TRPA Community Appreciation Day and Lake Spirit Awards

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency will host its second annual Community Appreciation Day and Lake Spirit Awards on Thursday, September 27 from 4 – 7 p.m. at the TRPA offices at 128 Market Street in Stateline.

This year’s theme is “Making Progress” and will focus on the Regional Plan Update and the 5th anniversary of the Angora Wildfire. Partners include the Tahoe Science Consortium who will donate a display of Angora Wildfire photos taken during the wildfire and five years later after rebuilding and restoration efforts. Other partners include the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District who will provide a ladder and squad truck, an interactive “Ember House” along with a booth on Living With Fire and creating defensible space.

In addition, TRPA’s Community Appreciation family event will include live music, a free BBQ dinner, activities for the kids, an ice cream social hosted by members of TRPA’s Governing Board and Advisory Planning Commission, and demonstration booths explaining the Regional Plan Update and TRPA’s mission, as well as a TRPA boat where children can conduct mock inspections for aquatic invasive species with staff from the Tahoe Resource Conservation District.

The event will also include announcing the winners of the Lake Spirit Awards honoring real people making real progress at protecting Lake Tahoe. Members of the public are encouraged to nominate exemplary members of our community who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to protect the beauty and clarity of the Lake.

“We would like to thank and honor those individuals in our community that are making a real difference protecting Lake Tahoe,” said Joanne Marchetta, Executive Director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. “We are looking for nominees that exhibit not only a strong commitment to the environment, but also model a spirit of collaboration and cooperation,” she said.

This year TRPA is adding an extra category to the Lake Spirit Awards contest. One category will be for everyday citizens, and the other will be for agency and environmental science representatives. Nominations for the Lake Spirit Awards can be made online at trpa.org, and will be accepted through September 16. Two winners will be announced in each category; one from the North Shore and one from the South. Winners will receive a commemorative statue honoring their service.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency cooperatively leads the effort to preserve, restore, and enhance the unique natural and human environment of the Lake Tahoe Region now and in the future. For additional information, call Kristi Boosman at (775) 589-5230 or send an email to kboosman@trpa.org.