I am always inspired by Serrell Smokey, Chairman of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, when he reminds us that “the health of the land is the health of the people.”

This longstanding teaching from the Waší∙šiw (Washoe People) reflects a worldview shaped along the shores of Lake Tahoe. Waší∙šiw are taught from childhood to see the land and waters as living extensions of themselves, entities deserving of respect, care, and autonomy. Chairman Smokey’s predecessor, Brian Wallace, brought attention to this teaching at the first Tahoe Summit back in 1997. The concept bears repeating and absorbing.

As our connection to Tahoe deepens, we feel it too. The lake and mountains here are part of us. Lake Tahoe is a place of beauty and power where the weather can be soothing or fierce, and if the views don’t take your breath away, a refreshing dip in the lake certainly will. In many ways, the feeling and sensibilities of Earth Day have become our community’s reflection of the waší∙šiw connection to Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe’s Vulnerability

As powerful as Lake Tahoe is, we’ve learned a lot over the decades about its fragility. Creation of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) by Nevada and California in 1969, just before the first celebration of Earth Day, has led to some of the most innovative approaches in the nation for protecting water quality and forest health, preventing aquatic invasive species, and managing growth in a way that benefits the environment, communities, and the economy at the same time.

Although much progress has been made, climate pressures are changing the basin. Winter storms bring more rain, hotter summer days are warming the lake’s surface, and aquatic invasive species further threaten lake clarity and ecosystem balance. Also, wildfires in and around the Lake Tahoe Region are becoming more frequent and intense, and aging infrastructure and changing transportation patterns add strain to our environment and quality of life.

These shifts threaten not only our experience today but the legacy we leave for future generations. As we celebrate Earth Day, it’s a fitting time to renew your commitment to Tahoe and tune in to the collective work happening to protect it.

Building a Culture of Care

Individual stewardship doesn’t always require grand gestures. More often, it lives in simple, daily habits. Much like taking vitamins or brushing your teeth, caring for Tahoe is most effective when it becomes routine.

During my 30-plus years working with the Tahoe community, a repeated question persists: “I’m only one person—what can I do to help the lake?” The short answer is, quite a bit. From taking transit to becoming a Tahoe Keeper, the list is long. Tahoe Keepers commit to practicing Clean, Drain, and Dry protocols when on the water to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. Substituting a walk or bike ride for a car trip adds up if a number of us do it.

For property owners, maintaining defensible space and capturing stormwater runoff with best management practices, or BMPs, can significantly reduce risk to both property and lake clarity.

And wherever you are, properly disposing of trash and pet waste helps reduce your footprint and keeps Tahoe’s natural systems intact.

Stewardship at the Regional Scale

Across the region, “Team Tahoe” organizations have pledged their commitment through the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP). Under the restoration program, Tribal, local, state, federal, nonprofit, and private sector partners collaborate on large-scale restoration projects that address Tahoe’s most pressing environmental challenges. This work must continue for us to strengthen Tahoe’s resilience to past impacts as well as challenges ahead.

Tahoe is a living force, vulnerable to our footprint and responsive to our care. Your individual actions, paired with awareness of public investments, make a tangible difference and help sustain the momentum we’ve been building together. After all, the basin’s health is our health too. Wishing you all a wondrous Earth Day. For a look at the full week of activities TRPA and our partners have planned, visit takecaretahoe.org/earthweek.

-Julie Regan

Julie Regan is Executive Director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.