Scenic Protection Program

Protecting Scenic Quality in the Tahoe Basin

The visual landscape of the Lake Tahoe Region is one of its most impressive and memorable qualities. Most of the region’s development is on private lands located around the perimeter of the lake and along major roadways.

The region’s scenic quality can be degraded where development dominates, overwhelms, or is incompatible with the region’s natural features and scenic resources; blocks important views; removes vegetation and natural features; or alters the topography.

“At last the lake burst upon us – a noble sheet of blue water lifted 6,300 feet above the level of the sea, and walled in by a rim of snow-clad mountain peaks that towered aloft 3,000 feet higher still! It was a vast oval . . . As it lay there with the shadows of the mountains brilliantly photographed upon its still surface, I thought it must surely be the fairest picture the whole earth affords.” — Mark Twain

To protect and enhance scenic quality in the Basin, the Lake Tahoe Regional Plan established a set of policies and regulations which require property owners to blend man-made structures with the natural environment. The policies only apply to properties in identified scenic resource areas. Scenic resources areas include the Lake Tahoe shoreline, major roadway corridors, and public recreation areas and bicycle trails. Use the Permit Review Map to determine if your project is visible from one of these areas. Most properties in the Basin are exempt from any scenic protection standards.

If your project or property is located within or visible from a scenic resource area, it is important to consult the TRPA Code of Ordinances Chapter 66, local plans, and the TRPA Design Review Guidelines when designing your project. These documents provide specific design standards to ensure that redevelopment and development projects improve scenic quality and do not cause it to degrade.

In addition to project specific regulations, TRPA regularly monitors the progress of scenic improvement in each area through the Threshold Evaluation program.

Scenic Application Forms and Worksheets

Scenic Application Forms and Worksheets

Scenic Assessment for Shoreland and Shorezone Projects

Scenic Assessments Contrast Rating Sheet

Standards and Guidelines

TRPA Code of Ordinances

Scenic Quality Improvement Program

Levels of Review in Shoreland Areas

TRPA Design Review Guidelines

TRPA Scenic Color Brochure
Applicants should only refer to the numeric Pantone colors listed in this brochure as digital and print reproduction of colors may vary.

Appendix H- Visual Assessment Tool (Fillable PDF)

Is my property in a Scenic Resource Area?

Projects or properties located within or visible from a scenic resource area are subject to scenic standards. Scenic resources areas include the Lake Tahoe shoreline, major roadway corridors, and public recreation areas and bicycle trails. If your property is not located within or visible from one of these areas, then TRPA scenic standards do not apply.

Use the Permit Review Map or Scenic Resource List to determine if your project is visible from one of these areas.

If a property is located within or visible from one of these areas, TRPA standards are applied when the property owner plans a project. This is done either through a permit application, or in the case of minor maintenance projects such as repainting, residing or re-roofing, through an Exempt/Qualified Exempt Activity Declaration Form.

If you are planning a project in a scenic resource area, it is important to know the current “attainment status” of the area in which the property is located shown in the maps below. The level of review or special considerations may vary for projects depending on the current attainment status of the resource area.

Maps

​The maps below show the current attainment status of each scenic resource unit. Areas or points colored green are in “attainment” with the standards established for that area. Areas in red are considered to be in “non-attainment.”

If you are planning a project in a scenic resource area, the level of review and scenic mitigation measures required for your project could change according to the attainment status of the area in which the property is located.

Permit Review Map

Scenic Roadway Units
Scenic Shoreline Units
Scenic Shoreline Points
Scenic Roadway Points
Scenic Recreation Points