LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. — Keep Tahoe Blue invites residents and visitors to show their love for the Lake by cleaning up, refreshing, and revitalizing Tahoe’s sandy shores and surrounding areas on Sunday, July 5 as part of the 13th Annual Keep Tahoe Red, White & Blue Cleanup. Participants can choose from six locations ringing the Basin, from Commons Beach in Tahoe City to Nevada Beach.
Beyond the July 5 event, everyone is encouraged to do their part to protect Tahoe this holiday weekend and all summer:
Clean, Drain and Dry every piece of gear you plan to put in the water to stop harmful aquatic invasive species, like golden mussels, from spreading.
Leave Tahoe better than you found it. Dispose of all trash — even if it’s not yours — in a trash can or dumpster, including pet waste. If the bins are full, take it with you.
Bring your reusables. Pack your Tahoe beach bag with a reusable bottle, utensils, and a trash bag for waste, and avoid buying single-use plastics, which are one of the most common types of litter found in Tahoe.
Respect wildlife. Give animals plenty of space and remember that food scraps are dangerous for wildlife. Make sure it all goes in the trash.
Travel Car-Free and Care-Free. Take advantage of lake-friendly transportation options, from free buses and microtransit shuttles to e-scooters, bike paths, park and ride lots, and shuttle service to Emerald Bay. Skip the traffic and parking hassle — let someone else do the driving.
Know before you go. Be aware of fire restrictions, road construction (nvroads.com and quickmap.dot.ca.gov), and alcohol restrictions, including on the Truckee River, at Zephyr Cove and Shoals, Nevada Beach, Meeks Bay, and Chambers Landing. Check with your destination before you head out and always have a backup plan in case your first choice is full.
Embrace the pace. Slow down and enjoy one of the most beautiful places in the world. Please be patient and respectful to others.
In addition, Keep Tahoe Blue is working with beach managers, concessionaires, and businesses through its Tahoe Blue Beach program to “raise the bar for beach management.” Members and participating beaches — Zephyr Cove Resort, Tahoe Beach Club, Kings Beach, Meeks Bay Resort, and Camp Richardson Resort — are taking steps to make responsible, Lake-friendly recreation the easy and obvious choice for everyone who comes to the shore. This Fourth of July weekend, expect to see bold, consistent signage with helpful tips on how to protect Tahoe while you play.
July 5 Cleanup
WHEN
8-11:30 am | Sunday, July 5
WHERE
Kings Beach – 8398 North Lake Boulevard, Kings Beach, CA 96143
Keep Tahoe Blue is aligned with and taking action to implement the Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan in collaboration with over 20 regional organizations. The award-winning plan, developed with the participation of over 3,000 residents, visitors, and businesses, establishes a shared vision for the region’s outdoor recreation and tourism and encourages everyone to help take care of Tahoe’s cherished communities and environment. Visit www.stewardshiptahoe.org to learn more and read the plan.
In the late eighties when restaurateur Tom Turner was getting ready to open Gar Woods in Carnelian Bay, he needed a signature drink. Lake Tahoe has a deep history with Gar Wood motorboats (named after its founder Garfield Wood and nicknamed Woodys), and the Sierra Boat Company next door has restored Chris-Crafts, Gar Woods, and other classic wooden boats since 1952.
So, Turner sat with his friends at the former Jake’s at the Lake in Tahoe City and tried different liquors when they came up with a rum drink introduced in conjunction with the Gar Woods restaurant. Turner decided to call it the Wet Woody.
“Which is a double entendre, right?” Turner adds. The name of the drink spun off into suggestive puns and became synonymous with the laid-back vibe one gets while sitting lakeside on vacation.
Gar Woods opened at 5000 Lake Tahoe Boulevard in 1988 with the Wet Woody, a rum drink blended with ice. However, it wasn’t that popular until he met a guy in 1993 from Sacramento who sold Taylor slushy machines. Turner got one to better make the Wet Woody, and it became a hit.
Turner believes they sold the first million Wet Woodys by 1998, the same year they opened Riva Grill at the end of Ski Run Boulevard in South Lake Tahoe. With two restaurants serving the Wet Woody lakeside, Turner thinks they sold their second million of the frozen rum drink between both restaurants by 2004.
“Then it picked up steam,” Turner recalls.
The Tahoe Restaurant Collection opened Caliente in Kings Beach in 2007 (which has since closed) and sold the tequila-based frozen drink called the ChupaCabra. In 2012, it opened Bar of America in downtown Truckee with a whiskey-based frozen drink called The Cock-Tail (stirred with a rooster’s tail feather). However, since these are similar yet not-quite-the-original Gar Woods drink, they are not counted towards the total number of Wet Woodys sold.
Flash forward to August 2021, and Turner opens the Sparks Water Bar on the northern end of Sparks Marina Park Lake. Along with selling hand-cut steaks, Pacific seafood, and California cuisine, the now world-famous Wet Woody is also served. Around that time, the Bucket of Blood in Virginia City and The Blue Light on 1979 Union Street in San Francisco also started selling the Wet Woody.
“[Those owners] were good friends of mine who wanted to sell it, so I charged them a $1 licensing fee to serve it,” Turner says.
There are around 20 variations of the Wet Woody with some names that can’t be put on the menu because it would be too offensive (my favorite version is the Wet Dream with a Sailor Jerry floater and cream) but many of them are described in connotations adults would understand but kids wouldn’t. (Although, I can see the conversation now– “What’s ‘Mount Your Woody’ mean, mom?” “Well, it’s a Wet Woody topped with Mount Gay Rum, honey. Duh.”)
Turner says they were going to do a special dirty 30 name for the Wet Woodys’ 30th anniversary; “but the names people came up with…we would go to jail,” he says. “People have two drinks and get creative. We received about 20 names, many not worth repeating,” he adds.
You have to get a rum-based floater to go with the name, so for instance, one person suggested a name kind of related to the Dockside rum but replace the “d” with the letter in the alphabet that comes before that, and you get the dirty Gar Woods version.
And now that paper straws are served with the Wet Woody, it opens the door to put funny sayings on it, like “wrap your lips around this” or “it won’t suck itself.” After letting out a little gasp, Turner says, “It’s true!”
Gar Woods holds special Topless Tuesdays in the winter and Wet Woody Wednesdays in the late fall/early spring where they’ll offer discounts on the famous drink.
Considering the Tahoe Restaurant Group and its partners sell about 150,000 Wet Woodys a year, they reached the four million sold mark in summer 2025. Turner thinks they’ll probably hit five million Wet Woodys sold by 2030.
“It’s fun, and I haven’t gotten kicked out of North Shore yet [with the play on the Wet Woody name],” says Turner.
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the Summer 2026 edition of Tahoe Magazine.
To try and decide each week where and what to eat around the basin can be a challenge – there are so many amazing choices. In this feature we’ll dive into dishes that will surely satisfy those hunger pangs and leave you wondering where to go next.
I realize tacos aren’t tradition when it comes to a holiday weekend like the 4th of July. But when they’re this delicious, and go perfectly with a cold beer on a sunny day, do we really have to follow tradition? Let me tell you about this week’s feature and you can decide for yourself.
To start, each of these tacos are available as either singles or plates across the menu so be sure to ask your server about going about getting set up with your dream scenario. But for the purpose of this feature, here’s a snapshot of the three I recently dove into.
Oscar’s Famous Taco: Choice of fish or shrimp, combined with cabbage, pico de gallo, a secret chipotle sauce, and avocado. The fish option is supremely moist and delicate but with huge flavor and texture. The avocado balances out the heat from the chipotle sauce and I can’t say enough about the handmade tortillas – probably the best in the basin in my opinion.
Surf and Turf: A huge offering of carne asada and grilled shrimp combined with mashed avocado and their house chipotle sauce. Get ready to unhinge your jaw for this bite, but once you do, you’ll be happy you did. Fresh, smoky, tangy, savory – it’s everything you want out of a taco.
Taco de la Calle (street taco): It’s hard for me not to inhale any option here. You have protein options of carne asada, carnitas, al pastor, or grilled chicken to marry up with chopped onion, cilantro, and green salsa. I’ve had every option and every option is legit tasty. No notes needed.
They were just announced as one of the Best of Tahoe for good reason. If you have yet to experience their food, thousands of voters won’t steer you wrong.
Maria’s Mexican Restaurant is located at 2494 Lake Tahoe Blvd. in South Lake Tahoe. For menu items and general information visit them online at mariaslaketahoe.com or reach them via phone at 530-600-2200.
The Lake Tahoe Basin has long been a crown jewel of outdoor recreation in the American West—a place where deep blue water meets forested ridgelines and an expansive trail network invites epic exploration. Now, that network is poised for a meaningful expansion. After years of planning, public input, and careful environmental review, the U.S. Forest Service has approved a sweeping plan to add up to 45 miles of new trail opportunities through the Basin Wide Trails Analysis Project.
More Miles—and More Access
In addition to new trail construction, the project opens up access in a big way: more than 100 miles of existing trails will now allow Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes. This update, approved by the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU), reflects years of study, public input, and coordination with local groups.
For many riders, that’s a game-changer.
Class 1 e-bikes, for the uninitiated, are pedal-assist only, with a top supported speed of 20 mph. No throttle, just a little extra boost to help flatten climbs and extend your ride. They’re now the only type of e-bike permitted on these designated trails—Class 2 (throttle-assisted) and Class 3 (higher-speed pedal assist) remain off-limits, along with other motorized devices.
There are still important boundaries to keep in mind. Iconic backcountry routes like the Pacific Crest Trail, designated wilderness areas, and the Tahoe Rim Trail remain closed to e-bikes. And like other motorized uses, e-bike access follows seasonal closures, typically from November 15 through April 1.
In short: more access, but with thoughtful guardrails.
Not Just More Trails—Better Trails
The newly approved trail opportunities are the result of an extensive environmental assessment process. Every proposed mile was evaluated for sustainability, user experience, and environmental impact.
The goal isn’t just to add trails—it’s to improve how the entire system works. That means creating better connections between existing routes, offering a wider range of experiences, and helping spread out trail traffic to reduce congestion and wear.
If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in a mid-summer trail bottleneck, you can appreciate the value of that.
By dispersing use and building trails designed to last, the project aims to protect the very landscapes that make Lake Tahoe such a special place to recreate.
So… When Can You Ride Them?
Here’s the catch: approval doesn’t mean instant singletrack.
Each new trail segment still has to go through final design, environmental clearances, funding, and construction planning before it becomes reality. It’s a detailed, often lengthy process—but it ensures that when trails are built, they’re built right.
The same goes for e-bike access. The Motor Vehicle Use Map from the U.S. Forest Service will show which trails are open, providing a clear guide for riders heading into the season.
So while you might not see brand-new trails pop up overnight, change is very much underway.
Meet the Crew Behind the Trails
While this project is led and overseen by the LTBMU, many stakeholders across land managers, non-profits, and government agencies will be part of bringing this plan to life. That includes the Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association (TAMBA), one group that knows how to turn plans into trails.
TAMBA has been at the heart of Tahoe’s trail scene for decades, working alongside land managers to design, build, and maintain trails throughout the Basin. But our work doesn’t stop at trail construction and maintenance. TAMBA organizes volunteer trail days and community events, secures funding, coordinates with local partners, and prepares the trail system for changes like this one—think updated signage, rider education, and ongoing stewardship.
If you’ve ever ridden a well-built stretch of Tahoe singletrack, chances are TAMBA had a hand in it.
A New Season, A New Chapter
As the dirt dries and the days grow longer, this summer marks the beginning of a new chapter for Tahoe’s trail network. New trail opportunities are on the horizon, and expanded e-bike access is set to bring more riders into the fold.
With that comes a shared responsibility.
Whether you’re riding analog or with a little pedal assist, trail etiquette still rules the day: yield appropriately, ride in control, and respect other users. A little kindness goes a long way in keeping Tahoe’s trail culture as welcoming as ever.
Be Part of It
The best part about Tahoe’s trails? They don’t just belong to the community—they’re built by it.
If you’re excited about what’s ahead, there are plenty of ways to get involved. Support TAMBA by visiting our website to stay up-to-date on new projects and developments. Sign up for a volunteer trail work day and help shape the next mile of singletrack. Swing by a community event to connect with fellow riders, or consider becoming a member or donor to support the work happening behind the scenes.
Because Tahoe trails don’t build or maintain themselves—they’re built, cared for, and protected by people who love this place. And there’s always room for one more set of hands.
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the Summer 2026 edition of the Tahoe Bike and Recreation Guide.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Independence Day is only a few days away. And the U.S. Forest Service reminds everyone to celebrate responsibly on the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.
All personal use fireworks are prohibited as they pose a significant wildfire threat to local communities and forests. Fire restrictions are also in effect. Campfires – including wood, charcoal or any other solid fuels – are only permitted in permanently installed iron rings in open, designated campgrounds. Portable stoves with on/off valves are allowed in other areas with a valid permit.
The Forest Supervisor’s office in South Lake Tahoe will be closed on Friday, July 3 in recognition of the federal holiday. Normal hours resume on Monday, July 6.
To ensure a safe and fun Independence Day:
Plan Ahead – Reserve campsites in advance. And remember, dispersed camping is not permitted on the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Arrive early as recreation sites fill up quickly. Have backup destinations in mind, in case areas are too crowded. Lake Tahoe is full this year, so expect narrow beaches.
Alcohol Prohibition – For public safety, the annual alcohol prohibition will be in effect at Chambers Landing July 1-6, Nevada Beach and Meeks Bay Resort on July 4, and Zephyr Cove Resort and Zephyr Shoals July 3-5.
Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute – Pack out trash and leave areas cleaner than you found them. Bring a few trash bags along just in case. Never leave trash outside receptacles. Let’s work together to ensure Lake Tahoe beaches remain pristine and litter-free!
Stay Water Smart – The air may feel warm, but the water is cold. Keep a close eye on children and pets and avoid strong currents. Never swim alone and always wear an approved life vest even if you’re a strong swimmer.
Bear Awareness – Never approach bears or cubs. Remember it’s illegal to feed any wild animal. Always secure all food and garbage. Hard-sided bear canisters are required for overnight visits to Desolation Wilderness and bear-resistant containers are required in other backcountry areas. Learn how to keep Tahoe bears wild at Tahoe Bears.Org and BearWise.org.
Parking – Walk, bicycle, carpool or use public transportation to avoid limited parking and traffic delays. At recreation sites, parking is only permitted in designated parking spaces inside lots, not along the roadway. Where parking on the road is allowed, avoid parking on vegetation because it damages the natural environment and can spark wildfire. Plan for increased parking fees to cover increased security and facility maintenance costs for the holiday.
Weather – Mountain weather can change rapidly. Summers are usually warm in the afternoons and cool at night. Snow is possible at any time of year. Be prepared and bring clothing that will keep you warm and dry. Protect yourself from sun and heat exposure and stay hydrated.
The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit wishes everyone a safe and responsible Independence Day!
LAKE TAHOE, Calif. / Nev. — It’s not every day that a small mountain community in the Sierra Nevada helps shape environmental conservation efforts on the other side of the world.
But that’s exactly what happened when three Chilean conservationists began searching for a model to protect their country’s rapidly changing lake region.
When Fernando Coz, Angela Delorenzo and Cristóbal Valenzuela recognized the need for an organization that could preserve Chile’s lakes while balancing tourism, agriculture, economic development and the needs of local communities, they looked far beyond South America for inspiration.
Their search led them to Lake Tahoe.
For nearly 70 years, Keep Tahoe Blue has worked to protect and restore the Lake Tahoe Basin while navigating the challenges that come with tourism, population growth and development. To the Chilean team, Keep Tahoe Blue represented a successful example of how environmental stewardship and economic vitality could coexist.
“In 2017, we came to Tahoe to understand the model,” Coz said. “We wanted to learn how the region had been able to balance development and conservation.”
The following year, they invited a delegation of Tahoe experts to Chile. Representatives from Keep Tahoe Blue, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the University of California, Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center traveled to the Northern Patagonia Lakes region to help local leaders develop a long-term conservation strategy.
That same year, Chile Lagos Limpios was founded, an international nonprofit focused on conservation, sustainable development and climate resilience throughout Chile’s Northern Patagonia lake region.
Eight years later, the partnership remains active.
Today, Keep Tahoe Blue serves on the board of directors for Chile Lagos Limpios, and the partnership continues to evolve through shared expertise and joint conservation projects.
One such project is a water clarity monitoring program at Lake Pehoé in Torres del Paine National Park. Together, the organizations trained staff at Explora Patagonia to collect water quality data through a community science initiative, creating a long-term dataset while fostering stewardship among employees and visitors.
While Tahoe provided an initial blueprint, Coz said the relationship has become a two-way exchange.
“There is a lot that we can learn from Tahoe, and there is a lot that Tahoe can learn from us,” he said.
From left: climate reporter Alejandro Lazo, Chile Lagos Limpios Executive Director Fernando Coz and Keep Tahoe Blue Chief Strategy Officer Jesse Patterson participate in a panel discussion on global environmental leadership in San Francisco.Provided / Chile Lagos Limps
Rather than simply exporting one conservation model to another country, the organizations have adapted ideas to fit the unique environmental, cultural and economic realities of each region. For Coz, the partnership demonstrates that many of today’s environmental challenges require international cooperation.
“While Tahoe has seven decades of lake conservation experience to share, there is plenty we are learning from Nano and our colleagues at Chile Lagos Limpios too — lessons we can put to use here in Tahoe,” said Keep Tahoe Blue CEO Darcie Goodman Collins, PhD. “That includes how to work with unlikely partners to advance our conservation goals.
As climate change and development continue to place pressure on freshwater ecosystems around the world, Coz believes partnerships like the one between Lake Tahoe and Patagonia offer a blueprint for tackling complex environmental issues together.
“When people in Tahoe read this, I hope they get excited to come to Chile,” he said. “I hope they see the work we’ve been doing, the similarities to Tahoe, and understand that long-term conservation efforts across borders are the way forward.”
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – Country music icons Rascal Flatts will bring a new soundtrack to Lake Tahoe this summer with the release of “Tahoe Nights,” a golf-inspired reimagining of their fan-favorite hit “Summer Nights,” as the official theme song of the American Century Championship.
The new track captures the atmosphere of the American Century Championship: elite golf, celebrity camaraderie and a one-of-a-kind summer celebration on the shores of Lake Tahoe. The 37th edition of the tournament will be contested July 8-12, at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nevada.
Rascal Flatts members Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney will also return to the American Century Championship field. One or both have competed in the tournament for the past 16 years. The pair have helped make the tournament’s annual week at Lake Tahoe a memorable convergence of music, sports and philanthropy.
“‘Tahoe Nights’ reflects what makes this event unlike anything else in sports,” said Gary Quinn, vice president, partnerships and general manager, owned properties at NBC Sports. “Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney have been part of the American Century Championship family for years, and this song brings together the energy of their music, the beauty of Lake Tahoe and the ethos that keeps players and fans coming back every summer.”
“Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney of Rascal Flatts are not just American Century Championship players; they have been cherished friends of the tournament for many years, and ‘Tahoe Nights’ is a wonderful tribute to the spirit of this event,” said Jonathan Thomas, chairman, CEO and president of American Century Investments. “The extraordinary talent and creativity of Rascal Flatts capture the camaraderie, competition and lasting memories that have defined the championship for nearly four decades. We are deeply grateful for their partnership and for helping bring people together around a tournament whose impact extends far beyond the course. Through the American Century Championship, millions of dollars have been raised in support of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research and nonprofit organizations throughout the Tahoe region, making ‘Tahoe Nights’ a meaningful celebration of a legacy that continues to make a difference.”
Originally released in 2009, “Summer Nights” became one of Rascal Flatts’ signature feel-good anthems. Written by Gary LeVox, Brett James, and busbee, and produced by Rascal Flatts and Dann Huff, it’s generated more than 66 million streams on Spotify alone. The song’s familiar summer feel made it a fitting choice for the tournament’s new theme.
Rascal Flatts will perform at the Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre at Caesars Republic on Friday, July 10, during tournament week. The concert is scheduled for 8 p.m. and is part of the 2026 Lake Tahoe Summer Concert Series. Tickets can be purchased here.
Since its inception in 1990, the American Century Championship has donated more than $8 million to local and national non-profits.
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – Daniel Corona has had many great times hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail, but coming across the trail bench between Kingsbury and Spooner after an unexpected snowfall is an experience that is burned into his memory.
The bench provided a much-needed respite for lunch after the difficult hike and a place to drink in the vista. “It’s such a great view of the lake,” the communications manager for the Tahoe Rim Trail Association said.
The bench on the Tahoe Rim Trail between Spooner and Kingsbury. Provided / Daniel Corona
It’s just one of the many views the roughly 174-mile loop around Lake Tahoe offers. If you complete the entire trail, whether in segments or one go, you can become a part of an exclusive club, known as the 165 Mile Club (the prior distance of the trail before updates and re-routes), in addition to earning bragging rights.
But what’s often unseen are the hours upon hours of work to keep the trail maintained.
“Our trail is a world-class iconic trail for a reason, and it’s because of those people who do that work,” Corona said. “It’s critical.”
Volunteer trail crews do a majority of the work, including leading the installation of new trailhead kiosks. Last year, the trail received over 9,000 volunteer hours.
Clearing brush, removing large boulders, adding drainage and removing trees are all part of keeping the iconic trail well-defined, easy to follow and access.
Crews typically work on the trail from June to October. However, volunteer crews got an early start this year due to the early melt-out and had already cleared over 250 trees before the association’s paid summer crew started in June.
So far this year, both volunteer and staff trail maintenance crews have now removed over 500 trees on the trail. That number is quickly approaching last year’s total of 570 removed trees, with months of trail maintenance still to come this summer.
Volunteer crew leader Mark Wynne-Willson removing a downed tree from the trail.Provided / TRTA
The early start, along with training and deploying one of the largest groups of volunteer crew leaders the association has ever received (18), has made this season so productive.
The crew of four staffed trail members typically go into the harder-to-reach areas of the trail, spending days at a time in the backcountry on assignments, known as “hitch.”
“They hike out,” Corona explained. “When they find a tree, they cut it and keep going and just work their way down the trail, clearing trees and then set up camp for the night and then start all over the next day.”
Although it’s physical work, it very rarely lowers the morale of these workers.
“As they’re leaving to go out on hitch, they’re all excited,” Corona said, “and when they come back, they’re all just as stoked because they just spent a week camping and doing trail maintenance with their friends.”
When not on hitch, the staff workers often lead volunteer workdays.
The association hosts numerous volunteer workdays throughout the summer, at times multiple each week. Anyone 18 years or older can volunteer.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Save Mart will celebrate the grand opening of its innovative new store in South Lake Tahoe with community-focused events showcasing modern amenities and expanded product offerings designed to enhance the local shopping experience. The opening celebration will start at 10:30 a.m. on July 1.
The refreshed store features one of the largest in-house cut fruit and vegetable selections in the market, a full-service butcher block and seafood counter, fresh sushi prepared in-house, expanded deli and bakery offerings, locally sourced produce, and convenient options for busy families and visitors alike.
As part of the celebration, attendees can enjoy a lively “Heroes Bagging Showdown” at 11 a.m. featuring South Lake Tahoe Police Detectives versus South Lake Tahoe Firefighters. All food items bagged will be donated to Bread & Broth. Gift cards earned through the event will be donated by participating teams to Christmas Cheer All Year and Phoenix Food Pantry, extending the impact to even more local families.
Additional festivities throughout the weekend will include vendor sampling, gift card giveaways, and appearances from Save Mart’s iconic oversized shopping cart, “Big Red.”
The store is located at 1020 Al Tahoe Boulevard, South Lake Tahoe, Calif.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – A Fourth of July fireworks show has been announced for the Incline Village region in honor of America’s 250th. The announcement follows a roughly nine-month-long period to recover last year’s fireworks barge after it sank during a windstorm.
After what was reported to be a very difficult, challenging, and technical operation, the sunken fireworks barge was removed in March.
Last year’s fireworks show was organized under a Nevada domestic nonprofit corporation called Incline Fireworks, Inc.
This year’s show is organized under a new domestic nonprofit corporation called Tahoe Fireworks, Inc. formed on March 25 with a few of the same officers as Incline Fireworks, Inc.
The fireworks show announcement reveals the show will again rely on a fireworks barge, surrounded by a buoy-marked safety zone. The website says the show is a professionally produced fireworks display, permitted through the appropriate local, regional, state, and federal agencies.
The Tribune reached out to fireworks organizers to ask whether last year’s incident factored into this year’s decision and whether any mitigation measures were in place to prevent a similar incident.
Kristie Wells, a director of both nonprofits, says Tahoe Fireworks is launching the fireworks display from a different set of barges that have undergone pressure testing to verify they are seaworthy and suitable for use on Lake Tahoe.
The barges were placed in the water Wednesday morning.
The show is said to be a longstanding tradition and is supported by local donors.
The fireworks are planned for launch from a location east of Incline Beach and are expected to be visible throughout Incline Village, Crystal Bay, and the North Shore.
MEEKS BAY, Calif. — Thousands of Lahontan cutthroat trout were released into Lake Tahoe at Meeks Bay on Tuesday in a milestone effort to restore the lake’s only native trout species, marking the first time the Washoe Tribe’s Environmental Protection Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have partnered on a cutthroat trout release in the Tahoe Basin.
Lahontan cutthroat trout are the only trout species native to Lake Tahoe. Once abundant throughout the basin, their populations collapsed following European settlement due to overfishing, habitat loss and the introduction of non-native fish. Today, cutthroat trout are listed as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act.
“Before contact with European settlers, Lake Tahoe was the main home for Lahontan cutthroat trout,” said Kristina Burnette, environmental manager for the Washoe Tribe. “It is the only native trout species in Lake Tahoe, and when they were largely wiped out after contact, it had a significant impact. Recovery of Lahontan cutthroat trout is important because they were a stable food source when our people came to the basin during the summer months.”
For the Washoe Tribe, the restoration represents the return of a traditional food source that sustained tribal members for generations before European contact.
“They are culturally significant to our people, so we want to restore them back into the Tahoe Basin.” said Cale Pete, environmental director of the Washoe Environmental Protection Department.
The release also complements the tribe’s ongoing restoration work in the Meeks Creek watershed.
Across the highway from Tuesday’s release site, the Washoe Tribe is leading the 283-acre Meeks Meadow restoration project on U.S. Forest Service land. The project aims to restore meadow habitat, improve stream function and increase the abundance of culturally significant native plants.
“The project is under the Washoe Tribe, and it’s unique because it’s not tribal land — it’s Forest Service land,” Pete said. “The Washoe Tribe is spearheading the project to increase the density and frequency of culturally significant plants. We’ve had great collaboration with the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, our tribal elders, tribal youth, tribal administration and the California Tahoe Conservancy.”
For tribal leaders, Tuesday’s release represented both an ecological milestone and a cultural homecoming.
“This is a monumental event toward recovery and reconnection for the tribe,” Burnette said.
Cale Pete, environmental director for the Washoe Environmental Protection Department. Petra Molina / Sierra Sun
Members of the public and the Washoe Tribe released 25 Lahontan cutthroat trout into Lake Tahoe by hand using buckets, while more than 1,000 additional fish were released from a stocking truck. Petra Molina / Sierra Sun
Members of the public and the Washoe Tribe released 25 Lahontan cutthroat trout into Lake Tahoe by hand using buckets, while more than 1,000 additional fish were released from a stocking truck. Petra Molina / Sierra Sun
Members of the public and the Washoe Tribe released 25 Lahontan cutthroat trout into Lake Tahoe by hand using buckets, while more than 1,000 additional fish were released from a stocking truck. Petra Molina / Sierra Sun
Members of the public and the Washoe Tribe released 25 Lahontan cutthroat trout into Lake Tahoe by hand using buckets, while more than 1,000 additional fish were released from a stocking truck. Petra Molina / Sierra Sun
Lahontan Cutthroat Trout Petra Molina / Sierra Sun
As a registered dietitian, I have heard numerous claims that supplements such as nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) can raise levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), improve mitochondrial function, enhance DNA repair, slow aging, and improve health or athletic performance.
To understand these claims, it helps to first understand the underlying biology. NR and NMN are naturally occurring compounds ultimately derived from vitamin B3 (niacin) metabolism that the body can use to produce NAD+, a molecule critical for energy metabolism.
NAD+ plays a critical role in converting the energy stored in carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into a form that cells can use. During metabolism, NAD+ accepts electrons and hydrogen ions released from food molecules and becomes NADH. In turn, NADH delivers those electrons to the mitochondria, where they help drive the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy currency used by cells for muscle contraction, nerve signaling, and countless other physiological processes.
Because NAD+ is necessary for this process, low NAD+ availability can impair the efficient transfer of energy from food into ATP. Mitochondria do, in fact, rely on NAD+ to help convert food into usable energy. NAD+ is also required by enzymes involved in DNA repair and other cellular maintenance processes, including the regulation of inflammation. Given these important roles, it is reasonable to hypothesize that increasing NAD+ through precursor compounds such as NR and NMN could improve energy metabolism and other cellular processes. The key scientific question is whether this theoretical benefit translates into meaningful improvements in health and performance in humans.
In rodents, NR and NMN do increase NAD+ levels in tissues, and some studies show improvements in mitochondrial function, metabolism, exercise capacity, and age-related decline. The problem is the leap from rodents to humans.
Human studies show fairly well that NR and NMN can raise NAD+ or related blood markers. What remains uncertain is whether those increases lead to meaningful improvements in mitochondrial function, DNA repair, longevity, health, or athletic performance in humans. So, NR/NMN may raise blood NAD+; after that, the claims are uncertain.
Although perhaps less enticing, lifestyle approaches have stronger human evidence. Exercise reliably stimulates mitochondrial remodeling and improves the body’s ability to use oxygen and fuel, especially in skeletal muscle. Diet patterns rich in minimally processed, antioxidant-containing foods help reduce oxidative stress, which is one of the
processes that can damage mitochondria and DNA. These foods include berries, cherries, citrus fruits, leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, peppers, beans, lentils, peas, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, whole grains, and omega-3-rich fish. Conversely, reducing consumption of many ultraprocessed foods, which are often high in refined carbohydrates, added sugars, sodium, unhealthy fats, and overall calories while also containing industrially formulated ingredients such as emulsifiers, artificial flavorings, colorants, sweeteners, stabilizers, and other additives rarely used in home cooking, may help reduce some of the oxidative and metabolic stresses that these healthier foods are intended to mitigate.
Managing sleep and stress are also important. Sleep loss has been linked to oxidative stress and mitochondrial disruption. Similarly, chronic psychological stress can alter mitochondrial function and cellular energy regulation.
In conclusion, although NR and NMN show interesting promise, the strongest evidence for supporting mitochondrial health still comes from exercise, sleep, stress management, and a diet rich in minimally processed, antioxidant-containing foods while limiting ultraprocessed foods. A registered dietitian can help translate this science into a practical, sustainable eating pattern that supports mitochondrial health and overall well-being.
Patrick Traynor, PhD, MPH, RD, CSOWM, CPT, is a registered dietitian and founder of MNT Scientific, LLC (MNTScientific.com), an insurance-based nutrition practice serving South Lake Tahoe, CA; Minden, NV; and Ashland, OR. He holds the Interdisciplinary Specialist Certification in Obesity and Weight Management (CSOWM) from the Commission on Dietetic Registration. Virtual appointments are available via telehealth. For inquiries or appointments, visit MNTScientific.com, call (530) 429-7363, or email info@mntscientific.com.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Lake Tahoe Community College graduated its largest class in history Friday evening, with more than 200 students participating in the ceremony and crossing the stage at Coyote Country Field. The college conferred 422 degrees and more than 200 certificates, a new institutional record. The ceremony also marked the 10th and final commencement for outgoing Superintendent/President Jeff DeFranco, who is departing LTCC after nearly a decade of leadership.
For Student Trustee Hudson Conners, the milestone arrived after three years that included LTCC’s inaugural cross-country team, two years living in off-campus student housing, a year in the college’s new on-campus residence hall, and an inaugural year as a resident advisor. Reflecting on what carried him to the stage, Conners told classmates that consistency, not talent, had been the deciding factor.
“Consistency is not only the philosophy of showing up daily, but showing up happy, sad, passive, and indifferent, everything in between those,” Conners said. “Being a consistent individual can be the bridge that leads you to your aspirations and can open doors to all that you desire, but it takes tenacity to keep with it.”
The Lake Tahoe College Promise Program graduated 95 students, its largest graduating cohort to date, while now serving 346 active students, the highest enrollment in the program’s history. LTCC’s Reconnect to Complete program, which helps adults who left college without finishing a degree re-enroll and complete their education, graduated 40 students this year.
Keynote speaker Darcie Goodman Collins, CEO of Keep Tahoe Blue, in her “Start Here. Dream Big.” speech, urged graduates to treat their ambitions as a series of small, attainable steps rather than a single leap. Goodman Collins, who grew up in South Lake Tahoe and got her start as a Keep Tahoe Blue summer intern in 1996, traced her own path from a childhood dream of marine biology to leading the organization she once interned for.
“Goals are really just dreams in bite-sized pieces, because dreams can be intimidating and overwhelming unless you break them down into small chunks,” Goodman Collins said. “If you take bite-sized chunks and set incremental goals, you can get to the end of the line.”
DeFranco, who is stepping down after 10 commencements and nearly a decade as president, told graduates the Class of 2026 had left a mark on the college, and on him personally.
“Look at this graduating class. Once again, it’s the largest graduating class in LTCC history,” DeFranco said. “All of you are the living proof of the power of following a dream. This college had a dream, and you now represent that reality.”
The Class of 2026 included a record 91 graduates from LTCC’s Rising Scholars Program, which serves currently and formerly incarcerated students, earning 176 degrees across forestry, social science, and sociology, along with 41 certificates of achievement in forestry. The cohort includes some of the first students in California to earn an Associate of Science in Forestry while incarcerated, a milestone built on the program’s partnership with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and CAL FIRE.
The graduates were celebrated the previous evening at the Rising Scholars Program Graduation Awards Dinner, the final such event for Shane Reynolds in his role as the program’s director. Reynolds told graduates that the record-setting class reflected years of work by students and staff alike.
“Nobody in this program got here alone,” Reynolds said. “And nobody here graduates alone.”
The LTCC commencement ceremony concluded with Conners leading his classmates in turning their tassels.
“LTCC graduates, your dreams are within reach,” Conners told the crowd. “Your future is full of opportunity, purpose, and promise. You did it.”
For more information on enrolling at LTCC, visit ltcc.edu/grad.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — The curtain rises this Thursday as Valhalla Tahoe opens its 2026 summer theatre production, Laughing Stock by Charles Morey. Filled with backstage mishaps, quick costume changes, colorful personalities, and nonstop laughs, this fast-paced comedy is a heartfelt tribute to the joy—and occasional chaos—of live theatre.
Directed by David Hamilton, Laughing Stock takes audiences behind the scenes of a determined New England summer stock theatre company taking on the ambitious task of producing three vastly different plays in rotating repertory. As actors scramble between productions, costumes fly, props disappear, and personalities collide, the result is an evening of hilarious theatrical mayhem that celebrates the passion and perseverance behind every performance.
“Every theatre person has a story about a missed entrance, a costume malfunction, or a prop that didn’t cooperate,” said Director David Hamilton. “Laughing Stock celebrates all of those wonderfully chaotic moments, but also the heart and dedication of the people who put it together. You don’t have to know anything about theatre to enjoy it—you just have to be ready to laugh.”
The cast of Laughing Stock. Provided
Presented as part of the 2026 Valhalla Festival of Arts, Laughing Stock continues Valhalla Tahoe’s tradition of bringing exceptional live theatre to South Lake Tahoe. Performances take place in the historic Boathouse Theatre, one of the region’s most unique performance venues, where audiences can enjoy professional-quality theatre in an intimate setting just steps from the shores of Lake Tahoe.
The production opens Thursday, July 2, and runs through Sunday, July 12, with evening performances on July 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, and 11. There is no performance on Saturday, July 4. The only matinee performance will be held on Sunday, July 12. Seating is limited, and advance ticket purchases are encouraged.
Whether you’re a lifelong theatre lover or simply looking for an evening of laughter, Laughing Stock offers a behind-the-scenes look at the beautifully imperfect world of live theatre, where the show always goes on.
Tickets and the complete performance schedule are available at ValhallaTahoe.com.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — The 15th Annual Tahoe Bloody Mary Festival returns on Saturday, August 22, 2026, bringing together the region’s top bartenders for one of Lake Tahoe’s most anticipated summer events. Presented by Visit Lake Tahoe, this year’s festival will once again transform the expansive pool deck at Golden Nugget Lake Tahoe into a celebration of creative cocktails, live entertainment, and summer fun.
Fifteen talented bartenders from Lake Tahoe, Reno, Carson City, and Virginia City will compete for Bloody Mary bragging rights, serving up inventive creations featuring Tahoe Blue Vodka. From outrageous garnishes to bold, handcrafted recipes, guests will enjoy unlimited tastings while voting for their favorite Bloody Mary.
More than just a cocktail competition, the Tahoe Bloody Mary Festival has become a signature summer tradition, combining live bands, DJs, games, sunshine, and a high-energy atmosphere around one of the area’s most iconic pool venues.
“This festival has grown into one of my favorite events to produce each year, and I couldn’t be happier to bring it back to the incredible pool at Golden Nugget,” said Mike Peron, producer of the Tahoe Bloody Mary Festival. “It’s the perfect setting for an unforgettable summer celebration, and we’re looking forward to welcoming both longtime fans and first-time attendees for another year of amazing cocktails, live music, and great memories.”
General admission includes unlimited Bloody Mary tastings from every competing bartender, live entertainment throughout the day, and the opportunity to help crown the People’s Choice champion.
Tickets are on sale now and are expected to sell out. For tickets and event information, visit TahoeBloodyMary.com or purchase tickets through Eventbrite.
2026 Tahoe Bloody Mary Festival is August 22. Provided
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — The Tahoe Chamber is bringing back Sample the Sierra, South Lake Tahoe’s premier Food & Wine Festival, on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at Bijou Community Park. This annual celebration showcases the region’s exceptional culinary talent, craft beverages, local artisans, and vibrant community spirit in one unforgettable afternoon.
From 1-4 p.m., guests will enjoy tastings from regional restaurants, wineries, breweries, distilleries, and specialty beverage producers while browsing an artisan marketplace filled with handcrafted goods, fine art, jewelry, home décor, and more.
One of the festival’s signature experiences is the collaboration between chefs and craft beverage producers. Each participating restaurant is thoughtfully paired with a winery, brewery, or distillery to create complementary food and beverage pairings, allowing guests to discover unique flavor combinations while experiencing the creativity and craftsmanship of the Sierra Nevada’s culinary community.
“Sample the Sierra is a true celebration of the people and businesses that make our region so unique,” said Jessica Grime, CEO of the Tahoe Chamber. “From talented chefs and craft beverage producers to local makers and artists, the festival brings our community together while giving visitors an authentic taste of everything that makes South Lake Tahoe special.”
More than 1,500 guests are expected to attend this year’s festival, enjoying live music by The Residents Tahoe and Mic Smith, and the opportunity to meet the chefs, brewers, winemakers, distillers, and artisans behind the products they love.
Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or picnic blankets to relax beneath the towering pines of Bijou Community Park while enjoying live entertainment throughout the afternoon. Complimentary bike valet service and the Lake Link will once again be available to encourage sustainable travel to the event.
Tickets are on sale now at SampleTheSierra.com. Admission includes food and beverage tastings throughout the festival, and children ages 8 and under receive free admission, making it a fun experience for the whole family.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) honored its 2026 retirees during a celebration held on June 5, 2026, at Elements Eatery & Bar. Surrounded by colleagues, friends, and family, retirees were recognized for their dedication to the students, families, and community they have served throughout their careers.
Superintendent Todd Cutler opened the event by expressing gratitude to the retirees for their years of service and thanking the LTUSD Human Resources team of Vanessa Orozco, Edith Albiter-Martinez, and Danielle Cvitanich for organizing the celebration.
Dr. Cutler speaking at the LTUSD retiree ceremony. Provided / LTUSD
Representatives from the Lake Tahoe Educational Foundation (LTEF), Michelle Reilly and Michelle Feeney, thanked the retirees for their commitment to education and noted that LTEF has proudly supported LTUSD retirees since the foundation’s establishment in 1989. Classified School Employees Association President Bernadette Santana and South Tahoe Educators’ Association President Nicole Mora also offered words of appreciation and congratulations.
The celebration was hosted by LTUSD and the Lake Tahoe Educational Foundation. In addition to the district wide event, retirees will be recognized by colleagues at their respective school sites and departments.
LTUSD extends its sincere gratitude to this year’s retirees for their collective 275 years of service in education. Their contributions have made a lasting impact on generations of students and have helped strengthen our schools and community.
2025-26 Certificated Retirees Alison Riegel — 21 years of service in education Eric Beavers — 30 years of service in education Gail Harnett — 35 years of service in education Jodi-Marie Dayberry — 31 years of service in education Joseph Pfeil — 34 years of service in education Karin Holmes — 37 years of service in education Patrick Harnett — 39 years of service in education
2025-26 Classified Retirees Edna Swartz — 30 years of service in education Tamara Miller — 18 years of service in education
Karin Holmes and Edna Swartz at the LTUSD retiree ceremony. Provided / LTUSD
LTUSD would like to thank our generous sponsors whose contributions made this event possible:
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The South Lake Tahoe Police Department is reminding residents and visitors that alcohol consumption and open containers are prohibited on public beaches throughout the city.
As summer gets underway, the department has seen an increase in calls for service related to alcohol use on local beaches, including intoxicated individuals, disorderly conduct, and other disruptive behavior. In response, officers will increase patrols and enforcement efforts at public beaches throughout the summer.
Individuals found consuming alcohol or possessing open containers in prohibited areas may be subject to citation and enforcement action.
New signs are also being placed at beach access points and other high-traffic areas to remind everyone that alcohol and open containers are not allowed on public beaches.
“We want everyone to enjoy South Lake Tahoe’s beaches safely and responsibly,” said Lieutenant Russell Liles. “Our goal is to reduce alcohol-related incidents, prevent unsafe behavior, and help keep our beaches welcoming, safe, and enjoyable for residents and visitors alike. We appreciate the public’s cooperation in keeping local beaches safe this summer.”
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The South Tahoe Public Utility District has released its 2025 Water Quality Consumer Confidence Report, confirming that the community continues to receive safe, reliable, and high-quality drinking water that meets or exceeds all state and federal drinking water standards.
Each year, water providers across the country are required by the Safe Drinking Water Act to prepare and distribute a Consumer Confidence Report to inform customers about the quality of their drinking water. The District’s 2025 report highlights the results of thousands of water quality tests conducted throughout the year and provides detailed information about the source and treatment of South Lake Tahoe’s drinking water.
“Lake Tahoe is known for its exceptional water quality, and we are fortunate to have a local groundwater supply that allows us to deliver some of the best drinking water in the nation,” said Dan Arce, Laboratory Director. “Our team conducts extensive monitoring and testing year-round to ensure our customers can trust the water coming from their tap.”
The report includes information about where the District’s drinking water comes from, how it is protected, and the rigorous testing performed to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations.
“Providing safe drinking water is our highest responsibility,” Arce added. “While our water consistently meets all regulatory requirements, we continually invest in our infrastructure, monitoring programs, and operations to maintain the high level of quality and reliability our customers expect.”
The 2025 Water Quality Report is available online at www.stpud.us/water-quality-reports. Customers who would like a printed copy may request one by calling (530) 544-6474 or emailing info@stpud.us.
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – In a winter marked by warm temperatures and a low snowpack, how did Tahoe’s tourism and businesses fare?
Despite receiving near-average snowfall, the warm temperatures and long dry spells led to a rapid, early melt, causing the winter to feel milder than ideal.
Yet, stats reveal that the winter did not deter visitors as much as sentiment or perspective might suggest.
“From a tourism perspective, the winter has been relatively resilient,” Jackie Calvert with Visit Truckee Tahoe said.
In the Truckee area, Calvert said lodging occupancy softened slightly at times, but was only down about 2% overall from November through early April compared to the same time last year. Average daily rates remained strong and even increased slightly.
Parameters such as lodging occupancy, average daily rates, lodging revenue and spending are measures of visitation. Whether these numbers were up or down varies slightly from one region to the next.
In the North Tahoe region, occupancy took a harder hit, down over 11% compared to last year, according to a report from the North Tahoe Community Alliance. Airbnb bookings were also down almost 7%. Although average daily rates increased by over 6%, it wasn’t enough to offset the decline in occupancy, resulting in a 10% fall in revenue.
It’s a different story in the South Lake Tahoe region with lodging occupancy up 4.2% from last year. Average daily rates fluctuated but held steady, trending slightly down by 0.52% compared to last winter. Revenue rose and fell with occupancy and daily rate, but was slightly down overall from last winter by 1.32%. Spending was also down most months and overall by 3.44%.
In addition to the weather, the Tahoe region was also contending with national trends. 2025 was the first year hotels experienced an annual decline in revenue per available room since COVID, as international travel declined.
While those hotel numbers started to rebound in the winter, geopolitical conflict in the Middle East led to rising inflation, high fuel and air travel costs, placing more pressure on travel.
Compared with ski destinations facing similar weather patterns and international travel challenges, Tahoe showed resilience, with its losses more muted than those of other ski destinations, like Colorado.
“That’s somewhat unusual for us to share the same weather patterns and anecdotally, led to some winter sports enthusiasts shopping around for good conditions,” Carol Chaplin, president and CEO of Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, said. “We may have stayed fairly stable because of visitors changing destination plans.”
Although gas prices went up, the strain on travel may have helped Lake Tahoe, which is just a tank of gas away from many locations.
“So those who would go further away, fly, or drive may cut back,” Jerry Bindel, general manager and area managing director of Forest Suites, said, “If you’re doing two tanks or three tanks and you’re driving all over the west, you may retract a bit from that kind of travel, and that’s where we think that it’s good for us.”
This article is part one of a two-part series. Hear from a recreation, lodging, restaurant and bar in next week’s article.
If you’re responsible in more ways than one, if Earth is always on your agenda, we have some good news for you. The mountains are calling, and so is the continent’s largest alpine lake. From a LEED Silver Certified eco-luxury lodge to a groundbreaking sustainable travel initiative, your group can make a positive environmental impact while receiving exclusive rates and extra perks. That’s a win for you and Mother Nature.
South Lake Tahoe’s 365 days of outdoor adventures and 24-hour entertainment scene are just the beginning. Choose from 143,000 square feet of event space options and over 10,000 hotel rooms—all within walking distance of thrilling nightclubs, scenic views, and diverse restaurants. And walking isn’t the only way to reduce your carbon footprint. Read on to see what we mean.
Local Resources
Here, nature feels supernatural. Marvel in our striking landscapes with horseback rides, guided plant walks, clear-bottom kayak tours, hot air balloon excursions, and lakeside yoga sessions. But those are just a few of your options.
You already know local shopping translates to global impact. Our Meaningful Travel Map features accommodations, restaurants, stores, and business partners who are implementing mindful, eco-friendly, and community-forward practices—so you can make smart decisions at every step while you’re here.
Volunteer Activities
Nothing says team building like saving the planet. Good thing we have numerous opportunities to turn your crew into sustainable superheroes. Plus, our alpine-fresh air is known to elicit fresh business ideas, and the breathtaking vistas will transform them from tired to inspired.
Assist in preserving this 165-mile nature path that loops around Lake Tahoe. Your options include trail maintenance and construction, backcountry camp cooking, event assistance, administration, and community outreach.
Support multi-purpose pathways throughout the region with trail building and maintenance efforts. The association regularly hosts Trail Days that help get everyone rolling along.
Join the League to Save Lake Tahoe. Yes, joining a league really is as cool as it sounds. Preserve those cerulean waters and their surrounding natural landscapes alongside an environmental organization that offers water quality monitoring, forest stewardship, outreach, and cleanup activities on a regular basis.
You can also craft customized programs in South Lake Tahoe. Groups have gotten involved with food banks, community gardens, wellness events, and youth mentorship workshops in the past. We’d love to know what cause speaks to your crew.
Conservation Practices
South Lake Tahoe aims to be on the leading edge of policies that protect this gorgeous basin for generations to come, and we’ve already begun. Learn how we’re setting the standard while setting you up for success.
Bottle Basics
At 99.99% pure, Tahoe tap is already naturally among the finest in the world. So drink it in, and feel your best. We became one of the first cities to ban the use of single-use plastic water bottles in 2022. Lasting 450 years and turning into harmful microplastics that seep into the resources of humans and wildlife alike, this ban does more than make a statement. Especially since the League to Save Lake Tahoe has already picked up 20,100 bottles, 31,300 caps, and 163,800 plastic pieces. We provide refillable water bottles for both guests and residents, but this is also your chance to create some great company SWAG by passing out branded, reusable bottles for your attendees.
Rules to Lake By
We’ve developed five ways to practice responsible tourism at Lake Tahoe in order to keep this place as picturesque tomorrow as it is today. From protecting the lake to visiting with kindness, from cleaning up after ourselves to respectfully sharing communal spaces, we can enjoy the environment with wonder and awe. So let’s go big, and land lightly. It’s balance in its most natural state.
Add Meaning to Your Meetings
When leaving nothing behind means everything to you, take your group to Lake Tahoe’s South Shore. Browse venues designed for earth-conscious events, meetings, and conventions of all sizes. Our diverse range of accommodations offers the best luxury amenities, stunning views, and flexible event spaces so that you don’t have to compromise in order to cultivate a biodiverse ecosystem. At 6,224 ft. above sea level, attendees will feel so invigorated from the fresh, pine-scented air that they won’t want to fly back home (which is a great time to mention that we’re just a short drive away from Reno-Tahoe International Airport). Sound like a good fit? We’d love to see your RFP.
The sun is setting on Sunnyside Restaurant & Lodge as the community has known it for almost four decades. The longtime operator of the restaurant, T S Restaurants, is stepping aside in the fall to make way for a new operator — chef and restaurateur Mark Estee of Local Food Group.
T S Restaurants, which currently operates 13 destination restaurants in Hawaii and California, has run both the Sunnyside restaurant and hotel since 1987. T S CEO Jackie Reed said the decision was a mutual one made with the property owner, Tahoe Sunnyside Partners.
“It was a very difficult decision, but it felt time to return Sunnyside to a more local operator,” she said, “to do what was best for Sunnyside for the future.”
Estee has opened numerous restaurants in Tahoe and Reno, including Burger Me! and Moody’s Bistro Bar & Beats (though he is no longer involved with either). Before that, he served as the executive chef at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe’s Lone Eagle Grille. His group currently owns four restaurants in Reno — seven if you count Great Basin Brewery’s four locations.
Although Reed noted it’s been a difficult few years for the restaurant industry, she said the decision to part ways with Sunnyside was not a financial one. Mike Dumke, managing partner of Tahoe Sunnyside Partners, said the same thing.
“It’s been a great relationship with T S for 39 years, almost more like a partnership than a landlord relationship,” he said. “We both mutually came to the conclusion that it may be better to have them transition out and have a more local operator get involved in the property.”
Dumke said Estee plans on putting a fresh spin on the menu but will retain the theme of American fare as well as seafood and great burgers and adding some smoked items.
The new partnership also marks the beginning of significant investments across the property. Sunnyside will shut down Oct. 5 for renovations with plans to re-open April 1, 2027. The Local Food Group will remodel the restaurant, which includes an expansion of the kitchen and private dining spaces, while the ownership group plans on refreshing the 23 hotel rooms with new paint, carpet, and furniture, but no new construction. Tahoe Sunnyside Partners, which also owns Sunnyside Watersports & Marina, will manage the lodge going forward.
T S’s presence in Tahoe City began in 1978 with Jake’s on the Lake, then Sunnyside nine years later. Jake’s sold to a T S founder’s brother, Chris Thibaut, in 2005. Despite T S leaving Tahoe in the fall, Sunnyside will retain its storied name.
“It’s an emotional and bittersweet time for us,” said Reed, who noted T S is focusing on the Summer Send-Off celebration, with plans still in the works. “Not a lot of restaurants can say they operated for 39 years.”
The latest environmental controversy in Tahoe isn’t a development project, a wildfire, or a fight over lake clarity.
It’s a weed killer.
A proposal to use glyphosate in portions of the Caldor Fire burn scar has triggered mounting concern among residents and environmental advocates, opening a broader conversation about the herbicide’s health risks, ecological impacts, and growing presence throughout the region.
It all started with nonprofit news outlet Mother Jones’ yearlong investigation into the expanding use of herbicides in California forests. Released in May, the article dove deep into the worlds of wildfire management and recovery, industrial pesticide production, and complex federal bureaucracy. Among other projects, the article highlighted Forest Service plans to use herbicide as a vegetation management tool in the burn scar of the 2021 Caldor wildfire.
PULSING INTO WATERSHEDS: The most widely used herbicide in the world, glyphosate, poses a great risk of ecological devastation, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. Illustration by Sarah Miller/Moonshine Ink
The final environmental assessment and decision notice for the Caldor Fire Restoration Project — to be spearheaded by the Forest Service’s Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) — was released in March of this year. The project will thin tree stands in and around the burn area, remove damaged trees, and reforest burned areas, all within an approximately 11,700-acre project footprint.
Part of that preparation and reforestation is slated to include potential herbicide treatment. In the environmental assessment, LTBMU notes that “herbicides may be used to aid site preparation before tree planting and to manage competing vegetation after planting when manual treatments are ineffective or expected to be insufficient.”
At the top of the list of intended herbicides? Glyphosate.
Public reaction to the Caldor Restoration Project
The Mother Jones investigation analyzed more than 5 million California pesticide-use records, finding that approximately 266,000 pounds of glyphosate were applied in California forests in 2023 — nearly five times the amount used two decades earlier. The article characterized forest applications as the fastest-growing use of glyphosate in the state.
Public opposition to the use of the chemical in and around the Lake Tahoe Basin has quickly mounted, and pressure is on for local agencies.
In response to public outcry around the use of glyphosate in the Caldor Fire Restoration Project, a change.org petition began to circulate. It quickly garnered well over 22,000 signatures by the time this article was written, with public comments and support pouring in from across the country. Conspicuously absent from the body of this petition, however, are any concrete demands to address the titular demand, “Stop glyphosate spraying in the Tahoe Basin.”
This missing piece may be a reflection of the confusing decision-making associated with this project — in this particular instance, it seems few people know exactly how to effect change within our local bureaucracy.
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REFORESTATION: A recently planted Jeffrey pine seedling grows at the Sierra-at-Tahoe ski resort in California during a project in the Caldor Fire burn scar in May. Personnel from Silhouette Forestry, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Great Basin Institute planted red fir, Jeffrey pine and western white pine. Photo by Andrew Avitt/U.S. Forest Service
REVEGETATION WITH A PURPOSE: While vegetation will naturally reappear in the burn scar, the Forest Service plans to use mechanical and chemical treatments to ensure sufficient conifer growth. Photo by Sarah Miller/Moonshine Ink
PULSING INTO WATERSHEDS: The most widely used herbicide in the world, glyphosate, poses a great risk of ecological devastation, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. Illustration by Sarah Miller/Moonshine Ink
Frustrated, concerned, and confused, the public has swarmed to social media and rallied at Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) governance meetings to demand regulatory change. But that’s just not how it works, Jeff Cowen, public information officer at TRPA explained to me. At least, not anymore.
To understand the decision-making process behind environmental projects like this one, one must go back to the start. In 1969, TRPA was formed to help manage the two states, five counties, and three national forests that all wanted decision-making power over Lake Tahoe. Soon after, LTBMU was formed to consolidate national forest management in the region.
“It’s … been a partnership from the start,” Cowen said of the relationship between TRPA and LTBMU. But with 79% of land in the Basin owned and managed by the Forest Service, there are limitations on TRPA’s influence.
Those limitations have shifted over time, perhaps the most notable of which came as a result of the 2007 Angora wildfire. Inefficiencies, silos, and redundant regulatory procedures, Cowen explained, were identified as sticking points in the fire’s cause and magnitude. To address these hindrances, about 20 agencies came together to streamline environmental decision-making in the Basin.
Among the outcomes of this streamlining was an expanded memorandum of understanding between TRPA and LTBMU. For major projects like the Caldor Fire Restoration Project, TRPA is no longer a permitting authority, but instead an advisor to the decision-making process.
Cowen emphasized the efficacy of this decision, sharing that he feels that a “regulatory framework is really ineffective and not needed,” between the two agencies. “Because the Forest Service has very similar goals … they basically get to the point where they’re just adopting [our] goals and implementing them through their own plans.”
Together, the agencies have treated 80,000 acres across the Basin for wildfire prevention in the past two decades. But he also acknowledged there are “big, federal, overarching principles and direction that they also have to follow.”
As of late, these overarching principles seem somewhat murky.
How we got here: A noxious government love affair
In February of this year, the Trump administration made a sweeping move with the issuance of an Executive Order unambiguously named “Promoting the National Defense by Ensuring an Adequate Supply of Elemental Phosphorous and Glyphosate-Based Herbicides.”
This explicit prioritization of glyphosate production and use by the executive branch is a conveniently-timed declaration of support for the lawsuit-ridden Bayer company — and it’s no mystery as to why, Nathan Donley from the Center for Biological Diversity explained.
Our government has and continues to validate the use of glyphosate and other pesticides — despite the widely documented risks — because of the immense lobbying power of agricultural and agrochemical industries, Donley said. And it is far from isolated to the Trump administration.
“It’s been an absolute full court press from Bayer on all levels of government,” he explained. “Not just the executive and legislative branches. I mean, Clarence Thomas was a former Monsanto employee.”
And he’s not the only agrichemical-employee-turned-political-appointee. As of President Trump’s first year in office, all four of the top positions in the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention — the Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Assistant Administrator, Deputy Assistant Administrator for New Chemicals, and Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pesticides — have been filled by former executives or lobbyists of chemical and agricultural companies. The EPA and most other pesticide regulatory agencies continue to assert that glyphosate does not pose a health risk when used according to its label.
As Donley said, “the tendrils run deep … in the levels of influence that this company, Bayer, has in our government.”
Just how deep they run on initiatives like the Caldor Fire Restoration Project remains somewhat opaque. In the project’s environmental assessment, the herbicide use is identified as a way to expedite reforestation and “achieve silvicultural objectives.” These objectives? Conifer stands.
The assessment names three target species that, if not for herbicide use, could otherwise outcompete reforested conifers: western whitethorn, greenleaf manzanita, and ceanothus, or California lilac.
These native, fire-adapted species are known as pioneer species, meaning they are often the first to appear after wildfire events. Their fast-growing roots help to stabilize fire-impacted soil and prevent excess erosion, while also providing species-specific benefits like returning nutrients to damaged soils and quickly regenerating important habitat for pollinators and other species.
But while targeted elimination of native species may raise eyebrows, the Forest Service has an explanation. They are “not taking a wholesale targeting approach to these shrub species,” but instead targeting them only in the immediate vicinity of conifer seedlings. This will help ensure the area includes enough established trees to prevent full conversion to a montane chaparral environment, which could otherwise ignite easier and burn faster in future fire seasons.
Still, there is time before glyphosate use is slated to begin in the Basin.
“No herbicide application is planned for 2026 or 2027,” the Forest Service’s Region 5 media team stated. “Reforestation is an activity that will occur after initial entry (such as mechanical or hand treatments to remove overhead hazards and perhaps prescribed burning or mastication as site preparation) and occurs later in the project implementation timeline.”
Of the 11,700 acres of Forest Service land included within the project area, herbicide treatment is only proposed on a portion of the 2,400 to 3,600 acres where reforestation efforts will take place.
It’s a common pesticide. What’s the big deal?
Well, ain’t that the $11 billion question.
Health and environmental concerns associated with glyphosate use and exposure have been bubbling up for over a decade.
And despite being the most widely used herbicide globally, glyphosate wasn’t originally poised to become a pesticide at all. The chemical was first developed as a boiler and pipe cleaner agent. It wasn’t until 1974 that Monsanto, an American agrochemical and biotechnology company, discovered its efficacy as a herbicide. Monsanto quickly patented the discovery and sold glyphosate as the active ingredient in its crown-jewel herbicide product — Roundup.
GREENS-KEEPING: Golf courses are among the many landscapes where glyphosate is commonly used for vegetation management. Photo by Sarah Miller/Moonshine Ink
For over 25 years, Roundup products filled shelves at hardware and home garden stores, farming co-ops, and major industrial retailers as the sole glyphosate-based product. Touting its unique success as a versatile weed-killer, products were marketed and sold in a variety of forms, from ready-to-use herbicides for home gardens to commercial-grade concentrates designed for agricultural, industrial, and heavy-duty landscaping use. The substance was applied with everything from handheld bottles to backpack devices to large-scale aerial sprayers.
In 2000, Monsanto’s patent for exclusive use of the chemical expired in the United States. Other manufacturers began to flood the market, introducing their own glyphosate-based herbicides. Public use skyrocketed and, for the better part of two decades, glyphosate products flew off shelves.
Then in 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, an agency of the World Health Organization (WHO), published a scientific evaluation of the carcinogenicity of several market herbicides, glyphosate among them. As a result, glyphosate was designated as “probably carcinogenic to humans.”
Months later, the first lawsuit to allege Monsanto’s Roundup products were causing cancer proceeded to trial in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. Dewayne “Lee” Johnson, a groundskeeper for Benicia Unified School District argued Roundup had caused his non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The case, Johnson v. Monsanto, became the first of approximately 125,000 similar claims filed by 2020, with the California court ultimately ruling in Mr. Johnson’s favor. The jury awarded the plaintiff $289 million in compensatory and punitive damages, an amount that was later reduced by the judge to $78 million and then $21 million.
At the same time, proponents of glyphosate products began to vehemently defend both its safety and usage.
One such advocate named Patrick Moore, a former environmentalist turned TED-talking-climate-change-skeptic, even went so far as to claim Roundup was safe to drink. Moore was featured on air in a CBC News segment on the 2015 WHO findings, where he stated that “you can drink a whole quart of [Roundup], it won’t hurt you.” However, when offered a glass of the chemical by his interviewer, Moore declined to substantiate his claim in real-time, repeatedly saying “No, I’m not stupid.”
In 2017, a multi-district litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California consolidated the surge of federal lawsuits against Monsanto for its Roundup products. The litigation revealed a body of evidence that the leading study cited to defend Roundup’s safety for human exposure — Safety Evaluation and Risk Assessment of the Herbicide Roundup and Its Active Ingredient, Glyphosate, for Humans, published in 2000 by Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology — was in large part shaped and steered by Monsanto employees. The suit exposed email exchanges between Monsanto employees offering congratulations to one another for their “hard work” on the study and hopes that it would become “the reference on Roundup and glyphosate safety.”
Ultimately, the journal retracted the study, citing significant ethical concerns. But the damage was done, and the study still ranks among the top references justifying glyphosate use and claims to its safety.
In 2018, Monsanto was acquired by Bayer, a German pharmaceutical and agricultural chemical company. Bayer continued to sell Roundup but quickly discontinued the use of the Monsanto brand name, which was becoming increasingly tied to unfavorable litigation.
The United States District Court for the Northern District of California found Monsanto liable for another case of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in Hardeman v. Monsanto Co. in 2019, initially awarding Mr. Hardeman $80 million in damages — a total subsequently reduced to $20 million. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the decision in 2021, finding that the EPA’s approval of a pesticide label does not immunize a manufacturer from being held liable. This case ultimately became the first (and at this point, only) federal decision on the issue.
Despite Bayer phasing out glyphosate as an active ingredient in its residential Roundup products in 2023, it remains present in commercial and agricultural formulas. Lawsuits have continued to arise, with substantial damages and fees awarded to plaintiffs whose exposure to Roundup resulted in non-Hodgkin, follicular, T-cell, or other forms of lymphoma.
As of the time this article is being written, Bayer has paid over $11 billion in settlements for Roundup-related lawsuits and proposed a nation-wide class action settlement that would cap current and future claim payouts at $7.25 billion, to be used for declining payments for up to 21 years. The class action is heavily opposed by plaintiffs and environmental and public health organizations who have described it as a liability “shield.” A decision from the federal Supreme Court on its constitutionality is expected later in June. If approved, it will become one of the largest legal fee awards to date.
SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE: The 2021 Caldor Fire burned 221,835 acres across El Dorado, Alpine, and Amador counties. Photo by Sarah Miller/Moonshine Ink
Public health and environmental impact
Cancer is far from the only public health risk posed by glyphosate use and exposure.
Studies have found potential ties between glyphosate exposure and various medical conditions such as liver disease and reproductive disorders including PCOS, endometriosis, and disruptions to fertility. What’s more, a growing body of research is finding that glyphosate exposure may be a trigger for various gastrointestinal diseases and conditions, including celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
But despite these alarming associations, it remains unclear how much exposure is required to pose a real health risk to humans. In the vast majority of legal cases, affected plaintiffs are groundkeepers, farmers, or dedicated recreational gardeners — folks routinely subjected to highly concentrated forms of glyphosate.
In all likelihood, the exposure any individual may experience as a direct result of a relatively remote use such as the Caldor Fire Restoration Project would not cause substantial human harm. According to the National Pesticide Information Center, the half-life (time needed for a chemical to reduce to half of its initial amount) of glyphosate is particularly variable, landing somewhere between 2 and 197 days in soil, and between “a few days” and 91 days in water.
The chance of human exposure narrows further upon consideration of where the Caldor Fire Reforestation Project’s proposed herbicide treatment areas lie. In an email, the Forest Service’s Region 5 media team noted that “for the Caldor Fire Restoration Project, herbicide use is proposed only on a subset of the area proposed for reforestation, where other reforestation site preparation methods will not work. For example, manual removal equipment is not permitted in project areas with steep slopes, locations far from existing roads, [or] sensitive soils.”
But the questionable human health impacts of this project are not the sole consideration in this instance. An even greater risk is the ecological devastation that glyphosate wreaks on habitats, plants, and wildlife.
Donley at the Center for Biological Diversity noted that so long as glyphosate is present, it poses an environmental risk. This is particularly true after any precipitation, where stormwater runoff “goes into the nearby river, lake, or stream of that watershed and contaminates it with high pulses of pesticide.”
Donley emphasized that most animals do rely on these waters, whether they are woodland animals seeking drinking water, wetland species like migratory birds, or aquatic animals that then have no choice but to suffer through 24/7 exposure to contaminated water. While this can be lethal, he added, there are other effects as well. “It can lead to chronic harms like reduced reproductive capability or developmental defects, so it can affect subsequent generations and ultimately lead to population decline or even collapse for certain species,” he explained.
The Environmental Protection Agency found that glyphosate use was likely causing harm to 1,676 of the approximately 1,700 plants and animals protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Where the Caldor Fire Restoration Project is concerned, LTBMU will be taking some precautions to prevent this catastrophic runoff. “Herbicide applications will not take place within six hours of predicted rainfall that has a high probability of producing measurable runoff, or as requested by the Forest Service aquatics biologist,” the Forest Service shared via email. Additionally, the project will use backpack sprayers or other low-volume methods, as opposed to aquatic or aerial application, which produces greater concern for pollinator species.
But slip-ups or insufficient margins of time between application and precipitation could be catastrophic for some species that call the Tahoe area home.
In 2021, the federal Environmental Protection Agency found that glyphosate use was likely causing harm to 1,676 of the approximately 1,700 plants and animals protected under the Endangered Species Act. Impacted species include the Sierra Nevada red fox, California spotted owl, and Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog, all of which are listed in the federal Endangered Species Act and live in our area.
Hitting close to home
While proposed glyphosate use in the Caldor burn scar has created quite a stir for the public, it appears as though our community remains blissfully unaware that glyphosate made its debut in the Truckee/Tahoe area long ago.
According to its most recent annual data, California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) ranked glyphosate the sixth most used pesticide in the state in 2023. Of herbicides (plant-specific pesticides) used statewide, glyphosate ranked number one both by pounds applied and total acres treated – 10.7 million and 4.8 million, respectively. About 270,000 pounds alone were used to spray California’s forest land, a figure that has been steadily increasing each year.
Agriculture remains a top use, with glyphosate the pesticide of choice for a variety of crops, from cotton to nuts to citrus and even — put down your glass of pinot here — wine grapes. Neighborhood gardens also pose a risk; DPR data excludes residential use, but despite Bayer’s 2023 phaseout of glyphosate from its residential products, the compound remains the active ingredient in competitor products. Nationwide, the EPA estimates residential and non-crop glyphosate use at several million pounds per year.
While glyphosate is most closely associated with agriculture, it is also widely used in non-agricultural settings, including rights-of-way corridors, landscape maintenance, parks, athletic facilities, golf courses, utility infrastructure, and other managed public spaces.
Individual county reporting provides insight into current uses regionally. El Dorado County, which encompasses the Eastern side of Folsom to the California-Nevada state line in South Lake Tahoe, applied over 9,500 pounds of glyphosate in 2023 for forest and timberland applications, and just over 6,000 along rights of way areas like roads, highway corridors, sidewalks, and curb areas. Placer County, on the other hand, reported over 9,000 pounds used for rights of way areas, just over 4,600 pounds for forest and timberland areas, and just under 4,000 pounds for landscape maintenance. Nevada County clocked in with significantly lower rates, atjust over 2,000 pounds used for rights of way areas and a similar amount for landscape maintenance topping the list in 2023.
These numbers encompass more than public agency use. Private landowners are also obligated to report use to DPR, and glyphosate has become industry-standard for a number of vegetative fixtures. For example, on its website, NV Energy notes herbicide use as a mechanism for vegetation management under its power lines.
A recent follow-up article from Mother Jones opened with investigative journalist Nate Halverson standing in the middle of a run at Sierra-at-Tahoe that “clearly had been doused in glyphosate,” pointing to the area being “devoid of spring flowers; the bushes leafless, brittle, and dead by all appearances.” Sure enough, Halverson had found that the “Forest Service posted maps online showing it had sprayed glyphosate around and within Sierra-at-Tahoe in spring 2025.” This spraying was a part of a separate Caldor Fire Restoration Project, managed by El Dorado Resource Conservation District and taking place outside of the Basin, with a much larger footprint approved for herbicide use.
Patrick Lacey, public relations manager at Palisades Tahoe, said the resort does not use any chemicals, herbicides, or pesticides for vegetation management. Instead, he explained, its vegetation management crews use the mechanical removal of smaller trees and bushes to focus on “reducing ladder fuels on the forest floor and skier safety; the combination works synergistically.”
Since 2015, more than 125,000 legal claims have been filed alleging that exposure to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, contributed to the development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Bayer has paid over $11 billion in settlements thus far. File photo
Marc McMullen, the golf course superintendent at Northstar California Resort, told me he does use glyphosate as well as fungicide to manage vegetation on the Northstar course. While total use during the season is relatively low, McMullen emphasized that the compound used is a harsh enough product that it is not available off the shelf and requires a pesticide applicator license through both the state and county.
University extension publications and turf-management literature routinely identify golf courses as a significant use category for the herbicide for vegetation management, cart-path edging, weed control, and renovation projects.
Moonshine Ink reached out to other land managers of community spaces, but many did not respond to the inquiries.
While debate continues over where and when glyphosate should be used, its presence in the modern landscape is difficult to avoid entirely. That reality raises a practical question for residents: What steps, if any, can individuals and communities take to reduce exposure?
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot
Options range from personal choices to participating in public discussions.
First and foremost, eating food grown using organic practices whenever possible is one of the leading ways to reduce glyphosate exposure and mitigate its harms to human health, researchers say.
A 2020 study published in Environmental Research found that diet is a main source of glyphosate exposure for humans. What’s more, researchers found glyphosate levels in children prior to making the switch to organic foods were approximately five times higher than adult levels. The good news? Transitioning to organic food had a near-immediate impact on the amount of glyphosate in subjects’ systems, reducing levels by over
70 percent.
Water, too, can be a potential source of glyphosate exposure. In the Basin, where most household drinking water comes from surface waters, regional water purveyors regularly test for pesticides. Sarah Vidra, the Executive Director at Tahoe Water Suppliers Association, confirmed that “pesticides are … monitored as part of the Synthetic Organic Chemicals (SOC) program.” Currently, she added, “the Association is not aware of any pesticide detections exceeding drinking water standards in Lake Tahoe source water supplies.” Vidra confirmed the SOC testing TWSA uses detects glyphosate.
Truckee tap water is substantially more removed from potential contamination, as the Truckee Donner Public Utility District (TDPUD) sources all water from deep underground aquifers. “The average age of our drinking water predates many modern chemicals,” Alex Spychalsky, TDPUD Communications Program Manager, explained via email. “For example, the rain we saw fall in our region last week won’t reach our aquifer for decades.”
But Donley said there’s more to be done than relying on water purveyors. “Regardless of how clean you think your water is, everyone should have a good water filter in their house,” he advised. “Because I don’t care how clean you think your water is, it’s not.”
MAKING THE ROUNDS: Glyphosate wasn’t originally poised to become a pesticide at all. The chemical was first developed as a boiler and pipe cleaner agent. In 1974 Monsanto discovered its efficacy as a herbicide and quickly patented the discovery and sold glyphosate as the active ingredient in its crown-jewel herbicide product — Roundup. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons
While limiting glyphosate exposure in private spaces like kitchens, yards, and gardens can help mitigate risk, navigating more public areas that are outside of one’s control can be more complex. A simple rule of thumb, Donley suggested, is don’t play — and don’t let your loved ones play — where dandelions don’t grow. Weeds and other landscaping imperfections are natural. Allow them to be a sign of safe, glyphosate-free spaces.
Locally, questions about herbicide use may be addressed through existing regulatory and planning processes. As for the standards by which TRPA advises projects, those can be changed, though Cowen noted that “the path to what action [TRPA] can take is a relatively long one.” While it typically responds to emerging issues through scientific review, Cowen suggested the level of public interest surrounding glyphosate may warrant further examination. In the case of herbicide use in the Tahoe Basin, he said, “public concern is probably enough for us to start looking at it.”
Whether glyphosate is ultimately used as part of the LTBMU Caldor Fire Restoration Project remains to be seen. What is already clear is that the proposal has sparked a broader conversation about forest management, wildfire recovery, herbicide use, public health, and environmental stewardship — one that is likely to continue well beyond the boundaries of the burn scar itself.
For decades, Truckee Fire Protection District has provided fire and emergency medical services to some of the region’s most affluent neighborhoods. According to the district, however, it has never received the full share of property tax revenue that should be tied to those responsibilities.
Now, after years of unsuccessful negotiations, Truckee Fire has taken Placer County to court, arguing that a decades-old property tax allocation error has deprived the district of roughly $40 million since the mid-1970s. The lawsuit could reshape how millions of dollars in property taxes are distributed among local agencies, drawing 10 other districts into the dispute.
Property tax collection for select special districts across Truckee/North Tahoe play a significant role in revenue streams. Some, like Truckee Sanitary District and Tahoe Truckee Unified School District, rely on property taxes for more than 60% of their operating revenue.
This is common in California: Revenue from the 1% property tax is the foundation for most jurisdictions, from counties and cities down to schools and special districts.
Which means if there’s a piece of the highly precious property pie tax missing, it doesn’t go unnoticed.
Nearly 75% of the Truckee Fire Protection District’s 2025/26 revenue comes from taxes, or $14.1 million of its total $19.8 million budget. That number, alleges the district, should be $4 million more.
The district officially brought a case before the Sacramento Superior Court in February 2025 to right a “historic wrong,” according to court documentation.
Placer County, through outside counsel, has so far called into question the legal validity of the entire case, disputing each of the four causes of action submitted by Truckee Fire that make up its argument. Judge Jennifer K. Rockwell ruled against the county’s claims as recently as May 14.
As of press deadline, the ball is in Placer’s court: it has until July 6 to file a formal response to Truckee Fire’s demand for court action and a legal ruling.
Because of the active litigation, both entities provided brief statements to Moonshine Ink:
“Truckee Fire looks forward to having our day in court and to an expeditious, fair, and complete resolution to this matter,” Chief Kevin McKechnie said.
“The county disputes the claims brought by the district and will defend its position in the litigation,” shared Steven Wilson-Maggard, public information officer.
How did we get here?
The red tape that’s causing so much back and forth stems from California’s Proposition 13, passed back in 1978.
This ruling put a 1% tax rate cap of a property’s assessed value and limited yearly assessment increases to 2%. (Prior to ’78, the state’s average property tax rate was 2.67%.) Further, property reassessments bringing up a property to current market value can only take place when there’s a change in ownership or new construction.
Assembly Bill 8 (AB 8), enacted in 1979, determined how that 1% tax was divided up among local governments. County auditors were required to base this distribution on the average property tax revenue received by local governments in the few years preceding Prop 13.
The crux for Truckee Fire is that a few years prior to Prop 13, the district began providing fire protection and medical services to a piece of land known then as the Woolverton Property and known now as Zone 7, annexed into the district in 1974.
CAUGHT IN RED TAPE: Select neighborhoods in Martis Valley are classified as a No Pay Tax Rate Area (TRA), which means Truckee Fire Protection District provides service with no property tax revenue in return. The group of homes in question amounts to 1,600 structures across 2,189 parcels. Graphic by Lauren Shearer/Moonshine Ink and courtesy Google Maps
Zone 7 currently comprises Martis Camp, Schaffer’s Mill, part of Lahontan off Snowshoe Thompson Circle; a portion of Sierra Meadows off Pine Cone and Ponderosa drives, and Golden Pine Road; as well as a section of Ponderosa Palisades on Silver Fir Drive west of Thelin Drive.
The Woolverton agreement limited taxation to the value of improvements (or development), not the underlying land, and allowed property owner Bertha Joerger Woolverton “to continue to live on her property unburdened by taxes but to support the District’s services as she sold her land for development,” as stated in Truckee Fire’s complaint.
In board meetings, Placer County supervisors have called this deal of taxing Zone 7 at a reduced rate as a mistake made by Truckee Fire, leading to the district receiving only partial property tax from that area during three critical years before Prop 13. That taxation level was locked into place in 1978 — and has stayed that way through today.
During the 2024/25 tax year, across the TRAs in Zone 7, Truckee Fire received between 0.60% and 0.75% in AB 8 property tax allocation. A nearby TRA shows Truckee Fire receiving 11.58% of the distribution.
There have been some negotiations in the intervening years. Truckee Fire formally requested its share of AB 8 funding in 1997, 2011, 2018, and 2023. In 1997, Placer’s Auditor Controller Jayne Goulding sent a letter to Truckee Fire stating the revenues had been corrected, but that change never took place.
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IN 1973, Truckee Fire received a letter from Bertha Woolverton requesting annexation into the district for land known today as Martis Valley. Documents courtesy Truckee Fire Protection District
IN 1973, Truckee Fire received a letter from Bertha Woolverton requesting annexation into the district for land known today as Martis Valley. Documents courtesy Truckee Fire Protection District
In 2019, the county allocated the district funding from an adjacent bucket: Placer County executed a voluntary tax share agreement allowing Truckee Fire to receive a portion of fire control fee collected from Zone 7 property taxes, amounting to about $300,000 annually. Truckee Fire considers this agreement irrelevant to the larger situation, according to court documentation.
In June 2024, the Placer County Board of Supervisors heard a presentation about the fire control fund and whether to continue with a subsequent funding method or not.
Placer County Supervisor Jim Holmes pointed out in June 2024 that Truckee Fire could have corrected the issue in part during the county’s 2003 general plan update but did not do so: “This sets a precedent … This takes money out of our general fund to supplement a district that failed to take action when the opportunity was there for them.”
The item was not up for action, and ended with unclear steps for the future. Eight months later, Truckee Fire filed its case.
What specifically is being asked for?
Truckee Fire’s legal reasons for suing Placer fall into two camps: three focus on the failure of property tax allocation (as described previously), while the fourth focuses on the county’s failure to comply with the Placer County General Plan and Martis Valley Community Plan.
This second camp claims the county approved real estate developments such as Martis Valley, Schaffer’s Mill, and part of Lahontan neighborhoods in Zone 7 without funding fire service in conjunction.
In early 2024, Truckee Fire alleges in the complaint, the district stated on an early building permit for a townhome development in Schaffer’s Mill that as the serving fire protection district, it would “withhold approval of a Certificate of Occupancy until it received adequate funding to provide fire services to the development.” The district also requested that the county restrict further development in Martis Valley until the funding issues at hand could be rectified.
On March 26 of that year, Placer amended its county code to allow fire-protection district approval to come from either Truckee Fire, Placer County Fire, or Cal Fire.
Over a year later, the Placer County Planning Commission modified the Schaffer’s Mill Conditional Use Permit language to allow either Truckee Fire or Placer County Fire’s signature for plan approvals.
Placer demurred to the district’s complaint on all causes of action. A demurrer essentially means that even if, in this case, Truckee Fire’s claims are true, they do not warrant a lawsuit. Judge Rockwell overruled two of the three demurrers, while sustaining the third demurrer on the fourth cause of action, but allowed the district time to amend its legal stance.
Truckee Fire did so, submitting an amended complaint — to which Placer demurred once again on the fourth cause of action. The judge overruled this demurrer in mid-May, leading to the current wait for Placer County’s response, due by July 6.
From there, the case will likely enter a discovery phase, during which both sides will exchange information, evidence, and witness interviews.
Among its requests for ruling, Truckee Fire hopes for legal mandates to the county to allocate and pay the district its AB 8 share of Zone 7 property tax revenue; a permanent injunction from denying Truckee Fire its AB 8 share; and a declaration that Placer’s decision to approve development in the Martis Valley area without general plan compliance violates the law.
TRUCKEE FIRE’S Station 96, serving the Martis Valley 24 hours a day, seven days a week since 2000. Courtesy photo
What other districts are involved (and whose side are they on)?
If Truckee Fire is allotted any amount of AB 8, which is a limited pot of money, other entities receiving property tax from Zone 7 will take a hit.
When it first filed its complaint, Truckee Fire did not include other taxing entities involved in Zone 7 who could be impacted. Placer called this out in a demurrer, requiring an amended complaint to include the following as real parties in interest:
Truckee Tahoe Airport District, Placer County Resource Conservation District, Tahoe Truckee Unified School District, Sierra Community College District, Placer County Office of Education, Placer County Water Agency, Tahoe Forest Hospital District, Tahoe Truckee Sanitation Agency, Tahoe City Public Utility District, and Truckee Sanitary District. All 10 are listed as parties on the side of Placer County.
Of the parties, the airport district, Tahoe City PUD, Tahoe Truckee Unified School District, Placer County Office of Education, and Truckee Sanitary District have filed joinders at some point, formally aligning themselves with Placer’s arguments. For the latest set of demurrers, the school district and office of education did not file joinders while the remaining three did.
Why other parties of interest didn’t file a joinder can be for many reasons, including being able to benefit from a decision without the cost or exposure; different interests than defendant’s strategies; and taking a wait-and-see approach.
“While the core of this dispute is between the fire district and the county, the legal remedy sought, a reapportionment of ad valorem property taxes, carries an outsized potential impact on a broad coalition of local public agencies that provide essential services to our community,” TTAD General Manager Robb Etnyre wrote in an email. “Because property tax revenue is a ‘zero-sum’ system under California law, any significant shift in these percentages means the funding must be drawn from the existing shares of other local entities.”
In its 2026 budget, TTAD anticipates receiving about $10 million in property tax revenue — about 55% of its revenue for the year.
Etnyre added that the airport district’s participation in the case, as well as the other parties with interest, “is intended to ensure that the pursuit of fire protection funding does not inadvertently destabilize the budgets of our schools, our hospital, or our regional infrastructure.”
Truckee Fire has said in public statements about the case, “Placer County would prefer we ask taxpayers districtwide to approve a new property tax so that the district can have sufficient funds to fund services in Lahontan, Martis Camp and Schaffer’s Mill … Placer County has already collected substantial tax revenue, they just need to allocate it.”
In the current court case, the district is requesting its AB 8 share from the date of the final court order forward. Meanwhile, it is also asking for historical records of what it received from 1975 to 1978, which would play a role in determining the full amount Truckee Fire might have collected since the mid-1970s.
Sherry McConkey is widely known in Tahoe/Truckee as the wife of the late, famed skier and ski-BASE athlete Shane McConkey, as founder of the Shane McConkey Foundation, and a popular yoga teacher. But the story of how Sherry became such an active part of the Tahoe community started on the other side of the world.
Born to a South African mother and Persian father, Sherry entered the world under complicated circumstances. Her mother, who was a model, gave birth in an adoption home in Ireland because in the 1960s, it would have been complicated to have a mixed-race child in South Africa. When Sherry was born with blonde hair and blue eyes, her mother was able to bring her back to South Africa and raise her there.
After spending her first years in Iran, Sherry grew up near the coastal city of Durban in South Africa. By age 21, she was ready to see more of the world.
“When I was 21, I decided to travel the world and find my birth father,” Sherry said.
With South African currency stretching only so far abroad, she found herself working, traveling, and working again as she made her way across Europe.
“I had some insanely amazing adventures, great and bad, beautiful and crazy,” Sherry said. “Three years of a very innocent, naive young South African traveling the world.”
Along the way, she saw snow for the first time while visiting Switzerland and immediately fell in love with the mountains. Eventually, her search for her father led her to North America.
But shortly before she planned to meet him, everything changed.
“As I was about to come to the States to meet my dad, he left without telling me,” Sherry said. “Basically, I was like, ‘Screw you. I’m done looking. I’m done trying.’”
Without a destination in mind, Sherry followed recommendations from friends and found herself driving to Tahoe.
“I found it miraculous,” she said. “As I drove up the West Shore and the harvest moon was coming out of the lake, I was like, ‘Oh my god, this place is amazing.’”
What was supposed to be a single winter stay has now turned into 36 years.
Tahoe became even more meaningful after she met professional skier Shane McConkey. Together they built a life and raised their daughter, Ayla. When Shane died in a ski-BASE accident in Italy in 2009, Sherry considered leaving the region.
GURU: Sherry McConkey is a popular yoga teacher at Palisades Yoga. She is pictured here at her retreat in Nicaragua. Photos courtesy Sherry McConkey
“When Shane died, the community just wrapped their arms around Ayla and me,” she said. “It was like a family around me. I was like, ‘How am I ever going to leave this?’”
The years that followed were marked by loss throughout the community. Many longtime locals remember the early 2000s as a period of repeated tragedies.
“I got to a point where I was like, ‘How much more can I take?’” Sherry said. “But when I looked at other places to go, I would realize I couldn’t leave my Tahoe family.”
Instead, she stayed and poured her energy into giving back.
In the years following Shane’s death, Sherry helped establish the Shane McConkey Foundation. What began as a way to support environmental causes the couple cared about grew into programs that are now nationwide. Since its founding in 2011, the nonprofit has donated one million dollars to environmental causes, kids health and wellness, and projects that impact the Tahoe/Truckee region.
PMS: Sherry McConkey (in red) with her daughter, Ayla, at the Pain McShlonkey, an annual snowblade contest put on by her foundation, the Shane McConkey Foundation.
“When I first started the foundation, I think I was still in shock,” Sherry said. “We didn’t quite know what to do.”
One of its most successful projects grew from a student environmental initiative led by a teacher at Donner Trail Elementary partaking in the Shane McConkey Eco Challenge. Today, the foundation’s Don’t Drop the Top program operates lid collection sites throughout the region that have diverted 8,200 pounds of plastic from local landfills.
“The kids partaking in the Eco Challenges are mind-blowing and so amazing,” Sherry said. “It gives me hope for the future.”
LOVE: Sherry McConkey and her daughter, Ayla, who is now 20.
For Sherry, the foundation reflects the same philosophy that defined Shane’s life: maximizing enjoyment in life.
“The foundation, in a nutshell, is a combination of fun and not taking life so seriously, but then intense and taking life really seriously,” she said. “A good balance.”
After decades in Tahoe, that balance continues to guide her. The woman who once crossed continents searching for connection ultimately found it in a mountain town that became family.
“My hope for Tahoe is to become the most environmentally conscious town in the world,” Sherry said. “It’s breathtakingly beautiful, and you only have one life. Live it.”
It’s midnight in the middle of nowhere on the Trans-Siberian Railway but sleep is far from mind. Russian train-riders are gathered in the bar car, laughing and dancing around the ragtag string band that’s swigging vodka and making up funny songs on the spot.
The bandmembers are a bunch of Americans, in-country for the 2018 World Cup, and rather than geopolitical hostilities there’s a warmth of human connection forged around global sport and the universal language of music.
TRAIN JAM: Jeremiah Kent (middle) and Martin Cavada (foreground) playing tunes and giving smiles at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Photo by Ryan Salm
“We ended up being the house band on the Trans-Siberian for a week,” guitarist Ryan Salm remembered. “It was before the war [in Ukraine]. We ended up befriending generals and regular people, just singing songs and staying up all night.”
Salm is a founding member of the Home Team String Band, the Tahoe/Truckee-based group that’s traveled to the last four World Cups — bringing an open-armed vibe of music, good times, and cross-cultural connection as they celebrate the unifying power of soccer’s biggest stage.
THE HOME TEAM’S BUS, painted by Ben Williams of Truckee, does not have a nickname yet, but members of the band are pretty sure it will by the time the World Cup is over. Photos courtesy Paul Raymore
This year’s World Cup will be played in North and Central America from June 11 to July 19, with the bulk of the matches taking place in the United States.
“We’ve been welcomed wherever we’ve gone,” said Dan Hurley, the group’s unofficial musical coordinator who, along with Salm, also plays in the Tahoe-based band The Inappropriators. “I’m most looking forward to hosting, and to giving back to the world what they’ve given for us. We are going to show a welcoming spirit.”
To do so, the band bought an old Bluebird school bus and undertook a group-effort, custom build-out, readying their “Schoolie” to be a traveling home, fan-zone (with two TVs and a projector screen), music venue, and cultural welcome center. They’ll make and hand out grilled cheese sandwiches and throw parties, aiming to be a gathering place where people from all over the world can hang out before, during, or after the games and have a good time.
TRANSFORMATION: Members of the Home Team String Band talk it over during a bus-buildout session.
“We’ll play a bunch of songs and hope to get people to join our band along the way,” Salm added.
Folks may join the band forever, for a day, an hour, or even just one song. After all, impromptu additions to the group are what created the Home Team in the first place. The band is now 12-plus humans strong, but it all started back in 2010 with three Tahoe locals who just wanted to go the World Cup in South Africa.
Salm arrived on the continent before the event began and traveled overland from Ethiopia (guitar and harmonica in tow) to South Africa. He knew Paul Raymore and Hurley independently, and they all made plans to meet up before the matches began.
TRANSPORTATION: When the Home Team String Band found themselves in a dry country for the 2022 World Cup, they traded beer for bikes and cycled to the games in Qatar. Photo by Ryan Salm
Prior to linking up with them, Salm was checking out of a bungalow in Malawi just as another guy with a guitar was checking in. He was from L.A., and Salm told him he lived in Tahoe. The guy’s first question was, “Have you been to High Sierra Music Festival?”
Salm smiled. “I go every year,” he said. The connection was instant and the two made sure they’d reconnect in South Africa — and boom, Jeremiah Kent was added to the roster.
Similar serendipity ensued at the USA vs. England game in Rustenberg when an American approached the group and it was discovered they had a mutual friend in Tahoe. He introduced himself as Pete Blanchard and they all hung out that night. “We had an empty spot in our car,” Salm said, “and the next day Pete was part of the crew.”
They met Tahoe-ite Trevor Husted at the USA vs. Algeria knockout match and the group of travel-seeking, soccer-loving musicians started writing funny songs about their World Cup experiences. The bond was tight, and the Home Team String Band was born.
THE HOME TEAM STRING BAND celebrates euphorically at a World Cup match. Photo courtesy Paul Raymore
Everyone has a nickname. Someone who joined eight years ago will always be New Guy (Dane Halter). Added in 2014 were Hulké (Martin Cavada), Hylando (Rylan Cordova), and Maximus (Kurt Beckering). Then there’s Godfather (Paul Raymore), Captain Jebbers (Kent), and Handsome (Hurley), among others.
The nicknames are written on the back of the bandmate’s personal Sweatsedo — a sweet, custom-made velour track suit — in the local language of whatever country they are in. Sometimes the names get lost in translation. In Russia, for example, Trevor Husted’s “T-Bone” read as “T-Steak.”
Eight years later, Husted is still T-Steak.
Blanchard earned his original nickname, Granada (Spanish for grenade), due to his proclivity for explosive late-night antics, but on the Trans-Siberian he turned sweet. On a short stop, he ran out and bought flowers for the Russian bartendress. She received them well and started calling him Pupsik — a term of endearment either romantic or maternal meaning something akin to “cutie.” The boys couldn’t resist that one either, and his nickname forever changed to Pupsik.
There’s an origin story, of course, for the nicknames. In 2010, the original crew was driving on a dirt road in Lesotho, the small, mountainous nation landlocked by South Africa, when a couple of locals boys threw a small rock at the vehicle. “Stop the car!” boomed Salm’s voice. In a flash he was running into the African plains after the half-laughing, half-screaming perpetrators.
The team was beyond impressed by Salm’s speed. Right then and there he became “Cheetah” — and the naming began.
The young-adult sons of Raymore and Halter, Ethan and Nathan respectively, will hop on the bus for their first Home Team action this World Cup. “They’re good kids but they haven’t done much yet,” Hurley said. “They’ll be known collectively as JV until they prove themselves worthy of joining the varsity and earning a nickname.”
Not your typical band
The group’s gigs aren’t pre-booked shows in concert halls, rather impromptu busking-type sessions played in crowded subways, outside stadiums, and on bustling city streets.
“My favorite thing about it is that most of our material is written in the moment,” Hurley said, noting that the chord progressions are made up on the spot and the lyrics freestyled. “You write a song about a new person you’re hanging out with or the score of the game, a funny time at the bar or the street scene in Brazil we’re looking at.”
Many of their stream of consciousness songs, in a nod to true art, only ever exist once. Some, however, are played again and refined over time to become part of the band’s growing catalogue.
“We want people coming into it to feel welcome. It’s about the fun, the merriment, the global soccer-sports-music brotherhood that we’ve all come to know and love so much.”
~ Dan Hurley, unofficial musical director of The Home Team String Band, on the 2026 World Cup
And while they’ll mix in some covers — “California Dreaming,” “Hotel California,” and “Born in the U.S.A” are oft-requested when overseas — there’s never anything like a planned-out set list, which appeals to Hurley’s artistic sensibilities. “It’s total musical freedom,” he said.
In addition to the soccer and the music, adventure is a big part of the Home Team’s overall gameplan. On their World Cup-focused trips, they’ve hiked in national parks in Africa, explored the Amazon in Brazil, and embarked on multi-day, self-guided paddleboard trips around Russia’s Lake Baikal (the largest freshwater lake in the world and Tahoe’s sister lake), and the Arabian Sea, including in the Strait of Hormuz.
When Beckering joined the band for the 2014 Cup in Brazil, he brought along his banjo. The circular part of the instrument was white. One day he drew black markings on it to make it look like a soccer ball, and The Soccer Ball Banjo came to be.
“If there was a symbol of our band, that would be it,” Raymore declared.
The band was hitting their stride, but four years later the unthinkable happened: The U.S. failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. “It was shocking,” Salm said. “We didn’t know what to do.”
After some debate, the performers decided the show must go on — a decision that led to perhaps the band’s greatest moment, those days and nights of song and merriment as the house band on the clickety tracks of the Trans-Siberian Railway.
The 2022 World Cup, held in Qatar in Nov. and Dec. ’21 to avoid the region’s stifling summer heat, featured another changeup: The vodka-swigging, beer-crushing Home Teamers found themselves in a dry country. So, they traded booze for bikes and began cycling to the games, oftentimes two matches a day, and from place to place with their instruments and antics. “A lot of people over there hadn’t seen anything like us,” Salm said.
So, what do these 2026 home games mean for the Home Team String Band?
“We want people coming into it to feel welcome,” said Hurley, who recently wrote a song called “Host the World,” which can be found on YouTube. “It’s about the fun, the merriment, the global soccer-sports-music brotherhood that we’ve all come to know and love so much.”
MAKING NEW FRIENDS is a key part of the Home Team String Band’s World Cup experiences. Ryan Salm at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The Tahoe kickoff party takes place on June 12 at Alibi Ale Works in Truckee to watch Team USA’s opening game against Paraguay. The match starts at 6 p.m., with the pre-party starting at 4 p.m. The bus will be on site for tours and photos, and the boys will play tunes. All ages are welcome and bringing instruments is encouraged. “We’d love to see the biggest street band we can make in downtown Truckee,” Raymore said.
After that game, the Home Team will put the bus in gear and start attending matches in person. First, it’s down to San Francisco where Levi’s Stadium hosts Qatar vs. Switzerland on the 13th and Austria vs. Jordan on the 16th. Then it’s up to Seattle for Team USA’s highly anticipated June 19th match against Australia.
But the true destination is the journey — being on the bus and spreading the vibe like some version of the Merry Pranksters with a Pelé predilection and well-tuned instruments.
“We’ll stop anywhere from a town square to a dive bar or a trailer park,” Salm said. “It doesn’t need to be a million people. We’re not an arena band, it’s about intimate.”
From Seattle, the Home Team dips north of the border to catch New Zealand vs. Egypt on the summer solstice in Vancouver. Then the bus will turn around and meander south to get to L.A. in time for Team USA’s final group match June 25 at Sofi Stadium against Türkiye.
After group play the teams with the best records will advance to the knockout stages, the details of those matches being unknown until the completion of the first round. “We don’t have any idea yet where we’ll go,” Salm said, the band perhaps leaning into its ability to play things by ear. “We’ll try to follow the USA if we can.”
The Beautiful Game
Estimates are that 5.8 billion people, roughly 75% of the world population, will view the 2026 World Cup in some form — making it the most watched sporting event in human history.
Soccer, like music, is truly a global language. While there have been historical instances of violence breaking out between different fanbases, the majority of the sport’s power lies in unification.
“We may be enemies on the pitch, but before and after let’s put the differences behind us and hang out,” Salm said.
Not every minute of the band’s travels, however, has been filled with kumbaya. In Qatar, the boys were on a bus before the USA vs. Iran game. The bus was pretty much all Iranians. Some back-and-forth jarring started up that quickly turned heated, the fans at each other’s throats. “For a minute, you thought there was going to be a brawl,” Salm relayed. “But then we came together, like ‘hey, we’re all just human beings here.’”
The two countries are now at war.
There was a similar time on the Trans-Siberian Railway. “We met this guy who looked like a giant ogre, and we were all kind of intimidated,” Hurley recalled. But that mean-looking Russian played the guitar. And the guys bought him some beers. “By the end of the night he was kissing us on the forehead,” Hurley continued.
The Home Team is about getting past stereotypes, about breaking down barriers of preconceived notions of this country or that culture.
“Our adventures are a good chance to be face-to-face with people you don’t think you’ll get along with,” Hurley said. “Then you watch some soccer together and play some tunes and see what happens next.”
Mark Twain wrote that “travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” It seems like the Home Team String Band has picked up on what the author was putting down. Over the past 16 years, the group has set out across the globe to take in four World Cups, creating innumerable moments of beautiful connection between humans of different cultures.
They have always been visitors in a foreign land, yet wherever they have gone the Americans have been welcomed. This summer, they play host — ambassadors of our nation, doing what they can for international relations and having a good time doing it — one goal, one song, one new member of the Home Team at a time.
A Moonshine reader recently mailed us a letter, asking if we could figure out why Tahoe Forest Products (TFP), the relatively new sawmill facility in Carson City just off Highway 50, wasn’t producing. “They’re well stocked with Caldor Fire trees but no sawdust,” he wrote. “I’ve heard rumors, but what are the facts?
Indeed, the facility opened on Dec. 18, 2023, to quite a bit of fanfare — local publications, as well as Bloomberg, reported on just how critical Tahoe Forest Products would be in supporting healthy forests, fire recovery efforts, the local economy, and more.
But our reader is right. Two and a half years later, and TFP is sitting silent. I reached out to Kevin Leary, CEO of Hallador Investments, which is the primary investor in the facility, to understand the latest. ~ AH
There were rumors in late 2025 that the facility was closing and/or reporting bankruptcy. A Carson Now article reported that wasn’t the case, and that the facility was in the process of “retooling and upgrading” operations and machinery. Is that still the status, and how far along are those updates? Will the facility operate at full capacity soon?
Kevin Leary, CEO of Hallador: TFP did pause production in mid-2025 and it remains paused. The sawmill facility was originally designed using the lowest-possible cost machinery, meaning old and heavily used, which was a mistake. Too many breakdowns and too slow a production pace meant the initial facility was not financially sustainable. We also paused construction of the planer mill (which will sit to the north of the sawmill building, closer to Highway 50), to avoid making the same mistake twice. We expect to commence upgrades in June, and to be in production a year from now. More modern improvements will enable the facility to operate sustainably.
“Too many breakdowns and too slow a production pace meant the initial facility was not financially sustainable.”
~ Kevin Leary, Hallador Investments CEO
How is the facility funded, and are there concerns for ongoing financial support?
The company is funded by local private investors who care deeply about our region’s forest health, water quality, recreation, and cost of living (including home insurance costs), and who want to support the local economy. TFP will continue to have the support of the owners as long as the prospect of sustainable operations remains.
How is TFP working to address complaints by neighbors, including noise and bright lights?
Several of our neighbors have direct communication access to on-site management at TFP. In the past, we have worked with neighbors to address specific concerns, including repositioning lights and replacing diesel generators with fixed power. We engaged a local landscaping company to install several hundred thousand dollars [worth] of trees and plants along Bucks Way to the south and west.
We should add that occasionally complaints are directed at us that are not of TFP’s making. There are other tenants on the same parcel, and we have received complaints (e.g. dust) that are outside of our lease area or control. In other cases, loud nighttime noises or truck lights might be attributed to TFP but have nothing to do with the mill.
BACKLOG: Logs currently filling the Tahoe Forest Products facility outside Carson City are primarily from local fuels reduction treatments over the past few years, though a few remain from the 2021 Caldor Fire. Illustration by Sarah Miller/Moonshine Ink
Is the facility feeling impacts from national changes to the U.S. Forest Service, which is undergoing massive restructuring?
TFP tries to maintain close relationships with the USFS at both the local and national levels. In our view, the goal of the changes underway is to move decision-making to the local level and empower local leadership, accountability, and action. There are layers of hierarchy and bureaucracy that probably should go away, like there are in any organization that has been around over a century. (If the readers want an analogy, they can listen to Jon Stewart interview Ezra Klein, co-author of Abundance, on the rollout of rural broadband, administered by a different federal agency. [Editor’s note: Listen to Why We Can’t Have Nice Things with Ezra Klein on The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart wherever you listen to podcasts.])
Locally, we have seen some disruptions, and certainly some over-extended and tired USFS friends picking up more responsibilities. But our hope and expectation are that the changes result in a localized, commonsense approach to forest management. To that end, the USFS recently awarded our partner, the Washoe Tribe, a 20-year Master Stewardship Agreement to empower the tribe and partners to take on a larger role in planning and implementing forest health treatments.
Are trees from the 2021 Caldor Fire still on site?
Yes, but very few. The logs received in the past two years are from fuels reduction treatments (i.e., green trees, not burned or salvaged) in the Tahoe Basin and surrounding national forests (Inyo, Humboldt Toiyabe, Eldorado, Tahoe) plus a smaller number from neighborhood and HOA fuels reduction projects.
The latest environmental controversy in Tahoe isn’t a development project, a wildfire, or a fight over lake clarity.
