arizona State University, where he serves as Special Advisor to the Provost on Academic Alliance Strategy. Egan will serve through June 30, 2027, or until the Board appoints a permanent Superintendent/President, whichever comes first.
Russi EganProvided / LTCC
Egan previously served as LTCC’s Vice President of Administrative Services. Over nearly two decades in the California community college system, she has been a driving force in shaping educational experiences that meet students’ academic needs while supporting institutional growth. She holds a Master’s degree in Accounting from National University and a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Ashford University.
“In Ms. Egan, the Board has appointed an Interim President with proven leadership capability to help us transition to our next permanent Superintendent/President,” said Tony Sears, President of the LTCC Board of Trustees. “We have both high expectations and great confidence in her ability to keep the College on stable footing, continue the planned projects and growth, and guide us into the future. We look forward to working closely with her well into the future, just as we have in the past.”
“I am honored by the Board’s confidence and excited to step into this role,” said Egan. “LTCC has been my professional home for nine years, and I have a lot of respect for the people and the community we serve. My focus will be on keeping our momentum strong, supporting our students, our faculty and staff, and the projects already underway, while we prepare for the next chapter in the college’s leadership.”
The Board extended its sincere appreciation to DeFranco for his leadership and service to LTCC, and for the ample notice he provided regarding his departure, which allowed for a thoughtful and orderly transition. During his presidency, he guided a period of institutional transformation that fundamentally reshaped the college’s programs, physical campus, student outcomes, and financial standing.
“Being president of LTCC has been the highlight of my career and fulfilled a lifelong dream to be a college president. I am extraordinarily proud of what we have built together at LTCC, and I leave knowing the college is on a stronger footing than ever,” said DeFranco.
Looking ahead, the Board is committed to conducting a comprehensive search for the college’s next permanent Superintendent/President. That process is expected to begin this fall and will include meaningful engagement with campus stakeholders and the broader community. The Board anticipates naming LTCC’s sixth Superintendent/President, with an expected start date of July 2027.
For more information, please contact the President’s Office at president@ltcc.edu.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – After multiple attempts of tree poisoning were discovered at Burnt Cedar Beach, the Incline Village Improvement District is working with environmental specialists to assess and mitigate the effects on the trees and surrounding soil.
The district is working closely with the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office on investigating the poisonings and also announced it is taking measures to prevent similar conduct.
Residents are encouraged to contact the sheriff’s office with any pertinent information at (775) 328–3001 and reference case number 26-4225.
“The District recognizes the value of these trees to the community and is resolved to work with law enforcement to hold accountable those responsible for attempting to destroy them,” IVGID said in a statement.
The district says there is no immediate threat to the health and welfare of beachgoers, and Burnt Cedar Beach will remain open.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On Monday, August 3, Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Director Vinson Guthreau met with California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot to reaffirm the longstanding partnership between the two states and advance shared priorities for the Lake Tahoe Basin.
Wade Crowfoot and Vinson GuthreauProvided / California Natural Resources Agency
Because the Lake Tahoe Basin straddles the Nevada-California border, protecting one of the nation’s most iconic alpine landscapes requires close coordination between the two states. During the meeting, the leaders focused on strengthening wildfire resilience, preserving Lake Tahoe’s famed clarity, advancing forest and watershed health, and expanding outdoor recreation opportunities throughout the basin.
“Our two states share some of the West’s most important natural landscapes and resources,” said Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Director Vinson Guthreau. “Our partnership has a long history, and I appreciate Secretary Crowfoot’s leadership and his commitment to the Lake Tahoe Basin. Together, we have accomplished a great deal, and I am confident that continued cooperation between our agencies will benefit the basin, along with its residents and visitors, for years to come.”
Vinson Guthreau and Wade CrowfootProvided / California Natural Resources Agency
“It’s a great privilege to partner with the State of Nevada to manage one of the most beautiful and important water bodies in America: Lake Tahoe,” said California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot. “California and Nevada have built a tremendous legacy of shared stewardship across that Tahoe Basin and our collaboration with local and tribal governments, agencies and conservation organizations is focused on helping this region and its communities to thrive. I’m excited to work with Director Guthreau’s on this next chapter of this vital partnership.”
The city of South Lake Tahoe will offer cash incentives to homeowners who utilize their extra housing units.Victoria Mastrocola / Tahoe Daily Tribune
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The city of South Lake Tahoe’s Long-Term Rental Incentive Program is offering cash incentives to homeowners who convert their underutilized housing units into six-month or 12-month rentals.
The concept was first approved and launched in 2021 as a pilot program in partnership with Landing Locals, known then as the Lease to Locals Program. During a city council meeting in August of 2025, Council directed staff to bring the program in-house, renaming it Long-Term Rental Incentive Program (LTR).
“This program allows the owners to unlock their underutilized or vacant homes to local workers. Owners have a monthly income by renting their homes and reducing turnover costs,” said Jessica Wackenhut Lomeli, Housing Manager for the City of South Lake Tahoe.
The total allocated amount for both LTR’s operational costs and the cash incentives is $770,000. The initial funding for the program was provided by the federal government’s Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill signed by former President Joe Biden. Rescue Plan Act’s funding has since been expended and other funding sources consist of the city’s General Fund and designated city housing funds.
Wackenhut Lomeli noted that the program’s budget is closely monitored as grant applications are received and reviewed. Based on the use of the program, additional funding sources are evaluated when funding is needed, and the budget for the program must be approved by City Council.
Since its launch, LTR has assisted 66 households and housed 159 people, including children.
“This program provides two major benefits, property owners have a financial incentive to rent their properties, and some local workers have a place to live locally without the need for a long commute,” said Wackenhut Lomeli. “At this time, [LTR] is the only active program within the city that is specifically geared towards Moderate-Income residents.”
Cash incentives include $4,500 per qualifying tenant in a 12-month lease and $2,000 per qualifying tenant in a six-month lease.
The program defines an “underutilized housing unit” as one that isn’t occupied full-time and not currently being rented for 30 days or more, such as primary homes, short-term rentals, vacation properties and second homes.
Requirements for property owners include:
Property must be in the City of South Lake Tahoe
Must be a new lease – lease must not be older than 30 days to qualify
Must be a legally permitted unit and meet health & safety standards
Cannot have been a long-term rental within the last 18 months
Eligible properties: single-family homes, townhomes, condos, or vacant rooms in owner-occupied homes (multifamily properties not eligible)
Must sign a six- or 12-month lease
Requirements for tenants:
Household income must average no more than 125% AMI ($79,688 for an individual in El Dorado County, 2021 standard)
At least 50% of adult tenants must work locally 20+ hours/week in the South Shore.
August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day. For many, it is a day of reflection. For me, it is something I live with every day.
On February 12, 2024, my daughter Keely died in South Lake Tahoe. She was 33 years old — beautiful, deeply loved, and full of life. She died alongside three other people. They believed they were using cocaine. What they were actually given was pure fentanyl.
This did not have to happen.
There was no warning. No chance to make a different decision. Just a moment that changed everything for our family and for everyone who loved her.
Fentanyl has changed the reality of drug use in ways many people still do not fully understand. It is not just found in opioids anymore. It is showing up in substances people don’t associate with overdose risk at all. People think they know what they are taking — but too often, they don’t.
And that is where the real danger lies.
Keely is not a statistic. She is my daughter, and she matters deeply. I am sharing her story because I do not want another family to go through this kind of pain.
International Overdose Awareness Day is a global campaign, and this year marks its 25th year. It is still needed because overdose continues to take far too many lives.
We need to start having honest conversations about fentanyl. We need to make sure our kids, our friends, and our neighbors understand that one unknown substance — just one — can be fatal.
We also need to be prepared. Carrying naloxone, or Narcan, can save a life. It is simple to use and available without a prescription. In a moment of crisis, those few minutes matter.
To learn more about International Overdose Awareness Day, visit overdoseday.com. To honor Keely and help others, I will be hosting an International Overdose Awareness Day event at the Markleeville Library on August 31 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is a space for our community to come together — to learn, to remember, and to support one another.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Come celebrate Smokey Bear’s 82nd birthday with the U.S. Forest Service and our Great Basin Institute partners. The fire prevention icon’s birthday bash is on Sunday, August 9 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Tallac Historic Site’s Baldwin Museum on the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.
The birthday extravaganza includes: Photo opportunities, sign the birthday card, group book readings, meet firefighters, and cake! For more than 80 years, Smokey Bear has taught generations of forest visitors about the importance of wildfire prevention. His powerful message, “Only you can prevent wildfires,” is at the heart of the longest-running public service announcement (PSA) campaign in U.S. history.
Read more about this American icon and learn how to do your part to prevent wildfires at SmokeyBear.Com.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a series of intentional tree poisonings at Burnt Cedar Beach in Incline Village after multiple trees were found with a substance of strong odor around their base.
The first (recent) incident was discovered on July 24, and a second on Sunday, Aug. 2. The sheriff’s office says these latest occurrences are very similar to incidents reported at Burnt Cedar Beach in prior years.
Since 2022, investigators have documented multiple cases in which a substance has been poured around the bases of trees or placed into holes drilled near their roots. Soil samples were collected from the area and had a strong odor consistent with previous tree-poisoning incidents at the property.
Detectives with the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office are investigating.
Investigators believe the most recent incident occurred sometime between approximately 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 1 and 5:00 a.m. on Aug. 2. A trail camera captured a brief light near the area at approximately 2:00 a.m.
Deputies are canvassing the area for additional video evidence.
“The deliberate destruction of these trees is deeply troubling and represents a significant loss for the entire community,” said Sheriff Darin Balaam. “We are taking these repeated incidents seriously and asking anyone with information to come forward so the person responsible can be identified and held accountable.”
Anyone who witnessed suspicious activity at Burnt Cedar Beach between Aug. 1 and Aug. 2, or who has information that may assist investigators, is asked to contact the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office at (775) 328–3001 and reference case number 26-4225.
Anonymous tips may also be submitted through Secret Witness at (775) 322-4900.
The Tribune will provide updates as the investigation unfolds.
The east end of downtown Tahoe City has a problem. Two of the town’s biggest properties — the Lighthouse Center and Boatworks Mall — are in trouble. The former’s anchor tenant and property owner, Safeway, moved to the other end of Tahoe City last fall. The Lighthouse space has been empty ever since, partly due to Safeway’s refusal to sell to another supermarket. MJD Capital Partners, which owns Boatworks, defaulted on its loan in January. The property is now in foreclosure and goes to auction next month.
“I think the majority of commercial square footage in our town is tied up in those two properties, so I think it’s concerning to the entire community and to the whole region, really, when you lose key commercial properties to service our needs, especially in such great lakefront locations,” said Placer County Supervisor Cindy Gustafson, who represents North Tahoe.
Safeway
Safeway vacated the Lighthouse Center last October. The grocery store was the center’s only street-front business; all other businesses, like A Santé Lakeside Fitness and Tahoe National Brewing Co., are in the back of the building. (CVS and the Tahoe City Post Office are in a separately owned building.)
When Safeway left, hopes were high that another grocery store would purchase the building. Tahoe City had been left with only one grocery store since October 2023, when Save Mart lost its lease to make way for Safeway’s relocation. The remodel ultimately took two years.
Word of residents’ growing frustration with the gaping vacant space at Lighthouse and lack of the current Safeway’s ability to keep up with demand during peak visitor months reached Sup. Gustafson. On June 9, she wrote a letter to Safeway’s corporate headquarters in Pleasanton, California:
“The continued vacancy of this highly visible property has become a significant community concern. Residents frequently describe the site as an eyesore and a missed opportunity at one of Tahoe City’s most important commercial locations. In addition, I continue to hear frustration from community members regarding reports that Safeway has limited or discouraged opportunities for other grocery operators or potential buyers to utilize the property.”
SAFEWAY’S former location has been sitting empty since last October. The company is blocking other grocery stores from buying the building. Photos by Melissa Siig/Moonshine Ink
A local real estate agent confirmed that the former Safeway building is for sale with a non-compete clause.
“Apparently it keeps falling out of contract,” the realtor wrote to Moonshine Ink. “They have turned down offers of $10 million and started to list it at $12 million, but they wanted a deed restriction and clause in the purchase contract that it could not be leased to or used as a grocery store.”
Gustafson has heard the same thing directly from supermarkets that have tried to purchase the building.
“I’ve been told that by people who have tried to acquire the property,” she said. “Other grocery stores that are in the region have tried to acquire this site.”
Numerous phone calls and emails by Moonshine Ink to multiple Safeway corporate officers and media relations were not returned.
On June 22, Gustafson’s office received this response from Todd Paradis, Safeway real estate manager based in Hawaii:
“Thank you for your recent letter sharing concerns raised by some residents of Tahoe City regarding Safeway’s new store and our intentions for the site of our previous store. We are in the process of reviewing the concerns raised and will discuss them internally. We will be in touch.”
Six weeks later, her office still has not received a follow-up response.
On July 22, Gustafson sent a letter of support for California Assembly Bill 1857, also known as the Grocery Store Access Act, to the state senate. The act, which was introduced in February, would ban corporate grocery chains from using restrictive property covenants to block new supermarkets from opening in spaces they have vacated.
“For the residents of Tahoe City, this legislation represents more than good public policy,” Gustafson wrote in the letter. “It represents an opportunity to remove unnecessary barriers that have prevented our community from attracting new grocery investment and restoring a vital commercial property to productive use. Communities should not be forced to choose between an underperforming grocery store and no grocery store at all.”
Gustafson said she now understands how Safeway won the lease for its current location.
“I think it’s very clear Safeway could outbid because they knew they were going to capture the market by not selling to another grocery store,” she said.
THE BOATWORKS MALL is in foreclosure and will go to auction in August, making the future of its tenants uncertain.
Boatworks
With MJD’s default on its $14-million loan in January, its failure to pay property tax, and the Boatworks now set to go to auction in Roseville on Aug. 12, there are concerns that the mall could face the same fate as the neighboring Safeway building — becoming a large, vacuous, empty space.
“I think that if we are looking down the barrel of having [another] ‘Henrikson Building East,’ that is a detriment to our community,” said Jeff Hill, Jake’s on the Lake general partner, referencing a dilapidated, empty building that used to sit on the opposite end of town. “We all have this vision of what we want our community in town to be. And I think that this is just another tipping scale of adversity that is, all eloquence aside, just sad.”
Jake’s has had a contentious relationship with MJD since it bought Boatworks, where the restaurant is housed. That is one reason this summer is Jake’s final season in Tahoe. After 48 years, it’s closing its doors in October unless the new owners present a deal too good to refuse.
“Due to the dynamic with the landlord and other outside factors, a path hasn’t really been presented to be able to move forward,” Hill said. “Should a path illuminate, we would walk it, but I just don’t see what that would be.”
MJD has not been communicative with tenants about its financial situation and foreclosure. The owner of Mountain Lotus Yoga found out about the auction when Moonshine Ink reached out to him, and Tahoe Fit owner Katie Peterson said every time she asked the company about the auction, they denied it.
“I did approach them about the auction a couple of times. And they’re still, to this day, denying that that’s even happening. So that part is slightly puzzling,” she said. “They say it’s a real estate financial issue they are working with.”
Tenants also complained about MJD’s neglect of the building. The electricity was turned off twice due to unpaid bills, and so was the water. The company cut back on garbage collection and maintenance staff. The mall’s main bathrooms got so bad at times that some tenants refused to use them.
“I feel that they definitely tried to run it on a shoestring budget,” said Allison Yonto, owner of the Tahoe Wine Collective. “And you saw that happen about, I want to say two or three years ago, when we lost our full-time maintenance guy.”
Hill agrees.
“I would say that whatever financial duress has fallen upon MJD has been reflected on the Boatworks itself,” he said. “The time and care and consideration have not been cultivated to the degree that we wish within our community.”
Fears of Boatworks becoming vacant are not unfounded. The building is currently only half occupied. Many businesses — Geared for Games, Tahoe Core Pilates, Tahoe T-Shirtery — had already left in anticipation of the structure being torn down to make way for MJD’s massive redevelopment proposal; Acorn Home Furnishings & Design is leaving at the end of August. The tenants are also all on a month-to-month lease (except for Jake’s), which only adds to the uncertainty. The mall’s other restaurant and anchor tenant, Hacienda del Lago, closed in 2021.
ONE OF Boatworks’ staple businesses, Hacienda del Lago, shuttered its doors in 2021. The space remains empty.
According to Yonto, only eight businesses in the Boatworks are open on a daily basis. She thinks MJD did not do enough to attract customers to the mall.
“There was definitely a disconnect of thinking that just because it’s a building on the North Shore on the water, that it would just always be busy. Foot traffic is a big problem getting people to come through here,” she said. “I don’t think they [MJD] did us any favors by not doing marketing regularly, by allowing spaces to go vacant, especially a lakefront restaurant space. They were just unfamiliar with how it works up here.”
Though MJD founder and CEO Marie Murphy did not admit to the impending auction, she issued a statement to Moonshine:
“We deeply love Tahoe, and are integral, long-standing members of the business community here. Our site has always reflected this love and stewardship for Lake Tahoe and Tahoe City. We are working through addressing current financial headwinds.
Despite the challenges we have faced, our focus remains on finding solutions that allow us to move forward and create a destination serving residents, businesses, and visitors — one that will bring much needed vitality, employment, and tax revenue to Tahoe City, while preserving the character of this amazing place.”
Yonto has a word of warning for the Boatworks’ next owner.
“Whomever takes this building over, I feel like they need to realize that if they don’t help the tenants that are here, the tenants aren’t going to get any better [financially],” she said. “We’re not going to magically start making more money until this building has some reason for people to come here, and the vacant spaces are definitely not that [reason].”
“Hard to put into words how freeing it is,” Jimi Brenner said while taking a break from an afternoon at the downhill mountain bike trails. Brenner lives and works on an orchard around Auburn, he likes biking, he is into metal fabrication, and when he was 29, his car slid off the road into a big oak tree. He became paralyzed from chest down.
JIMI BRENNER on his adaptive bike. Trails for these bikes should be at least 58 inches wide, according to High Fives. Photo courtesy Jimi Brenner
Brenner found the hospital-provided wheelchairs not to his liking, so a year after his injury, he built his own. “I’ve always been the outdoorsy person,” he said. “I can’t get stuck inside much.”
Three years after his accident, Brenner rode a bike again. The bike was adaptive to his injury, lent to him at the High Fives Community Bike Day, a fundraiser open to everyone.
High Fives was launched in 2009 after its founder, Roy Tuscany, overshot a ski jump and became paralyzed from the waist down. Tuscany received help from his community and started High Fives to “prevent life-changing injuries and provide resources and hope if they happen.” Since then, High Fives has served over 1,000 athletes in a multitude of sports and funded more than 1,900 grants.
After receiving a grant from High Fives and the Kelly Brush Foundation, whose mission is “to inspire and empower people with spinal cord injuries to lead active and engaged lifestyles,” Brenner was able to buy one of the bikes, which start at $15,000. But he didn’t know where to ride it. “Auburn has a lot of real tight single track,” he said. “It’s hard to ride independently.”
In 2021, High Fives collaborated with Sky Tavern Bike Park, located off Mt. Rose Highway, to build a trail suitable for adaptive riders. “We wanted to include several [adaptive specific] design features,” said Becca Lefanowicz, director of brand and creative for High Fives. For instance, “that it would be wide enough for adaptive bikes that have a wider and longer frame.”
I DID IT! Estocado is triumphant after a downhill mountain bike run.
A High Fives adaptive trail must be at least 58 inches wide, a standard that unaffiliated organizations like Lee Canyon resort in Las Vegas have begun to copy. Because adaptive mountain bikes have a lower clearance than standard ones, the trail is also maintained to avoid what Lefanowicz calls “pinch points” — areas that would be too rocky for the low clearance of an adaptive bike. Brenner described the Sky Tavern trail as “super fun, super flowy.” It’s also one of two locations for the High Fives Community Bike Day in June, July, and August this year.
Since the Sky Tavern installation, High Fives has put in another adaptive-friendly trail at Sierra Vista in Reno.
“Most trails are not too far off,” Brenner said, “there’s maybe just a little something on them [that makes them not suitable for an adaptive bike].” But on Brenner’s new-model Bowhead Reach with a tilting mechanism, he said that “98, 99% of the trails — I can ride on them.”
ALL SMILES: High Fives collaborated with Sky Tavern Bike Park, located off Mt. Rose Highway, to build a trail suitable for adaptive riders, which Estocado happily bombs down. Photos courtesy High Fives
Brenner said it’s big news in his community when a new trail like this is put in. “It’s more open space you can get out and explore.” This, he said, is the point. And Lefanowicz added that the word she most commonly hears from people who use the adaptive trails is “independence.”
There was a moment at the second-ever Gambler’s Run in 2024 when The Main Squeeze was covering Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” and it all kind of came together for Crystal Bay Casino’s production/marketing manager Sam Shear.
“It was right at dusk,” he said. “The golden hour light. The energy of the band, the energy of the crowd. It was epic. All the work we’d done, a lot of things had to line up to make that moment happen.”
MUSICAL CONNECTION: A festivalgoer and a musician are in sync during a daytime set.
Things did line up and that moment did happen. More moments happened last year and more moments will happen in 2026, the festival gaining momentum like some incendiary fiddle solo played against a devil down in Georgia. This year, the String Cheese Incident leads its biggest lineup yet, headlining three days of deep-pooled musicality with their Thursday night set.
Formed in Colorado a good 30 years ago, the band has shredded strings and lit up audiences around the world with its bluegrass meets funky-country-rocky-jazzy-reggae-infused sound that offers a pinch of psychedelia and throws in a warm breeze
for good measure.
IT’S ALL GRATITUDE AND GOOD TIMES in the front row at dusk at Gambler’s Run.
The band’s name stems from a cheese-heavy food fight the members had in a bar back in the ’90s. They’ll be coming off a two-night run at Red Rocks Amphitheater before rolling the dice in Crystal Bay as part of their five-month Just Keep Spinning tour.
Red Rocks has a 9,500-person capacity, a typical venue size for the band. Gambler’s Run, on the other hand, is capped at 1,000. A faraway lawn seat won’t exist at the festival, and access to the front rows won’t cost $500-plus — so fans will see and hear and feel the cheese-grating up close.
“String Cheese is about the biggest act we can get,” Shear said. “We’ve had them in the Crown Room, but this is a new time for a new setting.”
That setting is outdoors. That setting is intimate. That setting is Tahoe air and golden hour light and the mysteries of the night. And visuals.
“A lot of focus is also on the art, the eye candy of the festival,” said Shear, who was coy with details to not give away too much and spoil first-impression surprise and intrigue. “It’s an all-encompassing experience. We’ll transform the festival grounds as much as possible.”
Those adorned grounds will be played from 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, with the gates opening at 3 p.m. for food and craft vendors, and high-energy afterparties in the Crown Room raging until midnight or so.
Big Head Todd and the Monsters headlines Friday’s lineup with its own sweet Colorado-born style that has continued to evolve and delight music lovers since its 1993 platinum rock album Sister Sweetly, featuring the decade’s iconic and seemingly immortal (for good reason) “Bittersweet.” The soulful sounds and rhythmic beat of The California Honeydrops will get Saturday night’s airs swirling and the dancefloor moving.
But Gambler’s Run isn’t just three consecutive big-name concerts; it’s a music festival that features eight hours of music per day and over 10 bands that run the gamut. Also performing are the Humboldt funk machine Diggin Dirt, the electronic-instrumental synthesis of the groovy Octave Cat (featuring Jessie Miller of Lotus), and the Nashville-based Grateful Dead-influenced punk rockers Sicard Hollow, among others.
Sicard Hollow’s guitarist Alex King shared his thoughts: “We love music festivals, casinos, and lakes. Gambler’s Run is a perfect place … because it crosses off all three of those boxes. Let’s party.”
Three-Pronged Event
In addition to the intrepid tunes and dynamic art, Gambler’s Run also features a core contingent of activities and activism at its nonprofit village.
The nonprofit tine is a who’s who of local ecological stalwarts: Keep Tahoe Blue, Sierra Nevada Alliance, Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC), UC Davis, Restoring My Lake; and, from Colorado, Conscious Alliance. Each entity helms an interactive booth and leads an engaging activity that ties back to its message. Festival-goers are provided a punch card; punches are earned by doing the activities; completing all the activities gains entry into drawings for signed posters and other rad prizes.
A main component of the activism for the festival itself focuses on sustainability. “When we started Gambler’s Run four years ago now, we were like, ‘We are in Lake Tahoe, we should be as conscious of our environment as possible.’”
THE OUTDOOR GROUNDS at Gambler’s Run hosts bands from 4 to 10 pm. before the event moves into the Crown Room for the afterparties.
A main cog in that activism/sustainability wheel was to phase out plastic cups by phasing in aluminum ones. The CBC began doing so at the first Gambler’s Run in 2023 and it’s now become standard practice at every show it hosts. No single-use plastic cups, not one; stats showing the switch having already saved close to 100,000 plastic cups and thousands of plastic water bottles from ending up in landfills.
That’s the type of action that helps the world keep spinning and the music keep playing. And summer music festivals right here in the Tahoe Basin, without having to undertake some distant drive in some super-hot direction, are a good thing too.
“If you’re a local,” Shear concluded, “you know the Crystal Bay Casino; what we do is live music. This is our masterpiece — three days of music, art, activism. Come on over and hang out.”
Wade Snider, master photographer, believes that every photo taken should be planned for months. In accordance with his tight hierarchy of strict guidelines, he camped out for ages, waiting for this exact photograph. On day 90, lightning struck. The beagles lined up. The bear was there. All he had to do was hit the shutter. The world softened for a bit. The birds, awestruck, quieted their ritualistic song. When the day returned to focus and time resumed ticking, all that was left was a photograph. Seen here.
With summer in full swing, the Cancer new moon on July 14 offers a welcome invitation to slow down, to rest, and to reconnect.
On July 18, Uranus in Gemini trines Pluto retrograde in Aquarius, an amicable transit that highlights both the tension and harmony between abstract ideas and collective technological transformations underway. Two days later, Jupiter in Leo forms a trine to Neptune retrograde in Aries, while also opposing Pluto — encouraging examination of values and relationships to the world’s changes.
The sun enters Leo on July 22, followed by Mercury coming out of its retrograde transit on July 24. Expect a certain momentum to return to a plan of yours that’s been stalled.
A major collective shift occurs on July 26 as the north node enters Aquarius and the south node enters Leo. This new nodal cycle will be playing out for 18 months and encourages us to participate more consciously in worldly happenings.
Leo-season energies amplify on July 29 when Jupiter conjoins the sun during a full moon in Aquarius. With Pluto in conjunction to the full moon, this lunation brings expansive emotional and subconscious transformation. Pay attention to what needs to be released as well as what’s coming up that needs to be celebrated.
Venus enters Libra on August 6. This will bring balance, a focus on beauty, and an inclination to socialize. August 7 and 8 may feel more reactive, with the Gemini moon transiting first Uranus and then Mars. To give yourself time to take in the full picture, endeavor to pause before responding to things.
On August 12, we have a powerful solar eclipse. The Leo new moon also joins the south node, with Jupiter and Mercury also in Leo. This day will illuminate old stories of identities and patterns that may surface for review.
NATURAL MAGIC
There are many transits happening in this time that relate to collective change and how that is personally significant, highlighted by the nodal shift into the signs of Aquarius and Leo exactly on July 26; consider setting aside twenty minutes a day between July 19 and August 2 to honor both the transition and your own evolutionary growth. Begin with ten minutes of heart-centered meditation. Place one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly, breathing slowly as you imagine your awareness dropping from your head to your heart.
Then spend ten minutes reflecting and journaling. Consider these prompts: When I shift perception from my head to my heart, what changes within me?What is my unique gift to the world? How can I use my creativity in service to something larger than myself?
Bees. These remarkable bugs are more than just fuzzy visitors to flowers or “scary” insects that sting. They are vital pollinators who play a crucial role in maintaining the health of our mountain ecosystems and the planet as a whole.
When most people think of bees, they picture the classic honey bee: living in its bustling hive, making honey, and serving the queen. However, honey bees are not native to North America and their highly social lifestyle represents only a small fraction of the world’s bee species.
In fact, the vast majority of bees around the world and in the Sierra Nevada are solitary, up to 85% living quiet, independent lives that often go unnoticed by humans. In these species there are no queens, no workers, and no hives.
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A SWEAT BEE (Halictidae) nuzzles into flax in South Lake Tahoe. Photo by Nina Miller/Moonshine Ink
Van Dyke’s Bumble Bee (Bombus vandykei) atop a sage in Truckee. Photo by Will Richardson
A MASON BEE (Osmia montana) visits a Senecio in Page Meadows above Tahoe City. Photo by Will Richardson
Rather, every female bee is essentially a one-bee construction crew, food gatherer, and parent all rolled into one. After snowmelt, they find or build suitable nests, collect nectar and pollen, and create a carefully stocked nursery for future offspring. After supplying the nest chamber with food, the female lays a single egg, seals the chamber, and begins the process of preparing the next chamber for another egg. Once her work is complete, her life cycle comes to an end and the next generation develops during the winter months to emerge in the spring.
Meanwhile, male bees have a simpler life. Their lifespan lasts only a few weeks and equates to: emerge, compete to find a mate, reproduce, and that’s about it.
Native Tahoe/Truckee bees come in an incredible variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Some wear the familiar yellow-and-black striped patterns while others look like tiny flying jewels, shimmering in the sunlight with their metallic greens, blues, or bronze. When identifying whether an insect is a bee, a helpful clue is to look for yellow, dusty pollen clinging to its body. Female bees often carry pollen on specialized hairs attached to their legs called corbiculae (or “pollen pants”), and other species will tote it on the underside of their abdomens.
Tahoe/Truckee Bee Diversity
One of the most interesting solitary bees around Tahoe/Truckee are leafcutter bees (Megachile spp.). These tiny architects carefully cut out near-perfect circles from leaves or other plant material and carry them back to their nests. They then use the leaf pieces to form the structure of their nursery chamber cells, and, like wallpaper, the leaf material lines and protects the chamber to promote growth of beneficial microbes.
Gardeners sometimes notice the neat circular holes left behind by the leafcutters and wonder, “What happened?” Fortunately, it’s most often good news. The holes rarely harm the plant as a whole, and the “damage” is little more than a tiny rental fee, paid in exchange for excellent pollination services.
Mason bees (Osmia spp.) include another type of solitary bee found in our area. These small critters have dark bodies and an often iridescent sheen, and can easily be mistaken for a fly. However, they are all bee: widely considered some of nature’s most efficient pollinators. A single female has been known to pollinate up to 2,000 blossoms in one day.
Her pollinating power comes from how she carries pollen. Instead of packing it tightly on her legs, the mason bee female carries it loosely on the underside of her body, allowing her to transfer more pollen between flowers. Around Tahoe/Truckee you can find mason bees living in natural cavities such as hollow stems and holes in wood, but they will also readily occupy homemade bee boxes with paper or cardboard nesting tubes placed near flowering plants (a fun project for your yard).
For other bees, that patch of exposed dirt in your yard or a downed log out back can be prime real estate too, so leave them be!
Of course, no discussion of Sierra buzzers would be complete without mentioning bumble bees (Bombus spp.). The fuzzy giants of the bee world, bumble bees are larger, louder, and easier to spot than many of their smaller relatives.
Unlike most of the area’s native bees, bumble bees are social insects, forming small colonies led by a single queen and supported by a female workforce. Their colonies, however, function very differently from honey bee hives. As fall approaches, the workers die off, leaving only the newly mated queens alive, seeking shelter underground where they overwinter beneath the snowpack. When spring arrives, each queen emerges to build an entirely new colony from scratch.
Truckee/Tahoe is home to several bumblebee species, including the endangered Western Bumble Bee (Bombus occidentalis). Not long ago, at Sagehen Creek Research Station, Dr. Nina Sokolov of UC Berkeley found 23 Western Bumble Bees in just 45 minutes, a remarkable find given this species is endangered and difficult to find across the state of California. Perhaps Truckee is a hotspot for this species? More research and time will tell, but for now this is encouraging for Bombus occidentalis.
Supporting the Bees That Support Us
Bees play a critical role in maintaining our region’s biodiversity. Their services support the plants that provide food and shelter for countless other species, while encouraging outcrossing among the plants themselves, increasing genetic diversity and creating stronger, healthier, and more resilient communities of organisms.
Sadly, not all news is good, and our bees face many challenges. Habitat loss, disease, pesticide exposure, and climate change all threaten native bee populations. Habitat loss from human development destroys both nesting sites and the flowering plants bees depend on. Pesticides may directly harm the pollinators or indirectly kill the plants they rely on. Climate change creates timing mismatches between flowers and the bees’ emergence.
Fortunately, communities throughout our nation are recognizing the importance of protecting pollinators, and Truckee has an exciting opportunity to join that effort. The Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS) is leading the charge to designate the Town of Truckee as an official “Bee City.” TINS and other partners through Bee City USA intend to protect native pollinators through education, habitat restoration, and conservation. While the designation is an important milestone, its true value lies in the community actions that follow.
POLLINATORS: One of Truckee/Tahoe’s most common and widespread bumble bee species, Yellow-faced Bumble Bee (Bombus vosnesenskii) visiting a yarrow and showing a packed pollen basket. Photo by Will Richardson
Residents can help in surprisingly simple ways; planting native flowers and leaving patches of bare soil, dead wood, and dried stems all work to create nesting opportunities. Even participating in community science projects using iNaturalist, a free app that helps identify plants and animals while collecting data for science and conservation, can help researchers better understand local bee populations. In this way, every yard, garden, school, neighborhood, and human can become part of the solution.
So, the next time you hear a faint buzz while hiking a trail, walking through a meadow, or tending your garden, take a closer look and try to appreciate the bee for who it is and what it does.
These remarkable insects may be small, but their impact is enormous. Quietly and tirelessly, our native bees sustain the wildflowers, forests, and vibrant landscapes that make the Sierra Nevada the wonderful and biologically diverse place that it is.
