By John Holland, Modesto Bee

In rafts, canoes and a 40-foot yacht, advocates will draw attention over the next month to the Tuolumne River and downstream waters.

The second annual Paddle to the Sea will start in the Sierra Nevada on Friday and pass through Modesto on its way to San Francisco Bay.

Participants are signing up to cover one or more of the 18 segments on the 241-mile route. They pay entry fees and must raise at least $50 in donations for the Tuolumne River Trust, which is putting on the event with numerous sponsors.

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By Jeff Delong, Reno Gazette-Journal

Boaters zooming too close to the shores of Lake Tahoe take notice — officials are poised this summer to start getting serious about enforcing rules to slow them down.

With the boating season soon to commence, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency plans to enforce a 600-foot no-wake zone at the alpine lake. The move, part of the agency’s newly adopted “blue boating” program, is viewed as a means to reduce boating noise, protect wildlife and enhance public safety.

“We want to try and get it under control,” Dennis Zabaglo, the agency’s watercraft program manager, said of speeding boats venturing too close to Tahoe’s shore.

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AdventureSmith Explorations of Tahoe City pledges to plant 100 trees for every new traveler booked on a journey now through May 15.

The active travel company secures matches between adventure-seeking clients and a treasure-trove of small, expedition ships.

“Part of our mission is to give something back to the individuals, communities and environments encountered on each and every AdventureSmith Explorations journey. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day our goal is to plant more than 40,000 trees. Plus, we will offer travelers a 5 percent discount on any 2010 adventure cruise or land adventure booked during this promotion,” Todd Smith, founder and president of AdventureSmith Explorations, said in  apress release.

This campaign augments the company’s ground-breaking Carbon Free Cruising initiative that since 2006 has offset 692.49 metric tons of CO2 or the equivalent of taking 121 passenger cars off the road or the electricity use of 77 homes for one year.

In addition to its carbon offsetting and tree planting efforts, through a network of local and global conservation partners, AdventureSmith Explorations provides a means for travelers to make personal conservation contributions while at the same time enhancing their own travel experience through education and outreach.

Named by National Geographic Adventure as one of “The Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth” AdventureSmith Explorations partners with award-winning, small capacity, specialty-oriented ships in operation throughout the world.

Thanks to a generous donation by Big George Ventures the South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena has purchased curling equipment for the community to enjoy.

Curling is a sport similar to shuffleboard played on ice. It can be played by children through geriatrics and competitors need not be chiseled athletes.

An orientation and game is May 7 from 7:30–9:30pm. Prepare yourself by logging on to

www.curlingbasics.com to learn the fundamentals of the game.

Cost is $12 and enrollment is limited so sign up soon by stopping by the arena at 1176 Rufus Allen Blvd., South Lake Tahoe or calling (530) 542.6262.

By Megan Michelson, SKI Magazine

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger founded After-School All-Stars, a free after-school program for inner-city kids, in 1990. Last week, he surprised a group of school children on a two-day ski trip at Mammoth Mammoth, California. He took some runs with the kids and offered them some valuable advice (“Make a turn!” and “You can be anything you want to be,” he told them).

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By Lauren Gustus, Reno Gazette-Journal

Another link in the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway has been completed east of Reno-Sparks.

The latest addition to the bikeway stretches for about two miles through NV Energy’s Tracy Generating Station property and the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center from Waltham Way to the USA Parkway exit along Highway 80.

This section of the bikeway, sandwiched between the highway and the Truckee River, will link approximately nine miles of trail and resulted from a collaborative effort by the bikeway organization, NV Energy and the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center (TRI).

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The El Dorado County Transportation Commission and the 50 Corridor TMA are hosting events to support “May is Bike Month” beginning with the 5th annual “Great Bike Ride” on May 4 at noon. Visit www.mayisbikemonth.com to register and log miles in support of “Million Mile May.” Free T-shirts at all events!.

Great Bike Ride No. 5

May 4 noon-1pm

The ride will begin in the Breezway of Building A and participants will ride along the newly constructed section of the El Dorado Trail from Forni Road to the Weber Creek Bridge or Missouri Flat Road. If you plan to participate and want a complimentary lunch, RSVP to hazel@50corridor.com. Bring a bicycle and a helmet.

Ride ‘n’ Roll Youth Bike Ride

May 8 9am-noon

Kick off Bike Month with the El Dorado County Youth Commission and local High School Mountain Bike Teams. Sponsored by the El Dorado County Youth Commission, this event is for kids of all ages. The ride will begin in the Breezway of Building A and participants will ride along the newly constructed section of the El Dorado Trail from Forni Road to the Weber Creek Bridge or Missouri Flat Road. Bring a bicycle and a helmet. All participants must sign a waiver for this event.

Bike to Work Mondays with Placerville’s Mayor

May 3, 10, 17 and 24 at 7:15am

Meet at Ivy House Parking Lot and bike to work at the El Dorado County Government Center with Placerville Mayor Pierre Rivas. Don’t forget your helmet.

Gather up a foursome of friends or co-workers and join the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe for the Ruth Frishman Memorial Golf Tournament on May 28 at the Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort golf course.

Sign up by May 5 and get $25 off the regular registration price. Tournament cost is $125 per golfer on or before May 5 and $150 after that date.

Entry fee includes golf, shared cart, range balls, coffee during registration, lunch, buffet dinner and prizes.

Visit www.hstt.org to register online or call HSTT at (530) 587.5948 to sign up over the phone.

The Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort golf course in Lake Tahoe, California is an 18-hole, par-72 (men and women) course that will both challenge golfers’ skills and appeal to their senses. Designed by Robert Muir Graves, the course integrates Tahoe’s rugged, wooded landscape with wavy bunkers and putting greens. The result is an active golf course whose features create a flow of movement that seamlessly moves in and over the natural terrain.

Registration starts at 9am with a shotgun start at 10am. The Casino hole and other contest holes allow for fun competition throughout the tournament where golfers can win prizes while raising money for the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe.

The Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe is dedicated to saving and improving the lives of pets through adoptions, community spay/neuter services and humane education programs in the Truckee and North Tahoe area. To meet adoptable dogs, go to HSTT’s Adoption Day, every Saturday from noon to 2pm at the Town of Truckee Animal Kennel, or call (530) 581.3199 to schedule an appointment. To learn more about HSTT, call (530) 587.5948 or visit www.hstt.org.

Explore Tahoe: An Urban Trailhead is joining the American Hiking Society on June 5 to celebrate the 18th annual National Trails Day in South Lake Tahoe. This year’s theme is “Find Your Happy Place.”

For more information, click on trails.

Dooryard burn permits are required beginning today in the Amador-El Dorado-Sacramento-Alpine Unit of CalFire. These permits are issued to the landowner free of charge for a period of three years and allow for the burning of dry vegetation (not household trash) that originates on the landowners property.

Unit Chief Bill Holmes is strongly encouraging everyone to begin disposing of all the vegetation (whole trees, tree branches and shrubs) that ended up on the ground. He said in a statement, “We have a lot of extra vegetation all over the county from the storm and if we don’t begin to aggressively dispose of this fuel immediately, come summer our wildfires will have the potential of becoming catastrophic. It is estimated that in some areas there is 33 percent more fuel on the ground than in past years.”

Holmes states that annually 16 percent of our wildland fires in Amador and El Dorado counties are from burning debris piles that escape the control of the person in charge; this year we anticipate that the unit will see a significant increase in the number of debris burn pile escapes during fire season as residents work towards disposing of the dead vegetative material around their homes.

To reduce your risk of starting a wildfire, begin disposing of your vegetation now when it is safe to burn your piles. Keep your pile(s) to 4 feet by 4 feet, scrape a 10-foot wide ring around each debris pile down to bare dirt, have a shovel and water supply (charged hose) nearby to use in the event your fire escapes from the pile and make sure an adult is in attendance until the pile is completely extinguished.

Remember, you can only burn on permissive burn days. For Amador County, call (209) 223.6246 and for El Dorado County call (530) 621.5897.

For tips on burning debris piles safely or other fire safety topics, visit www.fire.ca.gov for fact sheets. For alternatives to burning piles, contact the El Dorado County Fire Safe Council at www.edcfiresafe.org.