Nov 15, 2024
2024 Boating Season in Review
Lake Tahoe, Nev./Calif. — As the Lake Tahoe boating and paddling season wraps up, agencies leading the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) program are tallying up the 2024 watercraft inspection season and taking stock of the growing threat of AIS in the Tahoe Region.
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and the Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD), which manage the watercraft inspection program, reported today that staff inspected over 5,600 vessels since January and intercepted 59 vessels with AIS on board. Though this is an increase from the 46 vessels found with AIS in 2023, it is nowhere near the record of 129 vessels in 2021. Boaters, paddlers, anglers, and beachgoers all help lower the risk of AIS by following the Clean, Drain, and Dry protocol.
Since the program’s inception in 2008, trained watercraft inspectors have cleared 118,000 boats to launch, safeguarding native species and habitat, as well as Lake Tahoe’s famous clarity.
2024 By The Numbers
• 5,600 motorized vessels inspected
• 59 vessels intercepted with AIS on board
• 17 intercepts with quagga or zebra mussels
• ~60% of boats arrived Clean, Drained, and Dry
• 5,200 rover interactions with electric and non-motorized recreators
• 500 new Tahoe Keepers
• 900 uses of free CD3 machine
Since 2008:
• 118,000 watercraft inspected
• 7,500 Tahoe Keepers certified
Among the vessels intercepted with AIS this year, 17 were found with quagga or zebra mussels, a devastating species that has never been detected in Lake Tahoe. Inspectors are kept informed of regional high-risk waterbodies and trained to screen for all non-native species, including invasive golden mussels that were detected in the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta in October of this year.
“We are fortunate to have a comprehensive inspection program at Tahoe, but it takes everyone working together to protect our waters from the damage that invasive species can inflict,” said Dennis Zabaglo, AIS program manager at TRPA. “With the recent discovery of New Zealand mudsnails in Lake Tahoe and golden mussels in the Bay-Delta, we must stay vigilant and ensure existing protocols will continue to prevent the spread of any mussel into the Lake Tahoe Region.”
If vessels are not Clean, Drain, Dry or if a boat has a ballast system like a ski or wake boat, it will undergo a decontamination process. This year, boaters continued to do their part, as 59 percent of motorized vessels arrived Clean, Drain, and Dry.
How Things Changed: New Zealand Mudsnails
The discovery of invasive New Zealand mudsnails on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe in 2023 prompted TRPA and Tahoe RCD to enact an award-winning rapid response plan to contain the new invasives and keep them from spreading to other lakes and other areas of Lake Tahoe. In addition to Clean, Drain, and Dry, the AIS program emphasized the mantra “Spill Where You Fill” to prevent the movement of New Zealand mudsnails around Lake Tahoe via ballast water or fish wells. New procedures at boat ramps require boaters to drain water, remove vegetation, and examine anchors and line upon exit from Lake Tahoe.
This summer roving inspectors interacted with more than 5,200 non-motorized recreators, from families with inflatables to kite surfers, and inspected 100 vessels to emphasize the importance of following Clean, Drain, and Dry protocols.
Expanding Reach to the Beach
This summer, the Watercraft Inspection Program piloted the “Roving Inspector Program” to expand outreach beyond inspection stations to Lake Tahoe beaches and Fallen Leaf and Echo Lakes. Thanks to funding by the Tahoe Fund, roving inspectors interacted with more than 5,200 non-motorized recreators, from families with inflatables to kite surfers, and inspected 100 vessels to emphasize the importance of following Clean, Drain, and Dry protocols.
Chris Killian, AIS program manager at Tahoe RCD extolled the progress and potential of the rover program. “We are always looking for ways to reach more recreators, and the rovers were vital in providing information for this growing population,” Killian said.
Non-motorized recreators can also become certified as Tahoe Keepers to Clean, Drain, and Dry their own gear. Since the detection of New Zealand mudsnails, over 500 new individuals have registered as Tahoe Keepers. Additionally, innovative waterless cleaning stations called CD3 machines were positioned at popular beaches and available for free use. One CD3 machine at Meeks Bay was funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the League to Save Lake Tahoe funded a mobile CD3 machine. The two solar-powered machines logged over 900 uses this summer and will return to beaches next spring.
The new Tahoe Keepers training video teaches non-motorized users how to Clean, Drain, and Dry their gear. Credit: Clean Up The Lake, Ludovic Fekete
For more information on how to protect Lake Tahoe from aquatic invasive species, visit tahoeboatinspections.com.
###
The Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Program is implemented by 40 public and private partner organizations, including federal, state, and local jurisdictions, research partners, public utility districts, and private marinas. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the Tahoe Resource Conservation District lead the program in collaboration with the public and private partners. The program’s mission is to prevent, detect, and control aquatic invasive species in the Region so that future generations can enjoy Lake Tahoe.
Oct 23, 2024
Lake Tahoe, Stateline, Nev. – The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Governing Board today has hired attorney Graham St. Michel as the agency’s General Counsel to oversee compliance cases, violation settlements, and other legal issues for the bi-state agency. He will fill the position held by John L. Marshall, who served as TRPA counsel for a total of 25 years.
St. Michel, who is a graduate of South Tahoe High School, has served as TRPA’s associate counsel since February of this year. He holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy from the University of Southern California and a juris doctorate from Lewis & Clark Law School. St. Michel has practiced law for 16 years including private practice and serving as in-house counsel with the California Department of Conservation and the California Tahoe Conservancy.
“I have dedicated my professional life to environmental law and public service, and TRPA’s mission has been a guiding inspiration for me from the start,” St. Michel said.
“The board welcomes Graham, and I am confident he will continue to safeguard the public’s interest in protecting and restoring Lake Tahoe,” TRPA Governing Board Chair and Placer County Supervisor Cindy Gustafson said. “We thank John Marshall for his years of service and for helping to build the legal underpinnings of this unique agency.”
Marshall was a key member of the legal team which successfully defended Regional Plan policies protecting sensitive stream environment zones in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. The case, Tahoe Sierra Preservation Council v. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, is often cited in environmental law and public policy literature.
General Counsel Graham St. Michel
###
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency leads the cooperative effort to preserve, restore, and enhance the unique natural and human environment of the Lake Tahoe Region, while improving local communities, and people’s interactions with our irreplaceable environment. For additional information, contact Jeff Cowen, Public Information Officer, at (775) 589-5278 or jcowen@trpa.gov.
Oct 18, 2024
Image: California State Parks 60-acre understory burning operation in Burton Creek State Park, Fall 2023. Credit: Rich Adams, California State Parks
By Julie Regan
Tahoe forests are currently glowing with vibrant fall colors even as smoke lingers above the lake from prescribed fire operations. The traits of a healthy forest are integral to the way we experience this incredible place. They are also fundamental to the overall health of the watershed, the safety of our communities, and our region’s resilience to climate change.
Last week I had the honor of joining several members of Team Tahoe to speak at the California Wildfire and Resilience Task Force conference on Tahoe’s South Shore. More than 500 fire and resource managers met here to discuss the latest science and strategies to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire.
Restoring forest health is a major priority for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and our partners on the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team. Following the Angora Fire in 2007, TRPA helped bring fire and forest management agencies together to increase the pace of forest fuel reduction projects, streamline permit processes, and prioritize new funding sources. The Angora Fire was a wakeup call for the Tahoe Basin. Although it was relatively small by today’s standards, the 3,100-acre fire destroyed more than 250 homes along Angora Ridge on the South Shore.
Since then, Team Tahoe has made progress. The 21-member Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team has treated more than 72,000 acres for fuel reduction, which includes pile-burning on nearly 31,000 acres to remove dead and downed material collected by hand crews. Our homes and neighborhoods are just as important. Fire professionals have conducted more than 70,000 defensible space inspections on private properties and more than 75 neighborhoods have joined the Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities.
As promising as this is, we recognize that the far-reaching impacts of climate change will continue to test our combined strength. Despite recent winters, our region is in a historic mega drought. Many of Tahoe’s mountainsides bear the signs, not only from wildfire scars, but also with trees turned brown by bark beetle infestations that healthy trees can normally withstand.
The 2021 Caldor Fire was proof that we are in the age of megafires. The Caldor burned more than 221,000 acres and stunned us all when it crossed over the granite crest of the Sierra Nevada and entered the south end of the Tahoe Basin. The night the fire descended into Christmas Valley, firefighters were aided by a change in the weather, defensible space around homes, and fuel reduction projects that had been completed in the area since the Angora fire. Ultimately, the combined efforts of many helped save Lake Tahoe and not a single home in the basin was lost.
My home in Christmas Valley was among the thousands spared that night. It put the work we are doing into a new light for me. I am not only proud of our partnerships, I am also deeply committed to helping expand the invaluable work of the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team to protect the lake and safeguard our communities.
Image: Lake Tahoe forest health projects were a topic of discussion at the October 7 conference in South Shore. Past treatment areas inside the permitter of the Caldor Fire, shown in green, reduced the intensity of the fire and helped firefighters protect communities. Credit: California Natural Resources Agency
In support of this continued progress, Lake Tahoe received excellent news earlier this month. Congress has reauthorized the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, which extends existing funding authorizations from the 2016 law for another 10 years. The approval opens up approximately $300 million in federal investment for forest fuel reduction work, upgrades to water supply systems for fire suppression, wetland restoration, and aquatic invasive species prevention and control projects.
TRPA is also helping fire and emergency management agencies coordinating on emergency evacuation planning. The Tahoe Basin was awarded a $1.7-million federal PROTECT grant for regional evacuation planning and to address wildfire and extreme weather vulnerabilities in our transportation and communication infrastructure.
In the heart of autumn, crews are still at work reducing forest fuels, creating clearance in power line corridors, and reintroducing prescribed fire to the landscape much like the native Washoe did for centuries. As the nation observed Indigenous People’s Day earlier this week, the light layer of smoke from a prescribed fire on West Shore seemed fitting.
The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California hosted its first intentional fire training at Lake Tahoe earlier this month with forest managers and non-profits. The training was part of a broader interagency initiative to blend Indigenous knowledge with modern techniques to reintroduce cultural burning practices on Washoe lands.
Whether you are a resident, Tribal member, neighborhood leader, or visitor, you can help restore the forest and keep communities safe. Visit tahoelivingwithfire.com to learn more.
Julie Regan is Executive Director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
Oct 11, 2024
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is aware of the announcement made by Homewood Mountain Resort on October 11 of their decision to remain closed for the 2024-2025 winter season.
The agency has been working with Homewood management, partner agencies, and community representatives to review amendments to the master plan proposed by the property owners and continue to work through critical issues including their public access, employee housing, and fire response. When Homewood Mountain Resort finalizes their work, the agency will be able to bring the proposal to the Governing Board for consideration. TRPA understands how important Homewood is to skiers and riders and to the West Shore and we remain committed to keeping the community informed of the public process in the coming months.
Signup for updates by emailing us at HomewoodPlan@trpa.gov. More information, updates, and documents are on the Homewood Master Plan page.
Oct 11, 2024
October 2024 Update
As of October 11, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) had not yet received a formal permit application for the proposed Barton medical facility.
A separate application from Douglas County to update the South Shore Area Plan has been initiated, however elements of the update that included a special subdistrict for a medical facility on the Barton property (formerly Lakeside Inn and Casino) have been removed from the application while additional documents are prepared. Stay informed about the South Shore Area Plan amendment process on the Douglas County website.
TRPA has determined an Environmental Assessment will be needed to analyze the potential impacts of the proposed project and the South Shore Area Plan amendments related to the Barton parcel. The agency will review the applications for the project and area plan together under one Environmental Assessment. Once TRPA receives complete applications and required environmental documents, a timeline for project review, meetings, and public input opportunities will be provided on the Barton Project Page. South Shore Area Plan updates unrelated to the Barton project are still under review through a separate process.
Background
Chapter 3 of the TRPA Code of Ordinances (pg. 74) describes the process to determine the type of environmental documentation needed to review certain projects. Any project requiring environmental documentation must first submit an Initial Environmental Checklist, which helps determine if additional documentation will be needed. There are three levels:
- Initial Environmental Checklist
- Environmental Assessment
- Environmental Impact Statement
Based on the Initial Environmental Checklist for the South Shore Area Plan amendments, TRPA determined more information is needed. Environmental Assessments include a discussion of the need for the project, alternatives to the proposed project, and a discussion of potential environmental impacts of both.
Thank you for your interest in this important project. TRPA staff are keeping keep the Barton Project Page updated with information, meeting schedules, document links, public comments, and opportunities for community engagement. If you would like to be contacted directly with updates, please email BartonProject@trpa.gov and ask to be added to the contact list.
