Newsletter #2

Tahoe Center for a Sustainable Future


Newsletter Fall, 1995


TCSF 2000: Five Year Goals and 1995/96 Action Plan:

The Board approved TCSF 2000, which creates a strategic focus and current actions to build on the Strategic Plan drafted in March, 1995. Specific goals further each of the elements of the mission statement (e.g. a long-term, regionwide program for building information and technology capacity to create systemic change, the CERES program of the California Resources Agency, coordinating regional information, sustainability education, etc.)

NTIA Grant/Information Technology Program:

In partnership with Sierra Economic Development District and the Sacramento Net at Two Rivers, TCSF received notice of a grant award from the National Telecommunications Information Administration from the April grant application. The grant will support further development of the Tahoe Truckee Community Network, provide Internet training, support and home page creation for 25 organizations in the region, and develop a wide area network to link organizations and make their information accessible electronically. Two adult literacy sites will be established in the region, one in South Lake Tahoe and the other at La Communidad Unida in Kings Beach. The grant will enable key elements of the CERES program to begin for TCSF and its partners. The total for the Tahoe Region will be $125,000, of which approximately $80,000 will support the Internet program and CERES. When combined with another TCSF grant of $11,000 for Internet access, the program will provide a solid foundation for future information technologies in the region.

Partners who contributed to the grant program in the Tahoe region include California Tahoe Conservancy, and the Tahoe Truckee Community Network (TTCN). Both TTCN and the Tahoe Center began through the efforts of the Tahoe Truckee Regional Economic Coalition. The Tahoe portion is part of a larger grant totalling $750,000 which includes the Sacramento County Office of Education, and the Net at Two Rivers. The linking of a watershed across such disparate political boundaries as at Tahoe is of interest to those considering how to deal with future needs on a systemic level; as the largest portion of the largest grant from NTIA, the Tahoe region will have the opportunity to demonstrate successful technology applications to a wide audience." The grant program will begin on October 15, 1995.

Programs/Participation:

Building Information and Technology Capacity.
A 10 year vision for building the capacity to use technology for creating systemic change has been agreed upon by TCSF, the California Tahoe Conservancy, US Forest Service, California Department of Parks and Recreation and other partners in the region. The NTIA grant will fund the first 12 months of the program and build a strong foundation for the future.

Sustainability Curriculum Program.
A very successful pilot program was held on September 15 for 28 participants in partnership with co-sponsors Sierra Nevada College (SNC), UC Davis and TTREC. Designed to help expand environmental education to include concepts of creating a sustainable future, the economy and human well being, teachers engaged in a simulation game, Fishbanks, to consider multi-level effects of decisions on resource management, human interaction and systemic relationships. A facilitated discussion following Fishbanks enabled teachers to consider the interests of multiple stakeholders, the choices they make and the opportunity for understanding different perspectives. Designed as the pilot for an annual program, with school year projects and interaction during the year with leaders from the region, at the end of the day, next steps were established to involve superintendents, school board members and parents in the discussion of how to craft a curriculum. Sue Rae Irelan designed the program with assistance in implementation from Chris Golightly.

ISD/WRI Program.
The Ecosystems Indicators Working Group program is now under development with the Institute for Sustainable Development and World Resources Institute. A meeting in August has provided the foundation for determining how the Tahoe region can work with ISD and WRI. The California Tahoe Conservancy will be a partner in the program and other organizations in the region will determine how to participate.

Organizational Matters.

The 501(c)(3) status was received from the IRS in July.

Future Organization Needs.

TCSF needs funding of approximately $10,000 for the Sustainability Curriculum Program during the next year, as well as overall administrative costs of approximately $7,500 and a site location.