Public Invited to Lake Tahoe Community Watershed Partnership kickoff events

The Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD) will hold conservation events that highlight environmental projects and stewardship opportunities in the Lake Tahoe Basin communities. These gatherings are part of the 2012 Community Watershed Partnership (CWP), a holistic program which provides a place for education, participation, and involvement in your local watershed.

“CWP Kickoff Barbecues” will be held on June 27 in South Lake Tahoe and June 28 in Kings Beach, Calif. The public will be invited to get involved with weed pulls, interpretive hikes & paddles, invasive species projects and backyard forestry. There will also be opportunities to provide input on Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Projects coming to a neighborhood near you.

“The Community Watershed Partnership creates opportunities for public input, and we want hear and discuss community members’ priorities are for our local watersheds,” said Pete Brumis with the Tahoe RCD. “With this information the Tahoe RCD will organize boots-on-the-ground activities that are specific to the community input we receive.”

Each CWP Kickoff event is free and open to the public and will include refreshments and kid-friendly activities. The South Lake Tahoe event will take place in the Lake Tahoe Demonstration Garden at Lake Tahoe Community College from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm, and the North Tahoe event will occur at the North Tahoe Events Center in Kings Beach from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.

Through the Community Watershed Partnership, Tahoe RCD also aims to connect residents and visitors to important conservation issues and additional events happening throughout the Tahoe Basin. Visit the websites provided below for more details.

— Learn about edible plants of the Sierra, pull some invasive weeds or join in on a guided paddle of the Upper Truckee Marsh with Tahoe RCD (OurTahoeWatershed.org)
— Pitch in on some of Tahoe’s world-renown singletrack at TAMBA’s upcoming trail days in June and July (mountainbiketahoe.org)
— Take a guided hike and learn and how seeds are collected from the treetops with a demo from the Sugar Pine Foundation on June 30th at Van Sickle Bi-state Park (sugarpinefoundation.org)
— Provide feedback on TRPA’s Regional Plan Update by coming to one of the Regional Plan Update meetings or emailing comments (trpa.org)
— Provide feedback on the US Forest Service Forest Plan Alternatives at one of two public meetings in South Lake Tahoe on July 17th & 18th (www.fs.usda.gov/ltbmu)
— Join the City of South Lake Tahoe at neighborhood meetings, which take place at various locations (cityofslt.us)
— Learn about Tahoe’s natural wonders on guided hikes throughout the summer with the League to Save Lake Tahoe (keeptahoeblue.org)

For more information on the Community Watershed Partnership, contact Kim Gorman at kgorman@tahoercd.org or 530.543.1501 ext. 129.

About the Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD)
The Tahoe RCD’s mission is to promote the conservation and improvement of the Lake Tahoe Basin’s soil, water, and related natural resources by providing leadership, information, programs, and technical assistance to all land managers, owners, organizations, and residents. The Tahoe RCD is a non-regulatory, grant funded, public agency that works with a variety of partner agencies to implement programs and outreach, which currently focus on erosion control, runoff infiltration, terrestrial and aquatic invasive species control, and conservation landscaping.

— Pete Brumis is the public outreach coordinator for Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD). He can be reached at pbrumis@TahoeRCD.org