Lake Tahoe invasive species plan applauded; funding received for another year

If aquatic invasive species ever found their way into Lake Tahoe, the effects could be devastating to both the environment and the economy. The management plan in place to combat the problem through boat inspections is now known as a national role model after performing more than 37,000 watercraft inspections and 18,000 decontaminations.

“Lake Tahoe has one of the best aquatic invasive species plans in the United States,” said Donald Maclean, a biologist at the headquarters office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Tahoe’s plan will serve as a model nationwide moving forward.”

The federal Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force in Washington, D.C., recently approved a five-year revision to the Lake Tahoe Region Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan, calling it a model for the nation.

The Bureau of Land Management has awarded $750,000 to help fund the boat inspection program through at least 2015 according to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA).

Approximately half of the funding for the boat inspection program comes from inspection fees paid by boaters. To date, the remainder of funding has come from the Bureau of Land Management, through the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act. This $750,000 was not expected to be made available for Lake Tahoe’s boat inspection program next year, but will be made available at least one more time, federal officials announced this week.

“It’s gap funding while we work on securing a new sustainable source of funding for the long-term operation of this boat inspection program, which is the cornerstone of what we do to protect Lake Tahoe from new invaders,” said Joanne Marchetta, executive director of TRPA.