Sustainable Recreation, Transportation, and Development

Tahoe sees more than 15 million visitor days each year – three times as many as Yosemite or Yellowstone national parks. Yet unlike those federally protected areas, Lake Tahoe lacks the staffing, resources, and safeguards to match its popularity.

Tahoe isn’t harmed by a single action, but by many small, compounding impacts. Cigarette butts and single-use plastics accumulate along shorelines and trails. Endless car traffic pumps tailpipe emissions into the Basin, grinds roads into dust and debris, and degrades water quality. Unchecked development amplifies these impacts. Poorly managed growth can increase polluted runoff entering the Lake and drive more traffic into an already strained system. Each impact may seem minor on its own, but combined, they add up quickly and cause lasting harm to Tahoe.

As an independent, science-based nonprofit, we reduce impacts at their source through transportation solutions, policy advocacy, and land-use work. By expanding Lake-friendly options like e-scooters, bikes, and microtransit, we reduce traffic and protect air and water quality. We advocate for policies that prevent litter before it reaches Lake Tahoe. Through programs like Tahoe Blue Crew, volunteers remove litter and collect citizen science data that reveals where pollution comes from and how to stop it. That data strengthens our case for proven solutions, including bans on single-use plastics and polystyrene (styrofoam), helping protect water quality and reduce the impacts of recreation and growth across the Basin