Strategic Plan
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Strategic Plan establishes the guiding principles for how we achieve our mission. At its core, the strategic plan includes four strategic objectives, or pillars:
- Accelerate Threshold Attainment
- Be a Leader in Sustainability
- Use Best Science
- Operate as a High Performance Team
The Strategic Plan describes the long-term operational strategies to achieve and maintain the Environmental Threshold goals for the region.
Each year, the TRPA Governing Board works with agency staff to set more detailed Strategic Priorities as well as the Agency Work Plan to direct short-term actions and adapt to emerging threats, new research, and shifting resources. Those documents are available below.
“The significant challenges facing the Tahoe Basin must be met head on through partnerships and collective action. TRPA remains committed to a collaborative leadership approach in each of our strategic priorities.” – 2026 Agency Work Plan
Collaborative Leadership
The very heart of Lake Tahoe’s conservation success story lies at the intersection of policy and politics, where collaboration means the difference between losing an irreplaceable natural resource and protecting it for generations to come. Lake Tahoe’s environmental challenges are too large for any one organization to solve. With unique bi-state governance and land use authority, TRPA is uniquely positioned to build regional coalitions to shape a common vision for Lake Tahoe.
We bring together the best scientists, environmental groups, businesses, and community partners from over 80 organizations to solve common problems together. Building upon the growing spirit of shared purpose and strengthening its role as the region’s backbone organization, TRPA identifies key regional challenges, collaborates to foster common understanding of the problems, and creates broadly-shared visions for solutions.
Strategic Priorities
Updated 2025
Set by the Governing Board, TRPA’s strategic priorities are designed to address longstanding challenges and strengthen Lake Tahoe’s resilience to emerging threats. They underscore the agency’s commitment to protect Lake Tahoe’s environment while making forests safer and more resilient, improving regional transportation, and facilitating community revitalization and more diverse housing options. TRPA remains committed to a collaborative leadership approach in each of our strategic priorities.
Lake and Watershed Restoration
Improving lake clarity and restoring the region’s watersheds are core environmental threshold goals the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is leading the basin to achieve. The agency is adapting its management strategies to changes in the ecosystem through research, evolving aquatic invasive species programs, maintaining vigilance against new threats, and driving more sustainable recreation access.
Forest Health and Wildfire
The Lake Tahoe Region is a leader in collaborative forest restoration and is nearing 100,000 acres of treatments since 1997 to improve forest health and make the region more resilient to threats. This strategic priority maintains momentum on forest restoration while elevating new strategies to ensure the basin is prepared for wildfire.
Keeping Tahoe Moving
Transportation touches every aspect of living and visiting the Tahoe Region. This strategic priority focuses on improving the region’s transportation system for local communities and the millions of annual visitors to the Tahoe Region. The Connections 2050 Regional Transportation Plan will bring forward the projects and improvements needed in transit, trails, technology, and towns and corridors to realize the vision for a safe and effective transportation system.
Tahoe Living
Lake Tahoe’s affordable and workforce housing needs are affecting communities and the environment. Residents are struggling to find and afford housing and this creates car commutes that worsen traffic congestion and harm air quality. The Tahoe Living strategic priority creates region-wide strategies to most effectively deliver needed housing while improving environmental protections and supporting community revitalization. Under this strategic priority, TRPA is advancing the Cultivating Community, Conserving the Basin project to make housing more affordable for local families, workers, and seniors while achieving environmental goals and encouraging more walkable, safe, and vibrant town centers.
Work Plan
The annual agency Work Plan describes the objectives and tasks assigned to departments, teams, and staff members to achieve the agency’s Strategic Initiatives. The Work Plan is implemented through the Annual Budget, which allocates financial resources to carry out the annual program of tasks and activities.