East Coast Lakes Look to Tahoe as a Model

By Kristi Boosman
The state of Maine's largest lakes organization is visiting TRPA and the Lake Tahoe Basin this week, seeking advice on their lakes' management programs, according to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
"We're really interested in seeing how other organizations manage their lakes, especially in the Lake Tahoe Basin," said Peter Lowell, Executive Director of the Lakes Environmental Associations. "There is much more scientific attention in Tahoe compared to Maine. We want to learn how Tahoe is using the science of lake protection to benefit their lakes and how we might apply this to lakes in Maine."

During their visit, Lowell and his team plan to meet with Ted Thayer, Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, on Tuesday, October 25, to learn about the Tahoe Basin's invasive species control and prevention programs. They are also meeting with the Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD); an important partner in implementation of the watercraft inspection program and Basin-wide control efforts.

"It is important for us to share our knowledge with other lakes across the country for the benefit of the broader partnership," said Thayer. "While our agencies and academic institutions are national leaders on invasive species issues, we also benefit greatly from the exchange of ideas."

Thayer has also been invited to attend a meeting of aquatic invasive species experts at the Lake George Park Commission in New York over Veterans Day. He will be there to discuss the Tahoe Basin's efforts to control and prevent aquatic invasive species.

"The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and our partner organizations in the Aquatic Invasive Species Program have one of the most rigorous inspection programs in the nation. We are happy to share the growing knowledge and research we have acquired in our efforts to control and prevent the spread of invasive species in the Lake Tahoe Basin," Thayer said.

In addition to a visit with TRPA and Tahoe RCD, the Lakes Environmental Association of Maine is meeting with representatives of the Tahoe Environmental Research Center, and the Tahoe Science Consortium.
"We want to become a catalyst for scientific research in Maine," Lowell explains. He thinks their visit to Lake Tahoe can help them achieve that goal.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency cooperatively leads the effort to preserve, restore, and enhance the unique natural and human environment of the Lake Tahoe Region now and in the future.

— Writer call Kristi Boosman (775) 589-5230, or e-mail at kboosman@trpa.org.