Reno, Nev. — The Nevada Taxpayers Association yesterday awarded the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program the Honorable Mention for the 24th AnnualCashman Good Government Award, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) announced today.
Tahoe Regional Planning Agency General Counsel John Marshall receives the award on behalf of the Tahoe EIP steering committee.
The Cashman Good Government Award honors government entities who put workplace experience together with ingenuity to make citizen services work better, faster, and cheaper. The TRPA submitted the award on behalf of the collaborative Tahoe Interagency Steering Committee which represents nearly 100 organizations working to restore and protect the Lake Tahoe Region, known as the Environmental Improvement Program, or EIP.
“We are honored to be recognized by the Cashman Family and Nevada Taxpayers Association,” said TRPA Board Chair Mark Bruce. “The EIP steering committee has done a remarkable job of stewarding taxpayer dollars to best protect Lake Tahoe for all to enjoy.”
Over the last 25 years, the Tahoe Interagency Steering Committee has mobilized diverse partners and has brought 750 projects that benefit the environment and economy for residents and visitors to completion. Partners work across jurisdictions to complete EIP projects that include stormwater management, aquatic invasive species control and prevention, forest fuel treatments, bike and pedestrian paths, and cutting-edge science to guide adaptive management.
The EIP has generated $5.2 billion in economic output since 1997 and supports an average of 1,700 jobs a year. EIP projects have also averted billions of dollars of damage due to wildfire, aquatic invasive species introductions, erosion and pollutant control, and economic impacts of environmental deterioration.
The Nevada Taxpayers Association honored the EIP Steering Committee along with six other government entities at their luncheon in Reno on March 30.
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. For additional information, contact Jeff Cowen, TRPA Public Information Officer, at 775-589-5278.