public comment

After lengthy debate during Tuesday's South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting, a 3-2 vote changed the direction of the second phase of the plastic bag ban.

In January, 2014, a ban on single use bags was implemented for all grocery stores and food vendors in the city limits. That portion of the ban has not changed. What has changed is the second phase which was going to expand the ban to retail stores starting on October 15, 2014.

The U.S. Forest Service has released details of the final BMP project for the Tallac Historic Site. The project will reconfigure the three entrances to the site in order to reduce confusion of travelers and create a more efficient use of paved surfaces. There will also be an internal road created to serve as a connector between Tallac, Kiva and the Visitor Center so vehicles will not have to exit to Hwy 89 to move about.

This project was first proposed in January of 2011. Work may begin in Spring of 2015 and is expected to take 10 years to complete.

Paid parking remains a hot topic in the city which was proven by the packed house at Tuesday's South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting. On the agenda was discussion and possible action on an initiative to prohibit paid parking on city streets.

Tahoe 4 Tahoe (T4T), a local group organized to fight paid parking, gathered more than the required signatures to get the initiative put on the ballot, but legal precedence and unforeseen consequences of the proposed initiative led the city council to vote unanimously to have a Fiscal Impact Report completed in the next 30 days.

A management plan that will guide management of National Forest System lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin over the next 15 years has been worked on over the last decade. The creation of the plan took the concerns and values of many different groups and citizens as to how Forest Service lands in the basin should be managed.

Heavenly Mountain Resort's proposal to expand to year round, non-skiing activities is now under review by the U.S. Forest Service, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board. Heavenly's plan is to create a summer experience for guests with the addition of zipline and skycycle canopy tours, a mountain bike park, a ropes course, water activities, hiking trails,mountain excursion tours and nature interpretation.

The City of South Lake Tahoe has prepared a joint environmental document consisting of an Initial Study/Negative Declaration and Initial Environmental Checklist/Finding of No Significant Effect (IS/ND and IEC/FONSE) for the Tourist Core Area Plan. The draft environmental document is being circulated for public review and comment for 30 calendar days. Public agencies and interested members of the public are invited to review and comment on the document. All comments should be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday August 28, 2013.

Plans to restore around 300 acres of meadow, provide for wildlife habitat and re-establish natural fire breaks around the west shore of Lake Tahoe near Meeks Bay is up for public review.
A 30-day public comment begins Saturday, March 30 for the proposed Meeks Creek Meadow restoration project, the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit announced.
Here is a news release:

The recently approved Tahoe Regional Plan Update and a Forest Plan Revision status update are among a host issues related to federal activities to be discussed at the Jan. 10 meeting of the Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee. The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. until noon at the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, Calif.

Public comment will be taken today, Thursday, Nov. 15 on the final draft of the Regional Plan Update prepared by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

The joint meeting of the Advisory Planning Commission and the Governing Board will be held at Harveys Lake Tahoe in Stateline. The meeting will include recommendations from the Regional Plan Update Committee on possible new proposals to the Regional Plan Update discussed in committee the day before. Public comment on the final draft documents will begin at 1 p.m. The Board is expected to take action on the Plan on December 12.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency will release the final draft of the Regional Plan Update and associated documents during the two-day Governing Board meeting taking place on Wednesday, October 24 at the North Tahoe Event Center in Kings Beach, and Thursday, October 25 at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe in Stateline.

U.S. Forest Service plans for trail upgrades, parking improvements, and BMPs at Fallen Leaf Lake will be explored in a public meeting Sept. 19, 6-8 p.m, at the Forest Supervisor’s Office, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe. Comments on the plans will be accepted through Oct. 12.

Lake Tahoe planning leaders gave their approval Thursday to a paradigm changing project at the South Shore, which would allow for a high-end resort complex at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, the site of the American Century Championship.
The governing board of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency unanimously approved the Edgewood Tahoe Lodge and Golf Course realignment project that will make way for the 154-room lodge. Construction could begin in 2014, according to the Tahoe Daily Tribune.

The Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee (LTFAC) is scheduled to meet from 9 a.m. to noon, August 9, 2012, at the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, Calif., 96150. LTFAC will address issues related to federal activities at Lake Tahoe.
Items on the agenda include an update on Lake Tahoe Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act projects, a presentation from the Sugar Pine Foundation, and public comment. Members of the public interested in finding out more about the LTFAC are welcome to attend the meeting.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit has opened comments on its Forest Plan through August 30, 2012. In doing so it has also planned four information meetings and will provide an interactive webinar to assist the public with review, commenting and revision of the plan.
The information sessions include work stations and will provide an overview of the four plan alternatives detailed in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Alternatives address vegetation, fire and fuels, wildlife habitat, watershed and recreation and access.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board passed a resolution in support of Lake Tahoe Wildfire Awareness Week and thanked the Tahoe Basin Fire Chiefs for their service during a ceremony at their May 26 Governing Board meeting.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency has announced the schedule of presentations for the Regional Plan Update rollout taking place at two upcoming Governing Board meetings on April 25 and 26.
The plan update contains five draft documents for the public, partner agencies and decision makers to review at a minimum for the next two months. Public discussions about the Update will continue through the year, with the Board expected to take final action on the plan by the end of 2012. Documents being released Wednesday include the following:

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency announced the schedule of public meetings and workshops for public input on the Regional Plan Update draft and environmental documents for Lake Tahoe being released later this month.

Edgewood Companies is inviting community members to learn more about the proposed Edgewood Tahoe Lodge Project at an Open House event on March 29 from 5:30pm to 7pm at the Edgewood Tahoe Clubhouse.

“We welcome community members to get involved by coming to our open house,” stated Patrick Rhamey, Vice President of Real Estate for Edgewood Companies. “Our team will be on hand to answer questions about the approval process plus share information about our vision, innovative design, amenities and golf course improvements.”  

Residents of Meyers met with Caltrans officials Tuesday evening in a public meeting to discuss the proposed raising of the speed limit on Highway 50. More than 50 residents, business owners and families showed up to question the wisdom of the proposal and the survey results themselves. However, the results of the meeting indicate that Caltrans will proceed with the changes and the new speeds posted within two months.

By Jeff Cowen
The Regional Plan Update Committee of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board made broad strides this month including endorsement of updated policies that would improve how aspects of land coverage and planning procedures are managed in the Tahoe Region.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is asking for public input on the proposed Fallen Leaf Lake Trail Access and Travel Management project. The proje...

By Cheva Heck
The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) has released the Final Environmental Impact Statement for a project that would implement extensive forest thinning along Lake Tahoe's South Shore to reduce the risk of high-intensity wildfire and improve forest health. Under the Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA), the release of the FEIS triggers the 30-day objection period for the project. Only those who have previously submitted written comments on this project may file an objection.

Here's an open letter from Tony O'Rourke, city manager of South Lake Tahoe, sent to the local press. South Tahoe leaders will meet Sept. 27 to vote on proposed cuts to the budget, which could mean eliminating several more city jobs.