The Town of Truckee has ramped up to prepare for another busy summer season by implementing multiple litter prevention initiatives. The goal of these programs is to prepare for increased visitation and outdoor recreation, while helping visitors and locals alike enjoy our mountain town and respect our community and natural environment. We are excited for these new initiatives to help reduce litter impacts in our community.
Trailhead Ambassador Program
Keep Truckee Green is participating in a region-wide Take Care Tahoe Ambassador Program. Local organizations from North and South Tahoe have ambassadors out on trails and recreation areas across the lake this summer to educate and inspire recreationalists to recreate responsibly and take care of our natural resources. Keep Truckee Green ambassadors will be roving around hotspot areas, including Donner Lake, Downtown Truckee, and the Legacy Trail, engaging people about wildfire safety, leave no trace principles, bear awareness and more. Ambassadors across the region will be collecting data from their interactions to provide information for future tourism and recreation planning.
Regular Litter Removal
Regular litter removal and beautification efforts through landscaping and ongoing maintenance set a high community standard, which is a key factor in preventing litter. This summer a new part-time Town Landscape Maintenance staff person will be dedicated to beautification, litter removal, and providing support to the Town landscape program.
In addition, Clean Tahoe will be expanding from South Lake Tahoe this summer and contracting their litter and trash management services with many other local organizations throughout North Tahoe and Truckee. In Truckee, the Town has contracted with Clean Tahoe for twice per week litter removal in heavily trafficked areas.
Trash Receptacles
Additional solar-powered compacting trash and recycling containers will be installed in Downtown Truckee and around Donner Lake. With the compacting feature, these containers can hold three times the volume of trash and will be regularly serviced by Clean Tahoe and Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal.
Volunteer Litter Clean-up Events
On June 5, 884 volunteers came out for the 18th annual Truckee Day and collected over 4,250 pounds of litter from Truckee streets and trails. Monthly litter cleanups will continue on the first Saturday of each month from 8:30 – 10:30am with the Truckee Litter Corps. Volunteers are invited to join in the clean-ups based in different locations across town each month. The next gathering, on Saturday, July 3rd, will meet and clean up around West River Street. Volunteers can sign up to join at www.keeptruckeegreen.org/volunteer/sign-up-to-volunteer/.
A new “Grab a Bag” program allows volunteers the chance to keep Truckee clean anytime, anywhere, and earn prizes for participating. Simply grab a bag at any participating business, collect litter, and return your bag to exchange it for a prize. Participating businesses are offering discounts, coupons, or free swag to those who volunteer. See the list of participating businesses at https://www.keeptruckeegreen.org/volunteer/volunteer-opportunities/#.
Request Truckee
The Request Truckee platform is a new tool for the community to request Town of Truckee services for issues including trash, graffiti, sign damage, road hazards, and much more. This new platform will allow for quick and efficient communication in addressing different community issues. Submit a request through the SeeClickFix app on iOs or Android. Or, visit www.townoftruckee.com/i-want-to/submit-a-request.
Short-Term Rental Helpline
The Town of Truckee short-term rental ordinance regulates parking, noise levels, adult occupancy, fire safety, and proper garbage disposal at short-term rental properties operating in Truckee. If a short-term rental is causing a disturbance near you, a report can be submitted through the STR Helpline at (530) 450-2430 or online at www.townoftruckee.com/STRhelp. Once a report has been submitted, the operator of the STR will be notified and will have one hour to respond to the complaint.
Resources for taking care of the area while visiting Truckee, including wildfire safety, bear awareness, waste reduction, trail etiquette, and more can be found at: www.keeptruckeegreen.org/visitor-information/