North Lake Tahoe is a destination unlike any other, celebrated for its unparalleled natural beauty, world-class recreation, and a unique mountain culture that each of us cherishes. As the president of the North Tahoe Community Alliance and a 20-plus year resident of the region, I can speak firsthand to the necessity of maintaining our unique sense of community, a healthy business environment, and how vital preserving our natural environment is.  Our success as a community is intertwined with these priority themes.  A healthy, well-managed environment will provide experiences that bolster our business community and provide the health and wellness benefits we have chosen to live here for.  A thriving economy generates funds to improve the quality of life for all who live, work and play here.  The choices we make today about how we manage tourism, our community, and our environment directly impact the resources and tools we have to address the needs of tomorrow.   

Without tourism, fewer people could call North Tahoe home, and those who do would have access to fewer essential services. Almost all aspects of our community life rely on tourism, as it supports our favorite restaurants, shops, and cultural and recreational activities. Without tourism, facilities like our beloved trail network, our favorite mountain resorts, boat ramps, and beaches would have greatly reduced resources for critical maintenance and capital investment. Without the funding required to invest in and maintain them, some amenities might simply not be offered at all.

Everyone who enjoys Tahoe is deeply connected to the environment we celebrate and share. Preserving it is essential, and we need a vibrant economy that enables us to care for our infrastructure in a way that preserves our environment for generations to come. Both public and private projects that invest in our infrastructure better equip our community to manage and reduce human impacts in our environment. 

If we don’t have a concerted effort to address critical infrastructure, housing, and transportation challenges, we risk undermining the very things that draw people to this area and make it a great place to live. Ultimately, this jeopardizes the future of our local economy and our environment.

The cost of doing nothing is simply too high.

Decaying Infrastructure and Its Ripple Effects

Our infrastructure, both public and private, is in dire need of renewal. Roads, motels, utilities, parking lots, and public facilities that once served us well are no longer able to meet the demands of modern use. Our town centers, once hubs of activity, show signs of neglect. When infrastructure is left to decay, it detracts from the quality of life, discourages investment, and diminishes our competitiveness with other premier destinations that are reinvesting. It also harms our ability to attract overnight visitors who tend to stay longer and contribute more to our local economy.

Reliance on day visitors significantly impacts our infrastructure (including increased congestion on our roads during peak times) and the environment. In contrast, overnight visitors more often support local businesses and pay taxes and assessments that help fund our school district, cover plowing services, support transit and micro-transit systems, and finance infrastructure improvements and better access to recreational activities.

A Dwindling Lodging Base

Over the past 15 years, North Lake Tahoe has lost more than 450 hotel rooms, representing a significant portion of our lodging capacity in our downtown and resort cores. As these properties closed their doors, they have not been immediately replaced.

To build a sustainable future, we must prioritize well-vetted redevelopment projects that incorporate centralized lodging options in our downtown areas and resort villages with the infrastructure to better support a more balanced housing and lodging ecosystem.  Well-vetted reinvestment projects bring with them environmental enhancements like improved storm water runoff impacting lake water quality and clarity, energy code compliance that reduces energy consumption and cost, and improved wildfire resilience.   

Funding for Transportation and Housing

North Lake Tahoe’s challenges don’t end with infrastructure and lodging. Housing for the local workforce and reliable transportation are two of the most pressing issues we face. I am keenly aware of the difficulty businesses have in hiring and retaining employees due to the high cost of living and the lack of locally available housing. Many workers are forced to commute from surrounding areas, creating a strain on transportation systems, increasing traffic and environmental impacts. Without additional funding for projects and programs that address workforce housing and transportation, we risk a continued labor shortage, and increased pressure on infrastructure. 

Redevelopment can help generate much-needed revenue through Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) and Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) assessments – funds that are put directly back into our community with local oversight. In the past two years, TOT-TBID dollars have supported the formation of the Housing Hub and the ADU Accelerator Program, in addition to the Lease to Locals program and the Workforce Housing Preservation Program, housing hundreds of local workers. They have also supported TART Connect and Park and Ride winter operations that have helped reduce congestion in partnership with resort parking management plans and parking reservation systems.  Our tax and assessment dollars, along with private efforts, have made tangible progress in addressing some of our most challenging regional priorities. 

Visitors Will Still Come—But Are We Ready?

Tourism is the backbone of our economy, and people will continue to visit North Lake Tahoe—especially as the populations of Reno, Sacramento, and the Bay Area continue to grow.  The question is whether we will have the infrastructure, services, and accommodations to effectively manage tourism and visitation, ensuring they continue to positively impact our community. People should be inspired by North Lake Tahoe’s beauty and resilience, not frustrated by poor infrastructure, inadequate accommodations, or lack of housing and other resources that generate negative environmental impacts and leave us with a less desirable place to live, work, and play.

The Path Forward

The time to act is now. It is crucial that our community prioritizes the redevelopment of our resort villages and town centers through well-vetted projects that contribute to our community vitality, environmental health, and vibrant economy. Projects that align with these goals will undoubtedly enhance the experience of North Lake Tahoe for all, providing benefits for generations to come. 

There is a high cost associated with doing nothing—further decay and decline are the opposite of progress and vitality. Not allowing redevelopment and reinvestment doesn’t protect the environment, our community, or the economy.

We have an opportunity to find common ground and shape the future of North Lake Tahoe in a way that preserves the natural beauty and unique character of our region while also building a resilient, sustainable economy. It’s time to embrace the opportunity to create our future and ensure that North Lake Tahoe remains a vibrant community and destination now, and for generations to come.

— Tony Karwowski is the President and CEO of the North Tahoe Community Alliance.