League to Save Lake Tahoe
The Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation has granted the League to Save Lake Tahoe $35,000 to support its land-use planning program, which ensures strong environmental regulation surrounding development at Lake Tahoe. The foundation has also bolstered its named endowment at the League with a $200,000 donation.
“The grant strengthens our ability to closely monitor development plans and projects for compliance with the Tahoe regional plan’s strong environmental requirements,” said Darcie Goodman Collins. “We can then pass this information on to community members, empowering them to participate actively in the planning process. We are also thrilled by the endowment donation, which ensures the organization’s long-term sustainability and strength, allowing us to build on our 60-year legacy of success.”
Clarence E. Heller was a San Francisco civic leader and philanthropist who was the president of the League’s board during the passage of the 1987 regional plan. He served on the board from 1975 until his death in 1988. He served as president from 1986 to 1987. In 2006, the foundation established the Clarence E Heller Endowment, the League’s largest endowment.
As Tahoe’s oldest and largest environmental watchdog, one of the League’s top priorities is to ensure regional development planning that protects and enhances Tahoe’s environment. The land-use planning program includes three components: strong advocacy through policy analysis and public comments, community engagement and education on important policy issues, and collaboration with Tahoe stakeholders and agencies to find solutions to sticky issues such as wetland restoration policies.
Specifically, the $35,000 grant enables the League to strengthen its area plan work. Area plans are unique to Tahoe, and allow for each community to develop design standards, within the zoning regulations provided by the new regional plan, to reflect the wants and needs of that community. The League is already advocating for improvements in the following areas:
· Public transportation planning;
· Environmental targets;
· Identified stormwater management projects;
· Identified opportunities to restore sensitive land;
· Identification and protection of open space;
· Enforcement of Best Management Practices (BMP) installation and maintenance policies;
· Monitoring and maintenance of stormwater management efforts; and
· Information on how ridgeline and shoreline views will be protected.
To learn more about the Clarence E. Heller Foundation, visit www.cehcf.org.
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. The League’s main campaigns include combatting pollution, tackling invasive species, promoting restoration and protecting Tahoe’s shore.
