Conservation Landscaping

Conservation landscaping preserves and protects our natural resources with sustainable gardening and landscaping techniques that promote wildlife habitat, erosion control, water conservation, clean air and water, composting and other natural resource friendly practices.

Choosing conservation landscaping practices will enhance the look and functionality of your property while not taxing our environment. Landscapes that integrate these practices are typically more cost efficient and require less maintenance and external inputs in the long term.

Vegetation Consultation Service

Tahoe RCD staff meets with California Tahoe Basin homeowners to provide one-one-one, site specific conservation landscaping advice to help meet their individual goals. While landscape design is not included with this service, homeowners will be able to learn about project planning and site analysis, soil preparation, irrigation considerations and proper plant selection and care.

With this service, Tahoe RCD staff can provide assistance with many different aspects of your landscape.  Some examples include:  how to restore and revegetate retired dirt parking areas and areas damaged during construction, give tips on how to replace water thirsty lawns with a low maintenance landscape, implement defensible space landscaping practices, start a wildlife garden, and integrate vegetation into BMP plans.

When funding is available, eligible homeowners can receive a "native garden start-up kit."  This kit includes material incentives such as free native plants and compost.  Some past Vegetation Consultation participants have received a credit for compost at a local yard and up to 25 plants indigenous to the Lake Tahoe Basin including:  western columbine, redtwig dogwood, Sierra current, Wood's rose, sulfur flowered buckwheat, thimbleberry, serviceberry and blue flax.

Staff is currently scheduling appointments so request yours today.  Please fill out our online Service Request Form.  Wait time for site visits is dependent on the number of requests. To speak to a staff member or for additional questions, call (530) 543-1501 extension 113.