Eco-minded businesses partner with Keep Tahoe Blue

LAKE TAHOE, Nev. & Calif., November 8, 2024 – It takes a lot of work to keep Tahoe beachable, bikeable, hikeable, boatable, skiable, and enjoyable for all. In fact, it takes the whole community to Keep Tahoe Blue. That’s why the League to Save Lake Tahoe partners with businesses throughout the Tahoe Basin and beyond as part of its Tahoe Blue Business program. 

“The goal of the Blue Business program is to help businesses, help the lake, and uplift them as leaders in our community at the same time,” said the League’s Strategic Partnerships Manager, Hailey Hawkins. 

“Reciprocity is something that’s really important to us. We want every business, no matter where they are in their journey, to be able to benefit from working with us and protect the lake at the same time. We see that as the key to long-lasting relationships that Keep Tahoe Blue for generations to come,” said Hawkins. 

The League’s Blue Business partners are leaders in the community who understand that what’s best for Lake Tahoe is also what’s best for their business, their employees, and their neighbors. They help educate visitors and residents about how to Keep Tahoe Blue, get their hands dirty at League cleanup and restoration events, reduce their impact on the lake by implementing sustainability efforts, and provide needed funding for lake-saving initiatives.  

You’re invited to watch this video to learn why and how Tahoe Blue Business partners participate in the program. 

“The lake is very important to us, not just as business owners but as residents. It’s kind of the heart and soul of Tahoe. So, we have to protect it,” said Melissa Siig, co-owner of Tahoe Art Haus and Cinema in Tahoe City. The Blue Business partner minimizes plastic use throughout its operations and makes room on its big screen for environmental programming. 

Being a Blue Business also has value for its staff. “The employees take a lot of pride in that. We’re all locals here and very invested in making sure this place stays as special as it is,” noted Dan Evans, General Manager of the Beach Retreat and Lodge at Tahoe, located on the South Shore. The hotel’s popular 500 feet of shoreline is cleaned nightly by its staff and has hosted the BEBOT, a beach-cleaning robot operated by ECO-CLEAN Solutions, in past seasons. 

The Brewer’s Cabinet was inspired to get involved by the League’s beach-cleaning efforts around the Fourth of July. Through a special edition “can-paign,” the Reno-based beer maker donates a portion of their Tahoe Blonde sales to support the League’s work to combat litter. 

The Blue Business program, launched in 2015, features local restaurants, shops, and hospitality establishments. It grew out of decades of the League’s public-private partnerships based on a shared love for Tahoe, and the realization that residents, visitors, and the businesses that serve them all must do their part to protect this special place.   

Today, there are Blue Businesses in the Tahoe Basin, Reno, San Francisco, and beyond. They make beer and wine, sell coffee, serve food, publish magazines, and run hotels. There are many ways businesses can contribute to the Keep Tahoe Blue mission, no matter their industry, size, or budget. Since each business is different, the ways they help will be different, too. There is no minimum to participate. The League created the program with flexibility in mind to ensure partnerships are mutually beneficial and worthwhile.  

If you are interested in becoming a Blue Business, the League invites you to learn more about how to get involved at keeptahoeblue.org/bluebusiness. 

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Media Resources: Video, Tahoe Blue Business webpage 

Media Contact:
Hector Peccorini, Communications Coordinator, League to Save Lake Tahoe 
media@keeptahoeblue.org, 530.541.5388 ext.206

The League to Save Lake Tahoe is the donor-funded, science-based organization of environmental experts and Tahoe-lovers behind Keep Tahoe Blue. We have led the protection and restoration of the Lake Tahoe Basin since 1957 and remain the one organization who brings everyone together for the same goal – to protect Tahoe for future generations. Learn more, donate, and get involved at keeptahoeblue.org.