Opinion: TRPA — 45 years of stewardship
By Joanne Marchetta
In this time of nature’s awakening as winter once again turns to spring, another important milestone is upon us. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the formation of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency as a unique bi-state agency in the United States focused on regional environmental goals. Perhaps it is this unique jurisdiction that has at times made the agency a crucible for fiery debate and discourse over how to protect one of our nation’s most treasured natural resources. Despite the heat of the crucible, significant environmental progress continues to emerge.
Joanne Marchetta
Last week, as if in cadence with the turning of the season, a federal judge ruled in the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s favor in litigation on the 2012 Lake Tahoe Regional Plan update. In his decision, the judge stated that we had done our homework and that enacting the new plan was based on sound science. Now, we can pivot to join forces with the community to advance the next environmental leap forward and to rebuild bridges with stakeholders who questioned progressive policy direction.
The decision, although important, is not the only cause of renewal. A broad coalition of people willing to step in and lead the Tahoe basin forward formed out of the process to update the Regional Plan. The spirit of cooperation from environmental groups, business leaders, and citizens that rose out of the plan’s formation is still going strong and much-needed improvements to Lake Tahoe’s regulatory framework have not stopped since its passage. Homeowners are getting a break for installing stormwater infiltration around their properties and incentives are in place for increased restoration and more walkable, bikeable town centers. Updating the plan was an important milestone since it had not been thoroughly updated since its original adoption more than a quarter century ago.
Other signs of progress and renewal are inescapable around the Lake. TRPA shares its 45th anniversary this year with the first Earth Day. The awakening of our stewardship of the environment coincides with our desire to work across political lines to develop innovative environmental policies. Over the span of decades, we were able to stop runaway growth and curb sources of pollution. Today, two-thirds of Lake Tahoe’s environmental targets have been achieved or are showing improvement. We know we have more to do and, like all of you, we are spurred onward by the principles of stewardship embodied in every Earth Day.
In the next environmental leap forward, TRPA, researchers, and other water quality agencies will hone in on policies to improve near shore water quality as well as deep lake clarity. We will continue to control invasive species and maintain one of the most successful watercraft inspection programs in the nation. We will continue supporting efforts to reduce forest fuels and encouraging property owners to complete defensible space measures around their homes and raise the safety of our communities.
In each of these efforts, property owners, residents and visitors all have a part to play. The cooperation, personal action, and constructive compromise that will continue Lake Tahoe on a path to sustainability does not come from a rule book. It comes from all of you. It is my sincere hope that nature’s awakening this spring enlivens and spurs you to find out what you can do to help restore Lake Tahoe and to take part.
Joanne Marchetta is executive director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
“The spirit of cooperation from environmental groups, business leaders, and citizens that rose out of the plan’s formation is still going strong and much-needed improvements to Lake Tahoe’s regulatory framework have not stopped since its passage”
Regarding the citizen action that has come from the RPU – I think TRPA has this a bit backwards. Yes there has been citizen action rising from the RPU, but most of what we’ve been hearing about has been related to citizens learning about what TRPA has been allowing and what the new RPU means for our communities, and standing up AGAINST it. Think: Kings Beach. Crystal Bay (Boulder Bay)…Tahoe Vista…Tahoe City…Homewood…Meyers… Tahoe Valley/SLT Y…
Plus, only one group that used to represent the environment supports the Plan – the League to Save Lake Tahoe. Tahoe’s current environmental groups do not support the plan. Tahoe’s scientists have repeatedly cautioned against allowing more pavement and buildings as the RPU does, for at least 10 years or more in order to see if the technology it relies on to protect water quality works. There will be no waiting on the Lake’s behalf with the new Plan, and Edgewood, Vail, and others are already descending on the Basin, visions of profits sparkling in their eyes.
J&B, Very well put. ALOT of the people I talk to are not in favor of what the TRPA and it’s many regulatory arms are doing to the basin and the lake.
They can spin it anyway they want, but once you peel back the veneer it’s all open for everyone to see as to what’s really going on here.
This and so many other planned developments around the basin amount to a MASSIVE selling off of beautiful land to the company with the most money. Gotta go, can’t write more till later, OLS
What an interesting piece of fiction and historical re-write. Beautiful. IMHO, the only “success” that the TRPA has is billable hours.
The Sierra Club lawsuit, if successful, would have stopped a lot of this.
What it all boils down to is that in taking on a “new” role, the missing ingredient of several decades, that of ‘economic development’, the TRPA somehow equates that with “developERS”, which can not be considered the same, but it’s convenient, as they don’t have the correct experience, anyway.
The Sierra Club (and Earth Justice) have not changed their stance appreciably to include issues such as sustainable economic development, as “mere” environmental issues are not enough now to litigate about. . . absent a compelling reason for doing so.
In the meantime, in the midst of this form of “same ‘ol, same ‘ol”, the local economy stays the same, as in, the one no one really wants. . .
$ talks bs walks, I’ve been doing a lot of walking lately.
I’d like to see more discussion on is a bridge over Emerald bay the only way for successful non emissions public transit to work as winter makes transit there to unpredictable, not good for people who plan futures. Will it turn into another treasure as the Golden Gate bridge did? Can the Keys subdivision be decommissioned for under $10 billion and be done within a century???? If we like the place and it is viable, the tourism $s most likely will follow. AND, I don’t consider competent huge developments as detrimental to the environment when done properly. It is the old inefficient infrastructure that is the polluting enemy.
You’ll want to talk to the League To Save Lake Tahoe about that bridge over Emerald Bay.
Now the trpa is in the development business. That is a big bummer for lake clarity and general environmental health of the tahoe basin. They are headed down the wrong path and should probably go away.
The TRPA is like any other government agency. They are in business solely to grow their bureaucracy.
What the TRPA (or any of the other governmental agencies around the lake) will NOT tell you is that there is an extreme amount of Dihydrogen Monoxide in the lake. The concentration is about 1 million ppm, which is outrageous. DHMO is extremely dangerous to the environment, causing thousands of deaths and hundreds of millions of dollars worth of property and environmental damage each year.
We need to petition the governing bodies to do something to get this chemical compound out of our basin and control it’s spread.
STOP DHMO NOW!