Billboard to help spread word of responsible recreation in Lake Tahoe

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Everyone has seen the pictures, piles of broken plastic sleds left behind in the snow, trash left behind on the beaches and even pet waste disposal bags left along the trails.

Shared on social media, these photos of irresponsible people enjoying the beauty of Lake Tahoe have spread like runny pancake batter. The reason most visit and live around the Lake Tahoe Basin is for the natural beauty everywhere one looks. The majestic peaks and pine-tree filled mountains, the crystal blue water, beaches lining much of the 72-mile circumference of the pristine Lake Tahoe.

One may ask why those enjoying the beauty will leave behind trash, and again this winter, broken plastic sleds and saucers along those beautiful slopes.

Recently, the Nevada Department of Transportation, Nevada State Parks, and the US Forest Service joined the Tahoe Fund and collected about 2,000 pounds of plastic trash from the popular sled hill at the top of Spooner Summit at the intersection of US50 and SR28. The Tahoe Fund had installed "sled corrals" a couple of years ago to help people at least get their sleds to the sectioned corral and not left on the hillside. The corrals are used, but not to the extent to keep the hill clear of debris.

Along all mountain highways, sled trash is left behind. CHP-Placerville picked up 50 pounds of plastic sleds near Strawberry on US50 in just one stop at an illegally accessed sled hill (one posted with "No Parking" signs).

While the new buzzword circulating around the world is over-tourism, recognition needs to be placed on the need for responsible recreation. Get out and enjoy nature, yes, leave behind your waste and trash, no.

The Tahoe Fund has unveiled a new digital billboard campaign centering around its “Take Care Tahoe” campaign to encourage more responsible behavior while in Tahoe. Designed with messages that use humor, the campaign was created to capture the attention of visitors when they are en route to Tahoe to encourage stewardship and responsible recreation during their stay.

The new billboard with the Take Care message is now visible on I-80 Eastbound in Colfax, Calif., the gateway for many to Lake Tahoe.

“With the ‘Take Care Tahoe’ digital billboard campaign, our goal is to educate visitors before they arrive about how they can take care of the environment when they’re here,” said Tahoe Fund CEO Amy Berry. “This includes things like cleaning up after their dogs, not leaving broken sleds behind, eliminating the use of plastic straws, and blazing a trail of kindness on public trails throughout the region.”

The concept for the Take Care Tahoe campaign was developed by a collective group of organizations that love Lake Tahoe and want to see more people connect with the beautiful natural environment. Via the Take Care website, visitors and residents can find out more about Earth Day festivals, beach cleanups, nature walks and more. In an effort to encourage sustainability and responsible recreation, the campaign also includes ways people can help “Take Care” of Tahoe using humor to poke fun at the mistakes that are made. The campaign was developed by the creative team of Nate Laver and Meg Seigal and is directed by BRONTOSAURUS! Los Angeles.

With more than 100 destinations around the world grappling with negative impacts from tourism, according to a European Union report, Tahoe is not alone in asking visitors to be part of the solution to protect the environment. Lake Tahoe is one of the clearest large lakes in the world and the second deepest in the United States. “We’re hoping the millions of visitors to Tahoe will become part of the solution to protect this special place,” said Joanne Marchetta, Executive Director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

The digital billboards will be active throughout the winter season, cycling through the campaign’s humorous but informative messages regularly.

Summer visitors still need to learn the message as the beaches around Lake Tahoe, especially during large holidays like the 4th of July, are left with thousands of pounds of trash from cigarette butts and dirty diapers to cans, bottles and styrofoam ice chests.

A growing sign of disrespect for nature is the dog waste bags left along trails, paths and multi-use trails. Yes, its nice people pick up after their dog, but those bags need to be carried to the nearest trash bin, not left where everyone else comes by to enjoy the beauty of the Lake Tahoe Basin. This "trend" is part of the Take Care Tahoe campaign with signs such as "Be #1 at picking up #2," "If it's your dog, then it's your doody."

There is nobody assigned to clean up after people on the trails, the slopes, the beaches, and snow play areas, and the public needs to remember this and take back what they bring in.

Learn more about Take Care Tahoe online at https://takecaretahoe.org/ or via Instagram @takecaretahoe. There is also a webpage dedicated to how to "take care" of Tahoe here https://takecaretahoe.org/take-action/.

To see all the environmental projects supported by the Tahoe Fund, visit tahoefund.org.