Tahoe’s Challenges
- Tahoe’s sensitive watershed needs informed travelers who make responsible choices that protect and enhance the destination.
- Visitors menu modeled in 1960 requires multiple resources for ongoing mitigation and restoration
- Mitigation lacks complete public participation and support.
- Regional Disconnect: The Tahoe Truckee Watershed incorporates two states; six counties; numerous city and governmental agencies. NGO’s and businesses often compete with one another instead of collaborating as a region.
The 2010 TRPA Environmental Improvement Program states cost to mitigate the public's footprint - $1.4Billion. Costs are expected to exceed $2.45B in the next ten years.
Sustainable Tahoe's Proposed Solution
- Create a 21st Century (transit-centric) Recreation Menu with 4-seasons of Sustainable Activities that DO NO HARM
TAHOE EXPO: Host an Exposition of Stewardship designed around the 12 Geotourism principles specified by the
National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations (NGCSD). This two-day expo will allow locals and visitors to "test-drive" a 21st Century (transit-centric) menu of fun, informative activities which will promote visitor satisfaction, inspire longer stays and exciting stories increasing popular demand. Increasing "Visitor Satisfaction" via sustainable tourism models (Geotourism) is in the “High Priority Action” section of the Lake Tahoe Basin Prosperity Plan (LTBPP) Final Report (pg. 57-79). - Invite Visitors to become Stewards with fun, meaningful (educational), low carbon adventures.
People CARE about things they feel CONNECTED to and SHARE at that level of caring. Passion and love are contagious.
Imagine taking a kayak tour through a marshland with a local biologist who can interpret the Eco-system as you paddle through it, enjoying marsh mint while quietly watching wildlife. Or, helping to plant Sugarpine seedlings and then sharing the result 20 years later with your child on a return trip. Immersive adventures hosted with love inspired stewardship is how we Sustain Tahoe!
Funds saved with public participation can be re-routed to support solar ferries, transit options, and pedestrian trails. - Work as ONE WATERSHED
Geotourism Implementation Framework (GIF) for key stakeholders on how to implement and deploy Geotourism using our curriculum
TriNomics ™ provides a collaborative guide for building GeoTracks:
Geotourism is an international strategy endorsed by five departments of the U.S. Department of the Interior
Our role in creating the future of tourism for Tahoe
Sustainable Tahoe offers a unique ability to recast a region's assets to Geotourism adventures. Our role is to promote responsible travel
by developing and facilitating recreation stewardship through models of Geotourism in the Tahoe Truckee Watershed. By using our Tahoe Expo as a "Learn-by-Doing" model, we invite agencies, businesses and NGO’s to connect, protect and adopt a sustainable tourism menu.
The Prosperity Plan identifies Geotourism in the ‘Visitor Satisfaction’ cluster to address visitor needs that also serve the environment and economy.
Our expertise was employed to produce four separate Geotourism Stewardship Expositions which encompassed 150-miles and required an annual collaboration of 55 to 85 NGO’s, agencies, and businesses. Unlike traditional fairs or festivals, Tahoe Expo demonstrated ways to create and host a "community owned" tourism menu that was beneficial for our visitors and destination alike.
One of our strongest asset is the relationship with the Washo and Paiute tribal community. Their 10,000 years of stewardship is essential in building Geotourism in the Tahoe Truckee Watershed. Members of the Washo tribe have participated in every public event that Sustainable Tahoe has sponsored. They are natural advocates for destination stewardship as it is core to their culture. Their culture and presence is central to Lake Tahoe and the Watershed.
by developing and facilitating recreation stewardship through models of Geotourism in the Tahoe Truckee Watershed. By using our Tahoe Expo as a "Learn-by-Doing" model, we invite agencies, businesses and NGO’s to connect, protect and adopt a sustainable tourism menu.
The Prosperity Plan identifies Geotourism in the ‘Visitor Satisfaction’ cluster to address visitor needs that also serve the environment and economy.
Our expertise was employed to produce four separate Geotourism Stewardship Expositions which encompassed 150-miles and required an annual collaboration of 55 to 85 NGO’s, agencies, and businesses. Unlike traditional fairs or festivals, Tahoe Expo demonstrated ways to create and host a "community owned" tourism menu that was beneficial for our visitors and destination alike.
One of our strongest asset is the relationship with the Washo and Paiute tribal community. Their 10,000 years of stewardship is essential in building Geotourism in the Tahoe Truckee Watershed. Members of the Washo tribe have participated in every public event that Sustainable Tahoe has sponsored. They are natural advocates for destination stewardship as it is core to their culture. Their culture and presence is central to Lake Tahoe and the Watershed.
Collaboration
- Learn from others. Gloria Bruce from the Northeast Kingdom was one of the first destinations to adopt Geotourism practices.
The Northeast Kingdom shares similar assets and challenges as Tahoe Truckee Watershed as they have upscale resorts and rural farming. The leaders asked themselves “What do you love in our destination and not want to lose?" and "What is one thing you are willing to do to help sustain the destination?” This shift focused efforts from competing to collaborating by highlighting unique assets that attracted visitors to stay longer and explore more; return sooner and share new exciting stories. - Work with sustainability experts. David Hansen helped Embassy Suites save $400K a year by implementing energy monitoring, composting and other measures in sustainability. He shared this turn-around model at our 2010 Stewardship Congress to raise awareness and motivate others to lead-by-example. 2010 Stewardship Congress-Speaker summaries
- Provide hands-on learning. Sustainable Tahoe facilitated a collaboration with two unique business entities, a college and a resort.
Students from Sierra Nevada College created a Geotourism recreation program for a resort to help increase their revenues.
Sustainable Tahoe guided San Jose State University students in How to Design Geotourism Adventures: SJSU student created GeoTrack
TriNomics™: a collaborative model designed by Sheri Woodsgreen CEO of WISE Ventures . We have incorporated the TriNomic™ approach: dotORG; dotGOV; and dotCOM as a way to work with the Watershed communities to ensure tourism meets local needs and encourage responsible travel with fun, meaningful and low carbon footprint adventures that benefit all.
- Non-Profit - dotOrg: guides the Geotour adventures to enrich the visitors understanding and protect nature.
- Agencies - dotGov: offers grants and access to sensitive or remote areas.
- Business - dotCom: provides and supports "Eat | Sleep | Shop | Play" for the destination visitors.
At the 2010 “Stewardship Congress” attendees associated with conservation and stewardship explored ways to collaborate in hosting Geotourism visitor adventures for the 2011 Tahoe Expo.
The need for Geotourism was further confirmed and endorsed by U.S. Vice President Al Gore at the 2013 Tahoe Executive Summit when he said,
“The future will look at this Lake and either ask, Why didn’t you do something?….or.... How did you do this?”
If we succeed in protecting Lake Tahoe and the Watershed, our answer will be,
"We found a way to make political collaboration a renewable resource!”
