Tahoe Conservancy Grants $1.2 Million to Expand “Outdoors for All” programs in lake Tahoe

Tahoe Conservancy Grants $84,000 to the waterman foundation

​Grants Support Programs to Improve Outdoor Equity, Extend Tahoe’s Shared-Use Trail Network were awarded in South Lake Tahoe, December 14, 2023 by the California Tahoe Conservancy.

The California Tahoe Conservancy Board has awarded four grants, totaling $409,000, to nonprofit organizations to improve equitable access to Lake Tahoe’s beaches, trails, and mountains. “Expanding opportunities for people to enjoy the extraordinary recreational resources of the Lake Tahoe Basin is a core part of our mission,” said Conservancy Board Chair Adam Acosta. “Work funded by these grants will help underserved and underrepresented people overcome physical barriers to accessing outdoor experiences.”

At its meeting today, the Conservancy Board authorized the grants to improve equitable access by investing in programs and projects that serve people of all races, ethnicities, physical abilities, and backgrounds.

The waterman Foundation is beyond excited to be one of the grantee recipient because Lake Tahoe is a world-class outdoor recreation destination and many people face barriers to accessing and enjoying its opportunities, the Waterman's Foundation will fulfill their mission to provide the gift of paddling and put more people on Tahoe Waters of Lake Tahoe. 

The Waterman Foundation was awarded $84,000 to provide transformative paddling experiences — based at a lakefront Conservancy property in Carnelian Bay—for under-resourced youth, people confronting physical disabilities, and those facing mental health challenges.

Congrats to all the additional grantees: 

• $150,000 to Environmental Traveling Companions for two programs: an outdoor adventure and education course for under-resourced youth that will include backpacking at Lake Tahoe, and a program to teach safe paddling skills to people with disabilities while kayaking at Emerald Bay.
• $60,000 to the Tahoe Cross Country Ski Education Association for a year-round program to provide Latina girls with instruction and equipment for cross-country skiing, mountain biking, and other outdoor activities.
• $115,000 to the Tahoe Rim Trail Association to upgrade trailhead kiosks along the California side of the Tahoe Rim Trail. The new kiosks will include improved trail and accessibility information and maps, and an acknowledgment of Tahoe as the homeland of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, all in both English and Spanish.

 Read the entire press release HERE

The board of directors at the Waterman Foundation would like to sincerely thank the team at the CTC (California Tahoe Conservancy) and the Board of Directors for believing in our mission and supporting this program.