PROGRAMS to preserve environmental quality at LAKE TAHOE

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1 PROGRAMS to preserve environmental quality at LAKE TAHOE Visit our Web sites: and

2 The University of Nevada, Reno is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, creed, national origin, veteran status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, in any program or activity it operates. The University of Nevada, Reno employs only United States citizens and aliens lawfully authorized to work in the United States. The University of California prohibits discrimination against or harassment of any person employed by or seeking employment with the University on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or status as a Vietnam-era veteran or special disabled veteran. The University of California is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. The University undertakes affirmative action to assure equal opportunity for underutilized minorities and women, for persons with disabilities, and for Vietnam-era veterans and special disabled veterans. University policy is intended to be consistent with the provisions of applicable State and Federal law.

3 Lake Tahoe is losing water clarity Lake Tahoe s exceptional clarity is a result of the absence of suspended sediment and free-floating, single-celled algae in the water. Given undisturbed conditions, the lake s water quality would change so slowly the changes would be undetectable over a human lifetime. Human settlements and logging activities that began in the late 1880s have contributed to the rapidly declining clarity. Lake Tahoe s clarity has decreased by more than 33 percent since the 1960s and is steadily declining at the rate of 1 foot a year. Scientists say the rate of water quality deterioration at Lake Tahoe has been steady for so long it may become irreversible in 10 years. Change is urgently needed. BMPs improve lake quality Preserving the clarity of Lake Tahoe requires effort from all the basin s residents. University of Nevada Cooperative Extension collaborates with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Nevada Tahoe Conservation District and Tahoe Resource Conservation District to teach residents how to adopt best management practices (BMPs) on their properties. Cooperative Extension co-sponsors a variety of workshops and makes site visits to homes on issues such as revegetation, retaining walls and rock-lined irrigation trenches to stop pollution and excess sediment from entering the lake. 1

4 Lake Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition formed The Lake Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition (LTEEC) was formed in January 2000 by Cooperative Extension as a multi-faceted, collaborative environmental education program for the Lake Tahoe Basin. More than 20 agencies with interests in preserving Lake Tahoe s clarity belong to the LTEEC. The coalition is an umbrella organization to coordinate and improve the effectiveness of environmental education at the lake. Purpose: Provide support to improve the effectiveness of environmental education 2 LTEEC Working Groups Home Landscaping Assist homeowners in controlling erosion and runoff from landscapes Volunteer Center Engage citizens in volunteer conservation and environmental education efforts Citizens Restoration Educate and involve citizens in environmental restoration projects K-12 Watershed Education Help teachers and schools integrate environmental education into the classroom Higher Education Promote lake clarity through development of an environmental science institute Business and Tourism Educate visitors and engage businesses in solutions to Lake Tahoe s unique environmental issues Citizen Monitoring Engage citizens in watershed stewardship and monitoring of environmental indicators Fuels Management and Forest Health Work with fire prevention agencies to insure a consistent firescape message is disseminated in the community in the basin. Goal: Help groups and agencies work together to educate the public on how to prevent pollution at the lake. Objective: Cooperate and collaborate. The LTEEC is comprised of eight working groups, each led by one or two specialists. Each group focuses on one area of environmental education. The LTEEC Coordinator, funded jointly by University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and University of California Cooperative Extension, unites the groups efforts. The Coordinator publishes an environmental education calendar, Web site and monthly newsletters, and helps each group achieve its goals while facilitating cooperation and collaboration among them. The LTEEC is helping develop an Environmental Education Institute for teachers, which will offer credit courses through the University of Nevada, Reno. The LTEEC invites other groups, teachers and individuals to join the LTEEC and improve environmental education at Lake Tahoe. For more information, contact: Heather Segale, segaleh@unce.unr.edu or John Cobourn, cobournj@unce.unr.edu at University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, (775)

5 Landscaping guide helps homeowners preserve the lake In an effort to get all Lake Tahoe homeowners implementing best management practices (BMPs) on their property, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension educators teamed up with community partners to publish the first comprehensive landscaping manual for area residents. The Home Landscaping Guide for Lake Tahoe and Vicinity is the result of two years of collaboration between Cooperative Extension, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, the Nevada Tahoe Conservation District and others. The book helps homeowners design landscapes, control erosion, maintain native vegetation and wildlife habitat, improve soil and irrigate efficiently. It contains suggested plant lists, pest-management tips and defensible space practices to protect homes from wildfire. The book is a major component of Cooperative Extension s Tahoe Landscaping and Backyard Conservation Program, which includes workshops for professionals, block meetings with information on good landscape management techniques and Master Gardener volunteer activities. We hope this guide helps homeowners achieve their individual landscape goals, while encouraging them to implement appropriate landscape practices that preserve the lake s unique environment, said John Cobourn, water resource specialist and principal author. Landscaping guide chapters 1. Develop Great Landscapes and Improve Water Quality 2. Design According to Your Property s Natural Potential 3. Design for Function and Ease of Maintenance 4. Control Erosion and Protect Stream Environment Zones 5. Defensible Space: Landscape to Reduce the Wildfire Threat 6. Maintain Natural Areas through Backyard Forestry 7. Use Plants for an Integrated Landscape 8. Use Proven Planting Techniques to Ensure Success 9. Conserve and Improve Your Soils 10.Control Pests Without Harming the Environment 11. Other Ways You Can Prevent Lake Pollution 12.Seasonal Maintenance for Lake Tahoe Landscapes For a copy of the Home Landscaping Guide for Lake Tahoe and Vicinity, call University of Nevada Cooperative Extension at (775)

6 Volunteers make a difference Preserving Lake Tahoe s natural beauty is no easy task, but for several volunteer groups, the hard work is worth the reward of having a clean and clear lake. University of Nevada Cooperative Extension educators teach residents how to become Master Gardeners in a 40-hour class. The volunteers learned how to perform BMPs and improve water quality. They complete 40 volunteer hours answering gardening questions, educating through the media and creating landscaping projects. Some of the Master Gardeners were chosen to become Neighborhood Leaders and help conduct property evaluations around the lake. They recommend BMPs and other landscaping techniques to area residents. They also plan neighborhood block meetings where BMP experts help homeowners design landscaping improvements. Neighborhood Leaders recognize erosion and drainage problems and suggest attractive and cost-effective solutions. Other volunteers contribute hours stenciling storm drains, letting the public know that pollutants dumped into drains go straight to the lake. Stenciled warnings have been posted on hundreds of drains in the basin. Workshops educate the public Cooperative Extension hosts a variety of workshops to educate the public on Lake Tahoe s critical environmental needs. Residents, contractors, teachers, students and volunteers benefit from the presentations. Best Management Practices for the Lake Tahoe Basin 2001 This series of four classes teaches homeowners and contractors how to implement BMPs on Tahoe properties. Tahoe Basin Snapshot Day Volunteers help collect water samples and take photographs demonstrating the lake s diminishing clarity. 4 Watershed Day K-12 students gain insight into the lake s fragile environment at the Watershed Day Fair. Students complete arts and crafts projects, stencil drain warnings and participate in interactive learning displays. University Course The LTEEC helps create and promote a one-credit course offered at the University of Nevada, Reno on the Lake Tahoe environment. For more information on any of these workshops, contact: Heather Segale at University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, (775) , segaleh@unce.unr.edu

7 Tall Whitetop weeds sprayed or pulled at Lake Tahoe A whopping 100 percent of the known tall whitetop infestations in the basin have been sprayed or pulled with the help of volunteers and collaborating agencies, reports Sue Donaldson, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension water specialist. Furthermore, when sprayed again in Incline Village, they witnessed an 80 percent decrease in plant regrowth; a 75 percent decrease occurred in El Dorado County. We have a unique opportunity to nip this invasion in the bud, said Donaldson. To get an early handle on the tough weed, the 1999 Nevada State Legislature asked Cooperative Extension to lead a two-year initiative to enhance public awareness and education and control the weed. We made a substantial start in raising public awareness of this threat and motivating people to get involved in identification and eradication activities, said Karen Hinton, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension dean and director. For more information, log on to: Weed Warriors attack tall whitetop Ellen Swensen wanted more plant science education and to give back to her new community. She became a Master Gardener, then a Weed Warrior, clocking hundreds of hours in the war against tall whitetop. I feel good about the large percentage of weeds that are no longer able to reproduce, particularly those at Trout Creek, key tributary to Lake Tahoe, said Swensen. University of Nevada Cooperative Extension s Weed Warrior program is in its fourth year, with 119 trained volunteers, and growing. The spring 2001 workshops were so full that the number of Weed Warriors will double after they are completed. For more information contact: Sue Donaldson, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, (775) , donaldsons@unce.unr.edu 5

8 Helping residents live with fire In 1997, the Living With Fire (LWF) program was created to bring together various agencies and stakeholders to teach people how to live more safely in the high wildfire hazard environments of the eastern Sierra, including the Lake Tahoe Basin. LWF focuses on pre-fire activities that homeowners can engage in to greatly improve the chances their homes will survive a wildfire. The initial project was sponsored by Cooperative Extension, the Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station and Sierra Front Wildfire Cooperators (12 Nevada and California firefighting agencies). This collaboration takes a three-pronged approach: Research. With the same high-tech tools NASA uses satellite imagery and geographic information systems university specialists developed 72 wildfire hazard rating maps covering 3,200 square miles and delivered them to firefighters. Recommendations. Specialists coordinate consistent recommendations for defensible space distance and vegetation management. Education. Educators train professional landscapers and neighborhood groups in defensible space and firescape techniques, utilizing the popular Living With Fire tabloid. 6 For more information, contact: Ed Smith at University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, (775) , smithe@unce.unr.edu

9 4-H Camp lets groups live and learn at Lake Tahoe University of Nevada Cooperative Extension s 4-H Camp is a unique, 32-acre retreat that allows youth and adults to enjoy Lake Tahoe s beauty. Situated on the south shore of Lake Tahoe, the indoor and outdoor facilities are available to youth and adult groups for camps, conferences, educational events, retreats and other programs. The diverse forest, meadow and beach ecosystems provide an unparalleled opportunity for outdoor environmental education. The 4-H Camp features indoor and outdoor meeting and dining facilities for learning and fun. The campfire area near the dining hall accommodates 200 people as does the scenic amphitheater overlooking the lake. For overnight use, five boys cabins and seven girls cabins lodge 16 youth each. The camp s 100 feet of private, sandy beachfront and grassy lawn areas offer leisure activities including swimming, volleyball, basketball and baseball. For more information, contact: Sue Donaldson at University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, (775) , or donaldsons@unce.unr.edu 7

10 Forest Health Consensus Group protects Tahoe s trees University of Nevada Cooperative Extension educators have been an integral part of this multi-agency group for a number of years. Their role is to facilitate and assist the group in reaching agreement over the future health and regulation of Tahoe s forests. They ve recommended a permanent regulation to protect and perpetrate oldgrowth forests in Tahoe watersheds. For more information, contact John Cobourn at University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, (775) , cobournj@unce.unr.edu, or Steve Lewis at University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, (775) , lewiss@unce.unr.edu 8