Send a "letter to the Editor" to the following newspapers:
http://www.laketahoenews.net/contribute/ http://mountainnews.net/letters http://apps.tahoedailytribune.com/utils/forms/index.php?formId=lettertoeditor http://www.sacbee.com/2006/09/07/19629/submit-letters-to-the-editor.html http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/submissions/#1

TIPS FOR ADVOCATES
The agencies and elected officials care about a public outcry. Let them know you don’t want Washoe Meadows State Park—or any state park—sacrificed for profits. Send your comments to decision makers; attend a public meeting; write a letter to the editor.  

Tips for Writing a Letter to the Editor (Adapted from SPIN Project)

• Letters to the editor (LTE’s) most often discuss a recent event/issue covered by a publication, radio station, or TV program.
• Letters to the Editor are your chance to "sound-off" to your community about issues in the news. Your letter has the best chance of being published if it is a reaction to a story in the paper. Respond as quickly as you can.
• Keep your letter short and concise—150 - 200 words. The paper may shorten your letter to suit its format, so lead with your most important information.
•  Write in short paragraphs.
• Focus on one main point and make a compelling case.
• Do not make personal attacks.
•  Include your full name, address, and phone number at the top of the page and sign the letter at the bottom (unless you are emailing it in). You must include a phone number for verification purposes.
• Follow directions regarding how to send the letter.

Tips for Writing to Government Officials  

About the Washoe Meadows Community:

• We are a group of over 500 people from throughout California and Nevada who love and use Washoe Meadows State Park and are committed to the health of Lake Tahoe and its watershed. We value parks and public lands and want to see them restored and protected for future generations.
• We believe State Parks belong to future generations and should not be developed or exploited for short-term profit. Rather, long term funding solutions must be found.
• We have been fighting to protect Washoe Meadows from development as a golf course since 2006.
• Our efforts have included attending hearings; meeting with and writing letters to elected officials at the national, state, and local levels; preparing comments to Environmental Impact Statements; consulting experts in science, recreation, and parks management; and media outreach.
• Our concerns extend to the protection of Washoe Meadows State Park and the integrity of the California State Parks system, which is vulnerable to commercialization during the current economic downturn.

• Write in support of Alternative 3 of the Environmental Impact Statement for Washoe Meadows.  Alternative 3 offers a balanced approach. It allows the golf course to continue to operate and be improved in its current location; it allows the Upper Truckee River restoration project to go forward; contributes to the clarity goals of Lake Tahoe, and enables Washoe Meadows State Park to continue as a natural area, providing wildlife habitat and low-cost family-friendly recreation. 
• Oppose Alternative 2, which State Parks officials are promoting. Alternative 2 would move half the golf course from where it is now across the river to Washoe Meadows State Park and dedicate 20 percent of the park to a single use—golf. Alternative 2 would remove 1,600 trees; potentially lower the water table and pollute the groundwater with toxic chemicals and fertilizers used to maintain the golf course; fragment and destroy habitat for rare plants and wildlife, including native trout; and cut off existing public access to the park and the Upper Truckee River to provide fairways and greens. 
• Powerful lobbyists including the American Golf Corporation, which is owned by Goldman Sachs, are pushing to build the new golf course in the name of helping the economy.  American Golf Corporation currently profits as concessionaire of the golf course, and stands to make even more by moving the golf course into Washoe Meadows State Park.
• Our public lands are a legacy that we leave to future generations. State Parks belong to the people, not corporate interests. If Washoe Meadows is sacrificed to development, it sets a dangerous precedent for our state parks.  Which park will be next?

• Water Quality
• Air Quality
• Scenic Resources
• Soil Conservation
• Fish Habitat
• Vegetation
• Wildlife Habitat
• Noise