The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency on April 27 presented Lake Spirit Awards to four people based on their commitment to preserving Lake Tahoe.

The Lake Spirit Awards honor people making real progress at restoring Lake Tahoe.

Awards were given in two categories, exemplary citizen and exemplary agency representative. This year’s winners are:

Exemplary Citizen

South Shore: Ben Fish is president of Tahoe Area Mountain Bike Association and Bijou Bike Park Association. Through his work, Fish has led hundreds of volunteers over thousands of hours to build and maintain bike trails around the lake while advocating for sustainable trail use. In addition to his advocacy for the mountain bike community, Fish was the impetus behind the Bijou Bike Park.

North Shore: Cyrus Miller is an Eagle Scout candidate from Troop 228 of the Boy Scouts of America. Although Miller lives in the Bay Area, he regularly visits the North Shore. On one of his visits, he noticed an old rusted pipe laying on the drought-exposed lakebed just south of Tahoe City. Miller decided to make removing this pipe his Eagle Scout candidacy project. After seven months of planning with local agencies and property owners, he and the rest of his troop spent two days last June removing the pipe section by section from the lake. In total, the Scouts removed 730 feet of pipe and restored the lakebed to a more natural state.

Exemplary Agency Representative

South Shore: Beth Quandt works as the science program coordinator with the Lake Tahoe Unified School District. She is the lead organizer for the South Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition, which implements hands-on outdoor science programing in local schools. The programs Quandt leads serve roughly 14,500 students, teachers, and volunteers each year.

North Shore: Lisa Wallace is executive director for the Truckee River Watershed Council. For 20 years, she has worked to protect, restore, and enhance the Truckee River Watershed. She has guided the council’s efforts by implementing hundreds of projects, leading thousands of volunteers, and fostering public-private partnerships. Wallace also played a key role in the implementation of the Truckee River Operating Agreement, which affects all waterbodies and water users.