Local agencies applaud court's decision to uphold 2012 Tahoe Regional Plan

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals today issued a ruling to uphold the Lake Tahoe Regional Plan created by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA). After approval of the plan in December 2012, a lawsuit was filed by the Tahoe Area Sierra Club and Friends of the West Shore to block implementation of the plan in February 2013.

U.S. District Court Judge John Mendez found the lawsuit to have no merit and dismissed it entirely in April 2014, prompting the two groups to appeal his ruling to the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Oral arguments on the appeal were heard in April and today's decision is a result of those proceedings.

Decades of public input went into updating the original 1987 plan that will now guide all aspects of land management, development and planning in the Tahoe Basin for the next 20 years.

Leadership of both the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and League to Save Lake Tahoe are applauding the November 2 decision made in the San Francisco court.

“Today’s decision is good news for Lake Tahoe," said Darcie Goodman Collins, PhD, executive director for the League to Save Lake Tahoe. "We chose to support the Regional Plan Update, following years of negotiations, because it provides safeguards to protect the Lake, while requiring that any new redevelopment is concentrated in town centers and comes with environmental benefits for Lake Tahoe."

"Today’s ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is yet another strong affirmation of the widely-supported 2012 Regional Plan,” said Joanne S. Marchetta, executive director of TRPA. “The plan is based on sound science, planning, and analysis and represents the best path forward for TRPA and its many partners to restore Lake Tahoe’s treasured environment and revitalize our communities.”

The 2012 Regional Plan is the first comprehensive update to environmental protections at Lake Tahoe since 1987. TRPA adopted the Regional Plan after extensive environmental review and years of public input from more than 5,000 citizens.

“TRPA’s Regional Plan re-galvanized the commitments of California and Nevada to work together to conserve and restore their shared national treasure,” said John Marshall, general counsel for TRPA. “We’re grateful to both states for their strong support and to our many community partners whose engagement has allowed this landmark plan to go forward.”

The Regional Plan retains Lake Tahoe’s caps on development capacity and strengthens environmental protections. The plan offers redevelopment incentives for projects that remove harmful legacy development from environmentally sensitive areas such as marshes, meadows, and stream zones, and incentivizes the restoration of those areas through transfers of development into town centers to create more walkable, bikeable, and sustainable mixed-use communities.

"Proper implementation and strong enforcement of the regional plan policies are the next steps to ensure Lake Tahoe is protected," added Collins. "The League to Save Lake Tahoe is committed to collaborating with the TRPA and other stakeholders to see that this is achieved.”