By Joanne S. Marchetta, TRPA
Although Lake Tahoe’s economy has facets—like building trades, health care, education, and a growing number of gig and remote workers, to name a few—the foundation of our region’s $5 billion economy is undeniably tourism. Equally apparent is that visitation is impacting Tahoe’s environment and our communities. To put it plainly, amazing places like this can be “loved to death.” After COVID significantly boosted participation in outdoor recreation last year, national surveys show that more than 60 percent of new participants say they expect to continue their outdoor activities post-pandemic. As tourism expands globally and the populations of northern California and northern Nevada continue to grow, the way outdoor recreation and tourism is managed here needs to change.