Placer County has entered an agreement with the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board so the county can sign off on grading permits for residents of eastern Placer County that previously required a trip to water board offices in South Lake Tahoe.

The agreement offers a simpler, more efficient permitting process for applicants by allowing the county to review and permit small construction projects that disturb less an acre of land. Previously, those projects required applicants to file directly with Lahontan.

This applies to projects in the eastern portion of the county, but not those in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Approval for residential projects in the basin that need Tahoe Regional Planning Agency sign-off can also be done by the county at its offices at 775 North Lake Blvd. in Tahoe City.