The Tahoe Science Consortium (TSC) was formed through a memorandum of understanding in August 2005 to foster a greater level of collaboration between research organizations and resource management agencies. The primary objective of the TSC is to promote science in support of the preservation, restoration, and enhancement of the unique environmental values of the Lake Tahoe Basin. The research organizations that comprise the TSC include: the Desert Research Institute, University of California, Davis, University of Nevada, Reno, U.S. Geological Survey, and the USFS Pacific Southwest Research Station.

Research Institutions and resource management agencies in the Lake Tahoe Basin recognize that:

• Scientific information is critical to the development and implementation of effective environmental policies.
• The best available scientific information is needed by resource managers to develop environmental standards and to fulfill recreational opportunities.

The primary functions of the TSC are to:

• Promote scientific advancement by providing an organizational capacity to undertake science planning and support ongoing science activities.
• Support adaptive management strategies by contributing to the design and implementation of a Tahoe Basin adaptive management system.
• Promote independent peer review by providing the capacity to conduct and administer peer review processes.
• Provide scientific consultation services by serving as a resource for scientific expertise.
• The TSC continually works to strengthen and maintain pathways of communication and collaboration with the agencies and organizations that need scientific information.