working together

The facts are startling. El Dorado County has twice the number of suicides than the state average. El Dorado County has 2.5 times the state average of maternity mental issues. The domestic violence rate in El Dorado County is 1.5 times higher than the state average. More people are living in the county with mental issues than ever before.

A day long forum of mental health care providers, agencies, medical professionals and other community members was held in South Lake Tahoe on Thursday in order to find what needs are being met, and unmet, in the area.

As the incoming Chair of the 15-member Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board, this promises to be a hopeful and exciting year. 2015 will be full of opportunities, but also challenges, for the continued protection of Lake Tahoe.

The number one priority among our challenges is funding shortfalls. Federal and state funding that has paid for environmental restoration and protection efforts at Lake Tahoe for years is drying up and new approaches need to be pursued.

Several areas of the Truckee River near Tahoe City are set for restoration because of erosion and degraded water quality caused by river users.

Years of people accessing the river and paved trail from Highway 89 pullouts has created the need for about 900 feet of stream bank and wet meadow restoration. This project will include reshaping the river bank through placement of woody material and boulders.

As the keynote speaker at last month’s National Workshop on Large Landscape Conservation in Washington, D.C., U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell emphasized the central role collaboration must play for America to protect its natural resources, balance economic needs, and address emerging environmental challenges such as climate change.

“We are moving into an era of epic collaboration,” Jewell said, explaining that regional partnerships across jurisdictional boundaries are more important than ever for the federal department that manages 20 percent of our nation’s land.

With California and Nevada grappling with a third year of drought, one of the largest and most complex challenges we face over the long run at Lake Tahoe is adapting to a changing climate.

Climate change will affect the protection and restoration of our beautiful mountain lake as well as the expansive forests around it. And the health of our lake, forests, and communities are all intertwined.

Locals and visitors alike enjoy riding bike in Lake Tahoe on a daily basis, and there is now a new tool for cyclists to use: a newly updated bicycle trail map showing all of the trails on the North and South shores.

With the addition of new trails around the basin, the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition (LTBC) found it necessary to update the Lake Tahoe Bikeways Map. The newest stretch of trail from Fallen Leaf Lake to Baldwin Beach didn't make the printing deadline according to Ty Polastri, LTBC Project Director.

Fraudulent Disabled Person Placards (DPP) are on the rise in California and the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is cracking down those people applying for and using them.

Fresh produce is making its way to South Lake Tahoe thanks to the collaboration and volunteerism of community members working together as part of the group Gardens 4 A Healthy Tahoe. This group was recently founded by the Human Health and Social Wellbeing working group of the Lake Tahoe Sustainability Collaborative. In partnership, these two groups applied for the Champions for Healthy Kids Grant through the General Mills Foundation.

Committing welfare fraud and avoiding prosecution in El Dorado County is difficult thanks to the diligence of the El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) and District Attorney's Office who are working together to identify, investigate and prosecute cases. Last year alone, their administrative oversight and teamwork resulted in the referral of over 200 cases and the recovery of over $340,000.

Ian McFeron live @ The Cottonwood
Saturday, November 9th, 2013 – 7:00pm to 10:00pm / FREE
The Cottonwood, 10142 Rue Hilltop, Truckee, CA 96161 - (530) 587-5711

Ian McFeron tours in support of his new album "Time Will Take You", recorded in Nashville and produced by Grammy nominated Doug Lancio. McFeron is joined on tour by longtime friend and musical accompanist Alisa Milner on fiddle, cello, and harmony vocals.

The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board has accepted Pollutant Load Reduction Plans submitted by El Dorado County, Placer County, and the city of South Lake Tahoe which will reduce fine sediment discharges into Lake Tahoe.

The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit of the U.S. Forest Service and the Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association have been working together for a couple of years to improve mountain bike trails all while protecting the natural resources of our local forests. Lake Tahoe is a special place, loved and used by millions of visitors each year from around the world. The local forest service has been at the forefront of working collaboratively with user groups and the public to ensure that protecting the environment of this special place, still allows for uses that are compatible and fun.

CARSON CITY – Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley used a second Senate debate tonight to attack Sen. Dean Heller on issues ranging from Medicare to online poker legislation, while her Republican opponent took a more restrained approach in the hour-long discussion on public television.

A team of partners from the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Program is scheduled to begin implementation of the largest Asian clam control project in the history of Lake Tahoe on October 15, with plans to treat an area of up to 5 acres at the mouth of Emerald Bay.

Vail Resorts, Inc. which has three ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe area, announced Thursday an unprecedented partnership with Verbier, Switzerland, that will enhance the already incredible value of Vail Resorts’ Epic Season Pass, providing three days of free access to the Verbier ski resort, including Les 4 Vallées, the largest ski area in Switzerland, for new and renewing 2012-2013 Epic Season Pass holders.

The Sierra Nevada Ballet takes the stage this summer to present "Giselle," which is possibly the best-loved of all the world's ballets. This profound folk tale comes to life through music, drama and over 30 professional dancers who will share this story of doomed love ... complete with jealousy, madness and vengeful ghosts. According to the ballet’s artistic director Rosine Bena, “Giselle is steeped in the tradition of ballet and conveys the poetry that makes this great production a must see this summer.”

Location

CARSON CITY — It probably comes as no surprise to many Nevada motorists that the state is ranked in the Top 10 as one of the most dangerous in which to drive.
Nevada rounded out the top 10 states for dangerous driving with 1.56 fatalities for every 100 million miles driven, according to the report by carinsurancecomparison.com.

By John Heil
The U.S. Forest Service and organizers of January's Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month are working together to promote and recognize the event at Lake Tahoe and elsewhere, highlighting the health benefits of winter outdoor activity.