There’s an axiom that says, “The best day to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the second-best time to plant a tree is today.” As we head into summer when tourism visitation peaks, I find myself thinking about that quote and wishing that 20 years ago we had decided to create the tools necessary to mitigate visitor impacts more effectively.
Everyone who lives and works here on the North Shore has an innate understanding of the double-edged sword of tourism. The 15 million annual visitor days from 2 million unique visitors power our local economy. Without tourism, there is no economic basis to support our community and essential services.
Visitors who come here to experience the ski runs, hiking trails, crystal-clear water, and majestic beauty of the lake have a real impact: they generate traffic, parking congestion, and pollution. Frustration at visitors is understandable, but counterproductive. We should channel that frustration into meaningful action.
There is no angel investor or white knight coming to solve this problem – we will need to tackle this challenge as a community. The stark reality is that we don’t have the right tools in the toolbox to effectively invest in solutions that support what we need: transit and traffic management, beautification and local economic vitality, and broader sustainability efforts to preserve and protect the lake.
Federal dollars that previously helped fund projects are becoming harder to count on and state and local budgets are stretched thin. Changing visitor patterns mean our existing reliance on the Transient Occupancy Tax associated with overnight stays is unable to keep pace with costs. The end of a successful TART Connect service is just one example of the types of necessary programs we should be putting in place, but can’t due to budget constraints.
We need to pursue new approaches that will generate revenue that is sustainable and predictable, paid for by those who directly benefit from the tourism economy. Currently, Nevada state law prohibits us from doing something that has proven to be a successful model – a business improvement district (BID). Placer County recently renewed its BID after nearly 100 North Lake Tahoe tourism-related businesses voted to continue self-assessing a small fee that would generate funds to support visitor mitigation efforts. This BID generates $6.5 million a year.
Those funds support transportation improvements that get cars off the road, maintain trails and recreation amenities, reduce the impacts of tourism, and strengthen the local economy. The result is less congestion, better visitor management, and greater protection of the environment.
A BID is just one potential path forward but now is an essential time for our community to take action. The 2027 legislative session will be crucial. Legislators need to hear from our community about the challenges we face. Because the legislature only meets every other year, failure now will delay progress for years.
I invite everyone to work with Travel North Tahoe Nevada ahead of the 2027 legislative session to advocate for new tools that we can use as a community to address the challenges we face. We all cherish this recreational wonderland, and we all have a responsibility to protect it. Today is the time to act.
We cannot bury our heads in the sand and hope that this challenge will solve itself. Failure to act now means that we will all continue to pay the price of inaction. There are no perfect solutions, only trade-offs as to what kind of community we want to be.
We can and should do today what we wish had been done 20 years ago.
~ Andy Chapman is the president and CEO of Travel North Tahoe Nevada, which encourages destination experiences that support a vibrant economy, enhances community character, and fosters environmental stewardship. He also serves as the chair of the Tahoe Transportation District, working to advance transportation projects that support residents, visitors, and the long-term sustainability of the Tahoe Basin.
