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Lake Tahoe License Plate Program

Grant Information

Nevada Division of State Lands will be soliciting grant proposals for the 2024 Lake Tahoe License Plate program in Fall 2024. NDSL anticipates approximately $500,000 in funding will be available for this round, and plans to issue grant funding awards in February 2025. Please contact Chris LaCasse at: chris.lacasse@lands.nv.gov for further information.

Click here for Grant documents

Show your support for Lake Tahoe

As a Nevada Lake Tahoe License Plate owner, with an initial payment of $61 for the first year and $30 each continuing year, you can help fund projects that will preserve and restore the natural environment of the Lake Tahoe Basin. Of the DMV fees collected, $25 the first year and $20 each subsequent year go directly into a dedicated Lake Tahoe fund which is administered by the State Lands. Since the first license plates were sold in February 1998, the program has raised over $11 million through sales and annual renewal fees, funding over 175 preservation and restoration projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Today, there are over 42,000 Lake Tahoe license plates on the road in Nevada.

Purchase a Nevada Lake Tahoe License Plate

The Nevada Lake Tahoe License Plate program generates approximately $500,000 on an annual basis to fund projects ranging from water quality initiatives and state park improvements, to research and monitoring studies, invasive species surveys and removal, and public education efforts.

Every Plate Counts! Nevada Lake Tahoe License Plate Information

Current Awarded Projects

The Nevada Division of State Lands is excited to announce that over $350,000 in NV-LTLP proceeds will help fund the following environmental preservation and restoration projects:

  • Marlette Virtual Nature Trail: The Nevada Division of Natural Heritage will create a virtual trail experience from Spooner Lake to Tunnel Creek that will allow users to explore dozens of points of interest along the trail, learn about local plants and wildlife, and experience the cultural and geologic history of the area. Once developed, the virtual trail can be downloaded free of charge so visitors can tour the trail from the comfort of their home, whether they are planning a trip to Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park or just want to learn more about Tahoe’s incredible natural diversity.
  • SCUBA divers will continue their third year to remove litter and identify litter “hot spots” in the Lake: The non-profit organization Clean up the Lake will conduct a series of dives to trace how litter moves around Lake Tahoe and document where it accumulates. Trash that is removed will be analyzed by the Desert Research Institute and the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center to help identify the major sources of litter pollution in the Lake.
  • Developing a Tourism Stewardship Roadmap: The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, along with other Basin partners, will develop a strategic plan to enhance sustainable recreation and tourism opportunities at Lake Tahoe over the next 20 years. The information will be used to prioritize recreation and tourism projects, as well as provide updates to the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program.
  • New monitoring and research programs for lake clarity: Two complementary projects will explore algal growth in the Lake:
    • The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency will launch a new program to monitor algae near Lake Tahoe’s shoreline. The program will identify locations along the lakeshore that are impacted by heavy concentrations of algae to determine whether boaters, aquatic invasive species, or other factors are contributing to losses in clarity.
    • University of Nevada, Reno researchers will study how watersheds and nutrients contribute to declines in water quality and increases in algal growth. This data will help inform strategies and solutions to help prevent the growth of algae around Lake Tahoe.
  • Tahoe Rim Trail visitor use monitoring: The Tahoe Rim Trail Association will track and analyze visitation numbers and gather information from public surveys to inform recreation needs along the Tahoe Rim Trail. Land managers intend to use the data to assess opportunities to reduce the amount of damage to the trail and surrounding vegetation.
  • Sensitive plant monitoring: A research team from the University of Nevada, Reno will create a monitoring program to study Lake Tahoe Draba, a rare high-elevation plant which only grows in three locations solely in the Tahoe Basin. Data collected during this project will inform future protective measures for the species and may help prevent its extinction.”

The Lake Tahoe License Plate program has funded projects in the following areas:

Water Quality Improvements
  • 72-mile Lake Tahoe SCUBA Clean-up: Clean up the Lake conducted an underwater shorezone litter removal along the entire 72-miles of Lake Tahoe shoreline. A volunteer based underwater clean-up focused on remediating the subsurface of the lake bed via SCUBA. This stewardship project not only removed litter from the lakebed, but also educated the public and informed local stakeholders about the extent and types of litter accumulation in Lake Tahoe. Removed trash was categorized by source and size and documented by the Desert Research Institute and the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center. (2022) https://cleanupthelake.org/
Clean up the Lake Diver removing lakebed litter.
​Aquatic Invasive Species Projects
  • Edgewood Aquatic Invasive Plant Control: Planning and Containment: The Tahoe Resource Conservation District (TRCD) will contract teams of divers to install benthic barriers over two acres of aquatic invasive plants, which will remain in place for two cycles of plant growth. Divers will utilize suction removal to remove plants in sparse areas and areas not conducive to barrier placement. In addition, divers will conduct regular maintenance visits to pull aquatic invasive plants and secure barriers. (2023) https://tahoercd.org/tahoe-aquatic-invasive-species-programs/
  • Lake Tahoe East Shore Asian Clam and Metaphyton Delineation and Control: This research and monitoring project by the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center includes SCUBA and unmanned aerial vehicle surveys of five Nevada beaches (Incline Beach, Hidden Beach, Chimney Beach, Whale Beach, and Skunk Harbor) to quantify the extent of Asian clams and associated metaphyton. The researchers will conduct lake pilot studies designed to evaluate the effectiveness of metaphyton removal from the lake bottom, a laboratory study to quantify the impact of hydrogen peroxide on Asian clams, and an assessment of the future extent of metaphyton issues on Nevada beaches. (2023) https://tahoe.ucdavis.edu/research

Follow the link below for an exciting look at a Lake Tahoe License Plate-funded Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) removal project, enacted by the Tahoe Resource Conservation District, at Crystal Shores Marina in Incline Village:

AIS Controls at Crystal Shores

Research Funding
  • Monitoring Ecological Functions of Spooner Meadow to Inform Restoration Implementation: Desert Research Institute project researchers will conduct a three-year monitoring study of Spooner Meadow to collect data on vegetation, soil, and hydrology characteristics to inform ecological functions and processes of the meadow. The monitoring effort will provide important baseline data for restoration treatment implementation at Spooner Meadow. (2023) https://www.dri.edu/projects/
  • Assessing the Drivers of Tree Mortality and Regeneration in Whitebark Pine Throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin: UNR researchers will examine the factors behind the recent increase in Whitebark pine mortality, including the analysis of: a) how recent mortality is distributed and to what extent this can be attributed to blister rust and mountain pine beetles, b) the climatic and topographic factors which best determine attack by pathogens and beetles, and c) how seedlings are distributed and whether their recruitment is promoted by association with shrubs and small trees that ameliorate harsh abiotic conditions. (2023)
Infrastructure and Tourism Quality Improvements
  • SR 28 Spooner Mobility Hub and AIS Inspection Station: LTLP funding is contributing to this project which includes design and construction of a transit mobility hub with 250 parking spaces and restrooms, an AIS inspection station, 0.5 miles of multi-use path and a pedestrian crossing from Spooner State Park to the junction of SR28 and US50 adjacent to transit mobility hub. (2024) http://parks.nv.gov/
Education and Community Outreach
  • Lake Tahoe Ambassador Program: Sierra Nevada Alliance enacted this education and outreach project to train and place AmeriCorps volunteers (Ambassadors) in seasonal jobs at highly visited Tahoe locations within Nevada State Parks, where they assisted with park maintenance, engaged with park visitors, provided environmental education using the tenets of the Take Care campaign. (2022)  https://sierranevadaalliance.org/
Sierra Nevada Alliance Ambassadors conducting trail work in the Nevada Tahoe State Park.

The easiest way to get involved is to purchase a plate through the Nevada DMV. Once purchased, you may be able to participate in the Tahoe Fund's Plate for Powder Program.

Grant Documents:

 

Statutory Authority

Contact Information
Chris LaCasse Water Quality Coordinator