League News

Jul 28, 2020:

Volunteers remove pines encroaching on wetland habitat in Johnson Meadow as part of Tahoe Forest Stewardship Day, July 2020.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA -- Volunteers and team members from the League to Save Lake Tahoe, along with staff from the Tahoe Resource Conservation District, restored native wetland habitat in Johnson Meadow on Saturday, July 25, continuing work started in 2019. Teams stabilized crumbling stream banks, removed invasive plant species and cleared remnants of historic ranching operations. This work is the continuation of an ecosystem restoration project at Johnson Meadow that began during Tahoe Forest Stewardship Day last September.

“It was great to see the wetland habitat in Johnson Meadow rebounding after our volunteers worked so hard here last fall,” noted Marilee Movius, Community Engagement Manager at the League to Save Lake Tahoe. “We still have a long way to go to restore the Basin’s wetlands so they can act as natural pollution filters for Lake Tahoe at their full, natural strength. We thank our partners at the Tahoe Resource Conservation District for the opportunity, and the volunteers for all their hard work.”

Marshes, meadows and wetlands across the Tahoe Basin are the victims of unchecked past land use at Tahoe. Historic ranching and development degraded and disabled the vital ecological functions and natural habitat provided by these ecosystems. One of the League to Save Lake Tahoe’s central campaigns is to advance restoration at Tahoe. In 1998, the League organized the first Tahoe Forest Stewardship Day event. For almost 23 years, these events - held twice annually since 2017 - have rallied local agencies, nonprofit organizations and community members to revive natural habitats across the Tahoe Basin.

Importantly, it’s a unique way to build an ethic of environmental stewardship in the community, to improve the land and to Keep Tahoe Blue. During COVID times, taking part in an outdoor, physically distanced, shared activity is also a welcome release for volunteers looking to make a positive difference.

“I can’t tell you how satisfying it is,” said Katie Riley, a volunteer with the League to Save Lake Tahoe. “I’m outdoors, doing something meaningful for the Tahoe environment, with other people, and social distancing at the same time. That’s a great feeling.”

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Media Resources: photos, Johnson Meadow restoration

Media Contact: Chris Joseph, Communications Manager - League to Save Lake Tahoe; cjoseph@keeptahoeblue.org; 805.722.5646

The League to Save Lake Tahoe, also known by the slogan “Keep Tahoe Blue,” is Tahoe's oldest and largest nonprofit environmental advocacy organization. The League is dedicated to community engagement and education, and collaborating to find solutions to Tahoe's environmental challenges. Through the League's main campaigns, its expert staff and dedicated volunteers A.C.T. to Keep Tahoe Blue: we Advance restoration, Combat pollution and Tackle invasive species. Learn more at keeptahoeblue.org.