Sustainability Image

Placer County Sustainability Articles



Sierra Sun logo LOCAL NEWS
Unveiling of Donner Lake Sculpture: Trash to Treasure

TRUCKEE, Calif. – Thanks to artists Yustina Salnikova and Joel Dean from Building 180, an all-inclusive art production and consulting agency that specializes in creating intricate art installations from start to finish, trash literally became...

Image caption: California is considering an end to a program that gives tax credits for cow poop–based biofuels.
Climate Credits for Cow Manure: Program May End Soon

California grants climate credits for fuel made from cow manure, but there’s a paradox: The state’s program encourages collection of methane yet promotes natural gas.

Image caption: There is a wind-turbine arms race underway in China, which already manufactures windmills whose blades sweep an area the size of 10 football fields per spin.
Wind Turbine Developments off Central Coast on ‘Fast Track’

Ocean wind farms are essential to electrify California’s grid with 100% clean energy. But they’re a giant, costly experiment—no one knows how hundreds of towering turbines will transform the remote North Coast.

Sierra Sun logo LOCAL NEWS
Lake Tahoe Ambassador Program 23 cohort wraps with success

LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Sierra Nevada Alliance, a region-wide nonprofit dedicated to uniting people and organizations to protect Sierra Nevada ecosystems and communities, is celebrating the successful completion of the Summer 2023 Lake Tahoe Ambassador...

Image caption: Conservation director Bryan Largay helps the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County choose its priorities.
A Conversation with California Conservationist Bryan Largay

The conservation director of Land Trust of Santa Cruz talks about the highlights of his work, and some of the issues he sees in maintaining California’s parks.

Tahoe Daily Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
Inaugural Lake Tahoe Electric Transportation Summit brings together agency leaders to talk solutions

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif.— The inaugural Lake Tahoe Electric Transportation Summit was held at Lake Tahoe Community College on Friday, Sept. 29, bringing together community members, business owners, and agency leaders to discuss the importance...

Sierra Sun logo LOCAL NEWS
Palisades Tahoe moves to reservation-based parking for the 2023/24 Winter Season

OLYMPIC VALLEY, Calif. — Palisades Tahoe is introducing a new reservation-based parking program for the 2023/24 winter season. The program is being implemented in an effort to alleviate traffic congestion and elevate the overall guest...

Tahoe Daily Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
Tahoe Beach Club’s Alpenglow Festival raises over $52k for local artists, Clean Up The Lake’s Environmental Dive Center

STATELINE, Nev. – Tahoe Beach Club, known for its unparalleled commitment to the Lake Tahoe community and environment, has successfully raised over $52,000 through its "Right Footprint" summer 2023 campaign. A significant portion, $25,772, was...

Tahoe Daily Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
Tahoe, Donner Lake levels: A successful water year

This year has shown immense promise for both Tahoe and Donner. Lake Tahoe's current elevation is 6227.8 feet above sea level, just shy of the maximum legal limit of 6,229.10. With a natural rim at...

Tahoe Daily Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
Sculpture made from litter unveiled at Tahoe Blue Event Center

STATELINE, Nev. – A new sculpture constructed of trash pulled from Lake Tahoe during Clean up the Lake's 72-mile clean-up project was unveiled in front of the Tahoe Blue Event Center on Wednesday, Sept. 27....

Tahoe Daily Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
Major meadow clean up along the Upper Truckee River in South Lake Tahoe

The City of South Lake Tahoe Police, Fire, Public Works, and Parks and Recreation departments, Clean Tahoe, Pack Rat and South Tahoe Refuse, along with private property owners, completed a major meadow trash/debris cleanup in the Truckee River Meadow North …

Sierra Sun logo LOCAL NEWS
Placer Fish and Game Commission Grant application period now open

The commission awards grants with a maximum value of $1,000 for each successful proposal. These grants are designated for projects aligned with the objectives outlined in the California Fish and Game Code, Section 13103.

Auburn Journal logo LOCAL NEWS
Auburn seeks company to perform energy audit for efficiency, savings

The City Council unanimously approved a resolution that would allow the city to issue a request for proposal for an energy services contract to create an investment-grade audit on all city-owned and operated facilities.

Tahoe Daily Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
Tahoe Yellow Cress surveys underway in the Lake Tahoe Basin

The Tahoe Yellow Cress Adaptive Management Working Group's annual lake-wide monitoring surveys of Tahoe Yellow Cress in the Lake Tahoe Basin will continue throughout September across numerous land ownerships and on every beach where this rare plant is known to …

Tahoe Daily Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
Local Director Launches Creative Media Agency For Adventure Travel and Conservation

Lake Tahoe-based director and photographer Rachid Dahnoun announced the launch of RSM Creative, a media production company and creative agency that specializes in content creation for adventure travel, hospitality, agriculture and conservation brands.

Placer Herald logo LOCAL NEWS
Placer Supervisors approve EIR contract for rezone program

As part of Placer County’s effort to meet its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), the Board of Supervisors approved a contract with Raney Planning & Management, Inc. for the preparation of a programmatic Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the rezone …

Sierra Sun logo LOCAL NEWS
Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation awards over $500k to support private landowners in the battle against wildfires

Forest Futures, a Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation initiative, announced the implementation of the Truckee North Tahoe Forest Management Program.

Report trash issues

Residents and visitors in the Tahoe Sierra can report trash issues from illegal dumps to broken sled trash at sled hills by using the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center’s Citizen Science app or by contacting local authorities.

Image caption: How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland

California has used reclamation districts to turn millions of acres of unusable swamps into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush. Here’s how it happened.

Image caption:
Working Together: TTCF and California Local

A conversation with Stacy Caldwell, CEO of Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation

Featured

Water is a human right under California law, but it doesn’t always work out that way.
Agriculture and Water Shortages in the State’s Breadbasket, Explained
There are many causes contributing to this crisis. And as you may already know, this situation really is nuts.
RCDs look after the land, whether it’s used for grazing, growing, or getting out into nature.
California Dirt
RCDs were created to avoid a repeat of the Dust Bowl. Now they work with landowners to preserve the air, water and natural habitats that sustain us all.
Moss Landing in Monterey Bay is the world’s largest battery storage facility for solar and other renewable energy.
Solar Power and California’s Clean Energy Goals
How the sun is helping push the state toward 100 percent renewable energy.
Dairy products are California’s top agricultural commodity, but the industry is often criticized for its impact on the environment.
Sustainable Sustenance
Greener ways to feed the world’s growing population
How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland
From its earliest days as a state, California has been trying to turn marshes into productive land.
Long-duration energy storage, such as this thermal energy storage facility, allows renewable energy sources to operate at full capacity without overloading the power grid.
How California Leads the Race For Long Duration Energy Storage
For renewable energy sources such as solar and wind to be viable, ways to store the power they create are essential.
California has a goal of 6 million heat pumps cooling and heating buildings by 2030.
6 Million New Heat Pumps: Essential to California's Climate Future
Installing 6 million heat pumps by 2030 is essential if California is to reach its goal of net zero carbon emissions.