TRPA

A coalition of all counties present at the lake along with residents, environmental groups, legislators and business groups were behind the Tahoe Regional Plan and urged its adoption in 2012. Since that time, the Sierra Club and "Friends of the West Shore" have sued (in February 2013) to oppose the plan, lost their motion (April 2014) and now, as of May 7, have filed an appeal to the court's decision to uphold the 2012 Lake Tahoe Regional Plan.

With record drought conditions in the West, preparing your home for
wildfire is more important than ever. May has been designated “Wildfire Awareness Month” in the Lake Tahoe Basin. This year’s theme is “Prepare Your Home For Wildfire” with a focus on creating and sustaining Fire Adapted Communities.

A Fire Adapted Community (FAC) is a community located in a fire-prone area that requires little assistance from firefighters during a wildfire. Residents of these communities accept responsibility for living in a high fire-hazard area. They possess the knowledge and skills to:

They’ve been called unpleasant names that can’t be printed. They’ve received death threats. For a few days one may even assume they were hated. That was then.

They’re being called courageous. They’re being called heroes. They’re being thanked for caring about our environment and bringing the effect of fireworks in the lake to the forefront. That is now.

April 1, 2014 (Stateline, Nev.) - Lakeside Inn and Casino has received a lot of feedback from the South Lake Tahoe community on their announcement yesterday that they would raise cattle on Rabe Meadows.

It will cost boaters $10 more to have their boat inspected prior to being launched in Lake Tahoe this summer.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Governing Board approved the fee update for the watercraft inspection program to help sustain boater services after a reduction in their federal funding.

The changes the TRPA approved this week:

* The decontamination fee will increase from $25 to $35 dollars only charged to boaters who don’t arrive at the inspection station Clean, Drained and Dry. All other fees will remain the same.

With support from California Proposition 84 stormwater grant funds, the Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD) is leading the effort to measure pollutants in urban runoff at Lake Tahoe to help evaluate the combined effectiveness of pollutant control measures and consistently track and report monitoring findings. This effort, known as the Regional Storm Water Monitoring Program (RSWMP) is a collaborative program supported by regulatory agencies, local government representatives, and scientists in the Lake Tahoe region.

Several South Lake Tahoe residents showed up at the presentation of the Tahoe Area Plan at the airport on Thursday. Most agreed that the area known as the "Y" needs to be changed with an area plan, but which direction to a take to a final plan is where people differ.

The evening consisted of a presentation by John Hitchcock, who is on loan to the city from the TRPA for this project as Planning Project Manager. After he spoke the group broke out into three breakout sessions, each focuses on one of three choices presented as the future concept for "Y" area.

The following is an opinion article and does not necessarily reflect the views of South Tahoe Now:

They came to have their opinion heard. They came to call for the closure of the airport. They came to support the airport. They came to be a part of the South Lake Tahoe Airport Master Plan process.

An overflowing crowd showed up at the South Lake Tahoe City Council chambers Thursday night to hear about the process involved in preparing the upcoming plan for the future of the airport, why a new plan is needed and what it takes to replace the outdated 1992 Master Plan.

The City of South Lake Tahoe is encouraging residents to be informed and engaged in the community and is offering several opportunities in the coming weeks to do just that.

"In an engaged community, every person has the information, the opportunities and the support needed to take action and lead change throughout their lives," according to the Knight Foundation. "When people become involved, and exercise their full democratic rights, they make their lives and those of others better."

On Feb. 6 at 6:30 pm, a meeting will be held at the Lake Valley Fire Department to discuss the recent unveiling of the Catalyst Project, which includes a multi-story, multi-acre resort and parking garage in Meyers. The draft TRPA and El Dorado County 2014 Community Plan (“Area Plan”) for Meyers, which currently includes development incentives favoring the large project, will also be discussed. This meeting is not sponsored by any agency, and Meyers residents are encouraged to come with questions.

Location

The nomination period is open for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s 24th annual Best in the Basin awards program, which annually recognizes environmentally compatible projects in the Tahoe Basin that stand out as the best designed, planned and implemented.

Projects completed between October 12, 2012 and December 31, 2013 can be nominated for consideration by the judging panel in the spring or early summer of this year.

South Lake Tahoe is home again to "Operation Sierra Storm," a cutting-edge meteorological forum and seminar for network television meteorologists from around that country.

New Way to Predict Weather Now Available

Long range weather forecasting is no longer a thing of the future due to recent developments in weather research. Speaking to participants in "Operation Sierra Storm (OSS)" Dr. Duane Waliser explained the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), a key phenomena for predicting weather around the world.

As 2013 draws to a close, it provides an opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments of many this year. It was just a few short years ago, in the midst of the Great Recession, both public agencies and private companies throughout the basin were in the middle of layoffs, service reductions and unemployment hovering above 17%. Concerns regarding economic recovery were significant. Rather than buckling under, we buckled down, got things done and prepared for recovery.

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 Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is currently reviewing the opening brief filed by regional plan litigants who, according to the Agency, are continuing their misinformation campaign about the updated environmental plan that is supported widely by environmental advocates, business groups, and state and local leaders.

Scientists today presented research findings and recommendations to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board that address Lake Tahoe’s aquatic nearshore environment and the heightened interest in understanding factors contributing to its apparent deterioration.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is currently taking nominations for the Lake Spirit Awards honoring real people making real progress at protecting Lake Tahoe. Members of the public are encouraged to nominate exemplary members of our community who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to protect the beauty and clarity of the Lake.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) was recognized by the American Planning Association (APA) this week at the annual Western Planner Conference in Stateline, NV, with three awards for outstanding planning, TRPA announced today.

Creating street improvements in the Harrison Avenue area sits atop the list of the City of South Lake Tahoe's Capital Improvement Project priorities. Better stormwater treatment, a bike path, lighting, safer pedestrian walkways and ADA improvements are coming to Harrison Avenue in 2014 and the city will vote Tuesday to ratify agreements between TRPA, the state and the city to move the project forward. The project is funded through several federal and local transportation fund sources.

The, members of the fire-based Multi-Agency Coordinating Group (MAC) and the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT), expressed appreciation for the joint Proclamation issued by the Governors of Nevada and California prior to the 17th annual Lake Tahoe Summit held in August.

On October 1, boat inspections will move to select launch ramps and winter hours will begin. Tahoe RCD (Resource Conservation District) inspectors will be stationed at Cave Rock and Lake Forest boat launches from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week, weather permitting. Boats with attached Lake Tahoe wire inspection seals and valid Tahoe inspection stickers will be permitted to launch during these times, but any unsealed boats are required to get an inspection during daylight hours.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe applauds the California Legislature for unanimously passing SB630, which implements a compromise between California and Nevada to preserve the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

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.