LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – During its governing board meeting this week, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) approved two violation settlement agreements that uphold permit requirements to protect the lake and sensitive marsh ecosystems.
A manufacturer of motorized surfboards, LIND Art & Technology, Inc., agreed to remove promotional videos and online content depicting one of its electric-powered surfboards being used illegally within regional tributaries, including the Taylor Creek Marsh and Upper Truckee River, and in violation of Lake Tahoe’s no-wake zone ordinance. The company also agreed to pay a $10,000 penalty.
LIND admitted to launching the motorized surfboards without mandatory aquatic invasive species inspections. Hand-launched electric watercraft can transport aquatic invasive species, such as larvae of highly invasive golden mussels and tiny, adult New Zealand mudsnails. Motorized watercraft, such as eFoils and eSurfboards, also present a risk of invasive species spread as they operate in shallow areas and beaches where mud and weed fragments can be picked up. Under the TRPA Code of Ordinances, all motorized watercraft are required to be inspected and decontaminated at one of the agency’s regional watercraft inspection stations.
“TRPA’s enforcement program is about protecting Lake Tahoe and the natural resources that make this region special,” TRPA General Counsel Graham St. Michel said. “Whether that means ensuring development and tree removal follow permit requirements or preventing damaging activity in sensitive tributaries, these settlements reinforce that the rules protecting Tahoe must be taken seriously.”
The board approved another enforcement settlement with a West Shore property owner for unpermitted construction and tree removal. The case involved the construction of a new deck and cutting two trees approximately 20 inches in diameter at a residence on Grand Avenue near Homewood, Calif.
TRPA supports tree removal for forest health and wildfire safety and has worked with partners on the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team to make defensible space simple for homeowners. Most trees under 14 inches in diameter can be removed for defensible space without a permit, and larger trees can usually be approved for removal by the local fire protection district or department.
Under the Grand Avenue settlement agreement, the property owner will pay a $15,000 penalty, plant two replacement trees, and either submit a permit application for the illegal construction or, if the application cannot be approved, remove the structure.
The Governing Board also heard informational presentations on TRPA’s work to update the recreation and biodiversity threshold goals, and an end-of-season update on the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Program.
For more information on TRPA’s Compliance Program, visit trpa.gov/compliance-