The nonprofit Tahoe Fund is partnering with nine Lake Tahoe-area ski resorts in California and Nevada to offer a free lift ticket for every purchase of a Lake Tahoe license plate.

Plate sales fund bike trails, lakefront parks, interpretive programs and other tangible projects that enhance the Tahoe experience for residents and visitors alike.

Newly-issued Tahoe plates are $50 in California and $61 in Nevada.

The Tahoe Fund works with the California Tahoe Conservancy and the Nevada Division of State Lands as well as public and private entities to identify and obtain funding for on-the-ground projects that support conservation, recreation and environmental education in the Lake Tahoe basin.

The California and Nevada Tahoe plates generate about $1.5 million annually for conservation and recreation projects in the Tahoe basin.

The Plate for Powder Program runs through the 2010–11 season, or until tickets are sold out. Participating ski areas include Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, Homewood, Heavenly, Northstar-at-Tahoe, Kirkwood, Sugar Bowl, Tahoe Donner, and Tahoe Cross Country.

To purchase a Tahoe plate and receive your complimentary lift ticket, visit www.tahoeplates.com or www.tahoefund.org.