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Letter: Please help stop the littering at Lake Tahoe (Opinion)

Remnants of plastic sleds at the free sledding area at US Highway 50 and Nevada State Route 28.
Bill Rozak / Tahoe Daily Tribune

I am a resident of Incline Village but I am sure the problem I am addressing concerns all of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Our beaches and roads are being inundated with trash from litterers.

At our weekly Senior Conversation Café the problem was again brought to light and remedies to control and clean up the trash were discussed.



Several of our citizens, who regularly pick up the trash on our beaches and roads urged finding more to volunteer.

Also discussed was raising public awareness by using circulars.



Finally, whether identifying and reporting the offenders was feasible, follow up discussions were had with local authorities and they agreed that reporting this crime with documentation will allow them to charge the offenders.

All are important but one aims to fix the cause and the other allows the process to continue.

I look at the problem akin to a leaking pipe; would one cure the problem by buying more towels or fix the broken pipe?

The main offenders are brazen uncaring people as well as open trucks with materials improperly confined flying off the back.

Along our residential streets empty bottles, food wrappings and sometimes food are regularly strewn from inhabitants of vehicles as they leave work or just passing through.

Regardless of the source it is littering and littering is a reportable crime with a mandated hefty penalty.

We can’t expect our local authorities to identify the frequent litterers but we can help by reporting the offenders to authorities.

We all carry our cell phones everywhere, can document and report obvious offenders.

Their actions and penalties can then be published in this newspaper.

Whistle blowers can remain anonymous.

We have a beautiful lake and basin but it is up to its citizens to maintain its beauty, cleanliness and clarity.

Richard Reiter, Incline Village


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