Pledge for the Wild gives tourists in five mountain towns a chance to give back

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - What do South Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada; Bend, Oregon; Bozeman, Montana; Steamboat Springs, Colorado; and Flagstaff, Arizona have in common?

They are all mountain towns who have joined together to make it easier for tourists to open their hearts and wallets in support of wild places. They have taken steps to empower travelers to help protect the outdoor places where they recreate.

In a recent article on South Tahoe Now, the trash and waste found on Emerald Bay's Fannette Island were discussed. There have been suggestions to help fund a patrol team in the bay to address the impact of the tourists in the region. Others have suggested a toll when entering the lake to help fund pothole repair or as a way to capture day visitors to help fund wear and tear on trails and other recreation spots that do not charge entry fees. The need has been recognized but the funding sources have not, until now.

Sustainable tourism and responsible recreation are two phrases heard often around Lake Tahoe. During the recent Tahoe Chamber's annual Tourism Forum, the concept of "Pledge for the Wild" was unveiled. The plan is for people to give back a few dollars in return for the enjoyment they've had in the outdoors.

Carol Chaplin, CEO of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, pointed out that destination marketing organizations are in a unique position to help visitors enrich their vacation experiences with stewardship. “Pledge for the Wild will provide opportunities to give back, whether they’re checking into a hotel, renting gear at a bike shop, or sitting down at a brewery,” she said. “The idea is to catch them when they’re out enjoying local amenities and to get them thinking about ways to support the great outdoors they’ve experienced on their vacation.”

South Lake Tahoe and the other cities have taken stock of which land managers and nonprofits are working to protect wild spaces in their communities. For Lake Tahoe, the Tahoe Fund's new Environmental Venture Trust was chosen to be supported. Like a traditional venture capital fund, it will provide seed funding for a variety of innovative early-stage environmental projects to help solve environmental challenges facing Lake Tahoe.

The Environmental Venture Trust's first investment is a UV Light Pilot Project that is analyzing the use of UV light to treat aquatic invasive weeds in Lake Tahoe. For more information on the project click here.

Agencies recommend outdoor enthusiasts consider donating $1/hour of recreation. For instance, a three-hour hike, mountain bike ride or skiing adventure would result in a $3 investment. Donations can be made directly through a cellular device by texting WILD4TAHOE to 44-321 as well as online https://www.tahoefund.org.

“The Tahoe Fund is thrilled to partner with Pledge Wild to make it easy for people who are enjoying Tahoe to help take care of it,” said Amy Berry, CEO of the Tahoe Fund. “Texting WILD4TAHOE will help us introduce innovative solutions to the challenges facing Tahoe's wild spaces through our Environmental Venture Trust.”

All funds raised will stay local in that participating community. Future initiatives may entail social media campaigns, text-to-donate alerts, and signage in shops and visitor centers.

“Participating cities are not only committing to helping visitors do no harm when recreating, we’re providing ways for them to actively protect those wild places,” explained Visit Bend President and CEO Kevney Dugan. “Initiatives will range from breweries offering reusable coasters with Pledge for the Wild messaging, to multiple touchpoints prompting visitors to donate and support local conservation groups.”

To learn more about Pledge for the Wild, visit www.pledgewild.com.