News Briefs

$3 Million to Protect Lake Tahoe From Invasive Species

LAKE TAHOE

Nevada Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen announced $3.1 million to support efforts by the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species at Lake Tahoe. This funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which both Cortez Masto and Rosen voted to pass.

This funding supplements a total of $17 million in grants the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has provided through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support Lake Tahoe’s conservation, restoration, and resilience. The grant will advance efforts to combat Lake Tahoe’s invasive species, including the Eurasian watermilfoil, an invasive weed that disrupts aquatic ecosystems and outcompetes native plants.

Cortez Masto and Rosen passed critical legislation to permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which protects public lands in Nevada and across the U.S. Cortez Masto passed bipartisan, bicameral legislation to restore Lake Tahoe, which Rosen supported, and both senators delivered critical funding to protect Lake Tahoe in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In 2020, Senator Cortez Masto  also created the Invasive Species in Alpine Lakes Pilot Program to protect lakes like Lake Tahoe.

~ Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto press release

More Than $9 Million of TOT Funding Approved for North Lake Tahoe

NORTH LAKE TAHOE

The Placer County Board of Supervisors approved more than $9 million of transient occupancy tax funding for a total of seven projects in North Lake Tahoe this week. The projects fall into three categories: facilities, trails, and transportation.

• The North Tahoe Public Utilities District will receive $250,000 to construct a new outdoor community art and gathering space at North Tahoe Regional Park. 
• The public utilities district will also receive $472,000 to complete access improvements along the North Tahoe Trail. This includes expanding the popular Pam Emmerich Memorial Pinedrop Trail, improving access to trails and connecting to community recreation amenities at the North Tahoe Regional Park.
• The Tahoe City Public Utilities District will receive $3,537,625 for reconstruction of the TCPUD Multi-Use Trail. Much of the funding will be used to replace the aged infrastructure of the current trail on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore. 
• Placer County’s Department of Public Works will receive $2.8 million to complete a 2.4-mile section of the North Tahoe shared-use trail called Segment 1. This will connect the North Tahoe Regional Park to Carnelian Bay.
• The Northstar Community Service District will receive $1.2 million to complete a 1.23-mile segment of Martis Valley Trail between the Castle Peak parking lots and the Northstar Village.
• Placer’s Department of Public Works will receive $50,000 to purchase new radar speed feedback signs for North Tahoe neighborhoods. 
• Placer County also received $741,000 to move forward with the Tahoe City Downtown Access Improvements project. 

Learn more about TOT-TBID Dollars At Work here.

~ Placer County press release

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Town Benefits Extended to Elected Officials

TRUCKEE

In a 3-2 vote, the Town of Truckee council voted to extend a number of town benefits to council members beginning March 1. The full list is as follows:

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Voluntary Life Insurance
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan Account
• Flexible Spending Accounts for Health or Dependent Care
• Supplemental Benefit Plans through AFLAC

The fiscal year 2024/25 operating budget already includes $30,000 for these benefits. An additional $40,997.25 will be added to the operating budget.

The decision, intended to entice more council candidates in future elections, will add an annual cost of $170,393.40, along with a budgeted 10% increase year-to-year.

Councilmembers Courtney Henderson and Dave Polivy as well as Vice Mayor Anna Klovstad voted in favor of the move during the Jan. 14 meeting; Councilmember Lindsay Romack and Mayor Jan Zabriskie opposed.

Of the 22 public comments submitted on the matter, 19 were for and five against. A common concern among those in opposition was conflict of interest: whether the council members were the right people to decide on what benefits they would receive. Town counsel Andrew Morris explained that California law states that council members are, in fact, the people to make this decision. It’s an “interesting policy issue, but not a legal issue,” he said.

The associated resolutions, updated based on the Jan. 14 discussion, will be presented as consent items at the Jan. 28 council meeting.

~ AH

Overnight Hangar Rentals Now Available

TRUCKEE

Overnight hangar rentals are now available at Truckee Tahoe Airport (KTRK), offering pilots a secure, weather-protected space for their aircraft. Book easily online.

For more information, visit altaport.info/airports/ktrk/reserve.

~ Truckee Tahoe Airport District press release

Humane Society Sets Record Adoptions in 2024 

TRUCKEE

The Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe (HSTT) set two records in 2024, achieving its highest number of pet adoptions and animal transfers amid national shelter overcrowding challenges. 

The organization reported 716 pet adoptions in 2024, a 55% increase from 2014, and transferred 513 at-risk animals from overcrowded shelters, surpassing its previous record by nearly 30 animals. 

HSTT set a goal to transfer in as many at-risk pets as possible in 2024.  

This tremendous adoption success follows HSTT’s “Your Perfect Pet Awaits” campaign, produced by Court Leve Productions, which aimed to promote pet adoption in the region. 

The organization’s growth traces back to fall 2013, when it moved into a new Truckee facility. Following the move, in 2014, HSTT transferred 212 animals and facilitated 325 adoptions. 

For more information about pet adoption, visit hstt.org.  

~ Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe press release

Annual Ski California Safety Day to Focus on Chairlift Safety

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

On Jan. 25, resorts in California and Nevada partake in the seventh annual Ski California Safety Day with activities and skier and snowboarder safety tips that align with the National Ski Area Association’s (NSAA) Your Responsibility Code. With this year’s theme focused on chairlift safety, Ski California will also release a new video on Safety Day, which will be available in the award-winning Ski California Mountain Safety Guide and on Ski California’s YouTube Channel.

Resorts will continue to leverage the Mountain Safety Guide throughout the season. Created as a tool to educate skiers and riders about staying safe and making good decisions on the slopes, the Mountain Safety Guide offers information relevant to all winter sports enthusiasts. Skiers and riders are encouraged to review the guide and take the quiz at the end for a chance to win a 2025/26 Ski California Gold Pass, plus prize packages.

Ski California will also make a new video produced by the nonprofit High Fives Foundation as part of their B.A.S.I.C.S. series focused on Deep Snow Safety part of its safety education efforts. 

Participating resorts include Boreal Mountain Resort, Diamond Peak, Heavenly Mountain Resort, Kirkwood, Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe, Northstar California Resort, Palisades Tahoe, Sierra-at-Tahoe, Sugar Bowl Resort, and Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Area. To support Safety Day, participating resorts will host events and chances to win prizes.

Visit skicalifornia.org for more information.

~ Ski California press release

Moving In, Moving On, Moving Up

Tahoe Forest Health System Welcomes New President and CEO Anna Roth

TRUCKEE/NORTH TAHOE

The Tahoe Forest Hospital District (TFHD) Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Anna M. Roth, RN, MS, MPH, has been appointed president and Chief Executive Officer of Tahoe Forest Health System (TFHS). The selection of Ms. Roth comes after an extensive, months-long search following the departure of former CEO Harry Weis in June.

Roth comes to TFHS from Contra Costa Health, where she served as CEO for the past 15 years. In that position, she addressed the spectrum of issues that shaped the health of Contra Costa County’s 1 million residents, with special attention to its most vulnerable populations. During her tenure, she played a key role in one of the largest integrated health systems within county government, overseeing unprecedented growth of a $3-billion health system.

At Contra Costa Health, Ms. Roth was responsible for strategy, planning, and operational oversight of the county’s medical center and 11 clinics. Her areas of responsibility included behavioral and physical healthcare, a managed care organization, a local public health department, county homeless services, the county emergency medical services (EMS) system, hazardous materials, and environmental health.

Roth holds a master’s degree from the University of California, San Francisco, and a Master of Public Health from Harvard University. She is a registered nurse with over 30 years of healthcare experience and an Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Quality Improvement Fellow. Additionally, Roth has served on a variety of nonprofit boards and has been actively engaged in shaping policy initiatives that drive meaningful advancement in healthcare access.

Roth has previously owned a vacation home in Tahoe Donner and has family ties to the Tahoe region. She looks forward to becoming part of the Truckee/North Tahoe community. Roth’s start date will be Monday, March 10.

The TFHD Board of Directors extends its appreciation to Louis Ward for serving as interim CEO and expresses gratitude for his dedication and leadership during this transition.

~ TFHS press release

General Manager Terminated After 6 Weeks, Former Candidate Offered Position

INCLINE VILLAGE/CRYSTAL BAY

On Jan. 16, in their first major action as a newly seated board, Incline Village General Improvement District trustees voted 4-1 to terminate General Manager Kent Walrack’s contract. Walrack began the position Dec. 1, 2024, and will be paid $250,000 as part of his severance package, which was contested upon creation.

The termination move was not a surprise, though it made significant waves in a general improvement district already plagued by financial troubles, staff turnover, and difficulty finding the right person to fill the GM seat.

Walrack was hired as general manager on Nov. 13, 2024, in a 3-2 vote. Trustees Matthew Dent (outgoing), Sara Schmitz (outgoing), and Ray Tulloch voted in favor; Michaela Tonking (newly reelected) and David Noble opposed. Notably, Trustees-elect Mick Homan and Michelle Jezycki shared their opposition against hiring Walrack during public comment period of that meeting. 

The concern: While capable and with extensive experience in the food and beverage industry, Walrack did not have the government management and financial experience so needed within the GID.

In a telling statement at the November meeting, Noble said, “Four-fifths of the board members starting Jan. 1 have said they want a different general manager.”

Tulloch said of the 4-1 vote to terminate last Thursday, to which he dissented, “This is one of the craziest decisions I’ve ever seen from this board … This is just pure pettiness.” Tulloch left the meeting early to attend to his wife, who was at home sick, saying on the way out that he had no interest in participating in decisions that were pre-determined.

Another candidate for the IVGID GM hiring period last year has been identified as Walrack’s replacement. IVGID staff intends to extend a 24-month contract to Robert Harrison, which includes a 6-month-max severance package and $250,000 salary, by or before Jan. 29.

~ AH

New Airport Facility Maintenance Manager

TRUCKEE

The Truckee Tahoe Airport is excited to welcome Matt Warren as the new facility maintenance manager. A longtime Truckee local with a strong background in business and operational maintenance, Warren brings innovative expertise from his time at Elements Mountain Company.

~ Truckee Tahoe Airport District press release

Business Briefs

Care Flight Welcomes New Helicopter to Serve Rural Communities

GARDNERVILLE

REMSA Health and its service, Care Flight, announce the arrival of a new helicopter aircraft, Care Flight 2, which is located at the Gardnerville, Nevada, base. It is serviced through a partnership with Air Methods, Care Flight’s rotor wing aviation vendor.

REMSA Health purchased the helicopter, which replaced an existing, older aircraft of the same model. Care Flight’s fleet consists of four helicopters and one fixed-wing aircraft. 

Care Flight 2 is an Airbus H125 B3E helicopter. This model is particularly well-suited for the high altitudes, alpine environments and extreme temperature spans typical of the northern Nevada region.

Care Flight has transported and treated critically ill and injured patients across the region for more than 40 years. As a critical component of access to healthcare across northern Nevada and eastern California, Care Flight’s helicopter service transports approximately 1,800 patients every year, across a region of more than 50,000 square miles. Accredited for 21 consecutive years by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems, the national organization that evaluates medical air services, Care Flight’s helicopter fleet is staffed by highly-trained medical critical care nurses and paramedics who are committed to continuing the legacy of safely providing clinically excellent, compassionate care.

~ Care Flight press release

Palisades Tahoe’s Ski for a Cause Raises $269,191 for Fire Relief 

OLYMPIC VALLEY

Over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, Palisades Tahoe hosted its Ski for a Cause fundraiser, uniting the ski community for Southern California fire relief. The event drew 903 participants and raised $89,397 through $99 lift ticket sales. Thanks to dollar-for-dollar matching by Palisades Tahoe and Alterra Mountain Company, the total donation soared to $269,191.

The funds will directly support the California Fire Foundation, providing essential relief for wildfire victims. Proceeds will be used for emergency assistance, community rebuilding efforts, and long-term support for those impacted by wildfires.

Palisades Tahoe extends its gratitude to all guests who participated in Ski for a Cause. Their generosity and enthusiasm made this fundraiser a huge success, turning a day on the slopes into meaningful support for families and communities recovering from the devastating effects of wildfires. 

For those who were unable to attend Ski for a Cause, there’s still an opportunity to support this effort. Visit the California Fire Foundation at cafirefoundation.org to make a direct donation and help these communities impacted by wildfires recover and rebuild.

~ Palisades Tahoe press release