Keep Tahoe Blue Advocacy Update |
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Our advocacy and policy experts keep a watchful eye on projects and plans that may impact the health and clarity of Lake Tahoe. |
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We engage, collaborate and speak on behalf of the Lake to ensure we Keep Tahoe Blue. Here are some projects we're working on now. |
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COMBAT POLLUTION:
Martis Valley West - Legal Update
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What is it? Martis Valley West is a proposed 760-unit residential development with an additional 6.6 acres of businesses planned to be built on a ridgeline overlooking North Lake Tahoe.
Where is it in the process? The Martis Valley West project was approved by Placer County in 2016. Fearing impacts to Lake Tahoe’s fragile environment, the League joined Sierra Watch and Mountain Area Preservation in filing suit against the approval. In 2018, the Placer County Superior Court ruled in our favor, stopping the project, but it did so on narrow grounds and without addressing impacts to the Lake. To ensure Tahoe is protected from reckless development, we appealed that ruling.
What’s next? Alongside our conservation partners, we will stand up in court on Friday, December 17 at 9:30am when California’s Third District Court of Appeal hears oral arguments in our case against the proposed Martis Valley West development project. The public is invited to observe the proceedings by telephone or online.
What is the League’s position? OPPOSE
We oppose improper development that fails to adequately account for and mitigate its impacts to the environment and local community. We contend that in approving the project, decision-makers failed to meet state laws by downplaying impacts on fire safety, traffic, and the clarity of Lake Tahoe, and they did not follow proper procedures in rezoning the property.
The hearing on December 17 is vital to the future of Martis Valley and North Lake Tahoe, a milestone event in the 20-year effort to Save Martis Valley and honor our commitment to Keep Tahoe Blue.
More information:
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COMBAT POLLUTION:
Lake-Friendly Winter Transportation Options
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Photo: Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit |
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What is it? When snow arrives in Tahoe each year, so does traffic-related winter pollution. Traction materials, plows and an endless stream of snow-chained tires pummel Tahoe’s roads into fine dust and debris. When the snow melts or it rains, those tiny particles get washed into the Lake, damaging its water clarity.
Limiting the number of cars and miles traveled on Tahoe’s roads can help Keep Tahoe Blue, especially in the popular winter months. It also improves traveler safety and reduces the personal stress induced by traffic. Alternative transportation – buses, shuttles, vans and carpools – provided by public agencies, businesses and resorts, provide a range of Lake-friendly travel options.
This winter, microtransit is playing a bigger role than ever in helping Tahoe get around. TART Connect – an on-demand, app-based shuttle pilot program that began this summer – will expand its service this winter, stretching from Incline Village to Homewood, and including Northstar and Palisades.
Where is it in the process? There are a variety of ways to get to and around Tahoe without your car this winter. Please visit our winter transportation webpage before planning your next trip to the Basin or the ski hill.
What’s next? To combat pollution, the League is a strong proponent of improving transportation to and around Tahoe. We first introduced microtransit to Tahoe in 2018 with an app-based south shore shuttle pilot project. This fall, we provided a donation to ensure TART Connect shuttle vans kept running, so riders would see the service’s consistency and continue making the lake-friendly transportation choice.
We are pushing for TART Connect to become a permanent, year-round service. We are also excited for the south shore to receive its own microtransit program as part of the Tahoe South Events Center, which will come online by the spring of 2023. Our policy team worked closely with the project’s developers to ensure free microtransit was part of the final events center plan.
What is the League’s position? SUPPORT
We will continue to support and advocate for the growth of alternative travel options by public agencies, local governments and businesses, including the transition to electric vehicles.
Lake-friendly transportation helps reduce harmful roadway pollution and tailpipe emissions that impact Tahoe’s famed water clarity.
More information:
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COMBAT POLLUTION:
Tahoe City Cross-Country Center Expansion -
Lawsuit and Settlement
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Photo: Tahoe City Public Utility District |
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What is it? As part of a plan to upgrade the Tahoe Cross-Country Center, the Tahoe City Public Utility District (TCPUD) plans to relocate and expand its current lodge by repurposing the historic Schilling Lodge and adding additional parking. The TCPUD voted to approve the project and finalize its Environmental Impact Report on February 25, 2021.
The expansion and relocation of the facility – to Polaris Road adjacent to the North Tahoe High School and North Tahoe Middle School – will result in additional traffic on narrow neighborhood streets and increased vehicle miles traveled (VMT), which is an important planning metric used to limit negative impacts on Tahoe's sensitive environment. The League opposed the project as submitted due to a lack of mitigations for its traffic impacts and associated pollution.
The proposed plan was met with opposition from local residents and spurred a lawsuit. The suit claimed that in approving the project, the TCPUD violated the California Environmental Quality Act.
Where is it in the process? A settlement was reached in the lawsuit on September 23. The vast majority of improvements for which the League advocated were added to the project, including traffic calming features, bike lanes and a potential reduction in the construction of new parking, if a shared-use parking agreement can be reached with the adjacent high school campus.
What’s next? In order to move ahead, the project must be approved by the Placer County Board of Supervisors and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board. The Cross-Country Center's operator, the Tahoe Cross-Country Ski Education Association, must also raise the funds to construct the project.
What is the League’s position?
IN PROGRESS supportive with project improvements
The League was initially opposed to the project, largely because the environmental review did not include mitigating actions for the increased traffic, despite impacts to a residential neighborhood where a middle and high school are located.
We were also concerned that the project approval set a poor example for how proponents of development and re-development projects could use regulatory loopholes to avoid mitigating increased transportation impacts from their projects. Those impacts can affect the local community and potentially the Lake Tahoe environment.
Thanks to the actions of a local community member, and the willingness of the TCPUD to compromise by adding mitigation measures, potential harm to the Lake may be averted. The League is cautiously supportive of the project’s new direction, but will keep a close eye on it to ensure that the settlement is followed and Tahoe’s environment is not affected.
More information:
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TACKLE INVASIVE SPECIES:
Early Detection Rapid Response
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What is it? Aquatic invasive species are Tahoe’s single largest ecological threat. To quickly and effectively prevent further contamination of Tahoe’s waters, the League and our partners at the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and Tahoe Resource Conservation District (TRCD) developed an early detection rapid response protocol (EDRR).
As part of the Lahontan Water Quality Control Board’s permitting process, Tahoe's public marinas in California are required to receive an annual Eyes on the Lake training from the League. During these trainings, League team members teach plant identification skills to marina staff, alongside the EDRR process. The League provides the training for free, and this year our team toured all marinas to help them create survey maps and train staff in-person. The latter part of the training includes instruction for speedily reporting suspected aquatic invasive species sightings, which then prompts qualified experts to inspect the marina as soon as possible, and if necessary, remove the invasives.
Where is it in the process? EDRR was activated by vigilant staff at the Homewood High and Dry Marina in August when they reported invasive weed sightings to the League and TRCD, using the plant identification skills provided through the League’s training. The staff at Homewood has attended every Eyes on the Lake training since the permitting process began in 2015, and they survey their marina regularly and diligently.
Within days of receiving the marina’s report, the League mobilized SCUBA divers from Marine Taxonomic Services who confirmed the presence of invasive weeds and removed them before they could establish a new population. As a precaution, the divers also inspected the nearby marina at Obexer’s and found no invasive weeds.
Currently, there isn’t a dedicated funding source for EDRR at Lake Tahoe. In the case from August, the League funded the survey and removal to ensure it happened quickly.
What’s next? Homewood High and Dry Marina staff will continue to keep a close eye on their marina waters for invasive weeds. Using this summer’s story as evidence of the EDRR’s effectiveness in tackling invasive species, the League and our partners are updating the EDRR process to streamline reporting and identify dedicated funding.
What is the League’s position? SUPPORT
The League strongly supports aquatic invasive species education and an active, informed network of marina staff and volunteer citizen scientists at Tahoe. The experience with the Homewood High and Dry Marina illustrates that these partnerships can contribute in a very meaningful way to protecting Lake Tahoe. With more Eyes on the Lake, and an effective EDRR in place, Tahoe will have a better chance of keeping invasive species in check. We will continue to work with public and private marinas and TRPA to ensure that Lake Tahoe is protected from ecological and other threats.
More information:
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TACKLE INVASIVE SPECIES:
Tahoe Keys Weeds Control Methods Test
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What is it? Aquatic invasive species are the greatest ecological threat to the Lake's health, as well as our enjoyment of its sparkling blue waters. The Tahoe Keys are ground zero for the infestation of aquatic invasive weeds at Tahoe, which is steadily spreading further into Lake Tahoe. To put this threat in check, a proposal to test a suite of control methods is moving through a strict environmental review process. The test is called the Tahoe Keys Lagoons Aquatic Weed Control Methods Test.
Read more about the problem, the Control Methods Test, the League’s involvement, and our position on the test here.
Where is it in the process? For more than three years, the proposed Control Methods Test has been refined, its environmental impacts have been thoroughly evaluated, and the public has been asked to weigh in during a comment period which concluded on November 1, 2021. Now, the Control Methods Test is moving toward a final decision.
What’s next? The final environmental impact report/statement for the Control Methods Test will be released this month.
On December 15, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board will hear an informational update on the Control Methods Test. Then, on January 26, 2022, the same group will decide whether to certify the final environmental impact report/statement and approve the project proposal.
On January 12, 2022, the Lahontan Water Quality Control Board will consider whether or not to approve the proposal as well. Both Lahontan and TRPA must approve the Control Methods Test for it go forward.
What is the League’s position? SUPPORT
The League to Save Lake Tahoe strongly supports the proposed Control Methods Test because science clearly shows that aquatic weeds pose a dire threat, the status quo will not solve the problem, and the fate of Lake Tahoe is at stake. Learn more about our reasons for support here.
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We urge you to join the League by speaking out in favor of the Control Methods Test. Please consider adding your name to this letter of support.
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ADVANCE RESTORATION:
Concerned Citizens Reporting
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Photos submitted by League volunteers. February, 2021. |
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What is it? In early February 2021, a pair of League volunteers were removing litter from the shoreline near the Edgewood property when they spotted possible impacts to the Lake. At the time, the resort was preparing to host a pair of professional hockey games later in the month. Our volunteers noticed heavy equipment near the shoreline, that willows had been cleared around the riparian habitat at Edgewood Creek, and murky water flowing to the Lake. They took photos and reported what they saw to the League.
Our natural resources and policy teams quickly followed up on the report by contacting Edgewood Resort and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency who manages permitting for special events like the NHL games. The volunteers’ “concerned citizen” report and the League’s follow-up uncovered that the resort had removed habitat for endangered Tahoe yellow cress and damaged riparian habitat that filters pollutants from stream flows before they reach the Lake.
Where is it in the process? After investigating the concerned citizen report, TRPA levied a $55,000 fine on the resort and in August reached a settlement agreement where Edgewood agreed to pay an additional $50,000 toward the restoration of damaged habitat and for aquatic invasive species prevention.
What’s next? The resort has paid the fine, and its restoration and invasive species control efforts are underway. The League will continue to monitor the progress.
What is the League’s position? SUPPORT
An educated and engaged community has the power to Keep Tahoe Blue. This example of concerned citizens flagging environmentally threatening activity helped our team ensure that any damage is remedied and that the responsible parties are held accountable.
Preserving Lake Tahoe can’t be achieved by any one agency or nonprofit. It takes everyone who loves and appreciates Tahoe to each do their part, whether through volunteering, donating, practicing Lake-friendly habits, or reporting potential threats.
More information:
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ADVANCE RESTORATION:
South Lake Tahoe Adopts Ambitious Energy Goals
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What is it? The City of South Lake Tahoe recently became the first municipality in the country to adopt a community-wide goal of achieving 100% renewable, carbon-free electricity 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They aim to reach that milestone by 2030. The ambitious commitment applies to the entire community, not just the City’s operations. Importantly, the resolution stipulates that the City’s energy sources themselves must be entirely carbon-free. Instead of purchasing carbon offsets to achieve carbon-neutrality, the City has pledged to achieve full decarbonization of its energy use at all times.
Where is it in the process? On December 7, the South Lake Tahoe City Council voted unanimously to adopt the resolution. With the move, they expanded on a resolution passed in 2017 that committed to achieve complete carbon-neutrality by 2032.
What’s next? To cross the finish line by 2030, the City will work toward implementing its Climate Action Plan. It must also quickly pursue and adopt local, renewable, carbon-free energy sources to add to the power grid. Such sources may include wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and hydropower.
What is the League’s position? SUPPORT
2021 demonstrated that the impacts of climate change can even affect Lake Tahoe. We saw drought, record temperatures, toxic algal blooms and of course wildfire. By reducing our local carbon footprint, the Tahoe community can play a leadership role in halting one of the strongest drivers of climate change.
More information:
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ADVANCE RESTORATION:
CA Tahoe Alliance - Building Tahoe Champions
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CA Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis with Darcie Goodman Collins (League) and Julie Regan (TRPA). |
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What is it? The California Tahoe Alliance (CTA) is a group of Basin advocates who collaboratively lobby at the state level to shape environmental policy, guide regional planning and secure financial support for priority projects identified under Tahoe’s Environmental Improvement Program. To help us achieve those goals, the League and our CTA partners are cultivating Tahoe champions among leaders in Sacramento.
Where is it in the process? The CTA is flexible and able to respond to Tahoe’s most pressing threats. In the wake of this year’s disastrous wildfires, members of the CTA, including the League, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Tahoe Transportation District, Tahoe Fund, local public utility districts, the California Tahoe Conservancy and others, worked together to win needed support to protect Tahoe from the impacts of climate change.
As a result of the CTA’s work, on September 29 Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a funding package that includes $36 million for the California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC) to restore forests and reduce wildfire risk at Lake Tahoe. The package includes an additional $5.25 million to help improve Tahoe’s resilience to climate change impacts.
The CTA will continue to work with our Tahoe champions toward additional wildfire preparedness and climate resiliency goals, as well as for funding to improve Tahoe water infrastructure, which was crucial in helping Meyers and South Lake Tahoe withstand the Caldor Fire. Also, the Tahoe Caucus, which the League helped form, will continue to meet periodically.
What’s next? Of the $36 million provided to the CTC for forest fuels reduction, $11 million is dedicated to fuels treatments on CTC-owned parcels in the Basin. The remaining $25 million will be granted to Tahoe fire agencies with facilitation through the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team.
The CTA will also continue advocating for additional climate resilience funding. The partners are targeting competitive grant programs within California’s $3.69 billion climate resilience package. Beyond California, the League’s policy team is working to secure available funds from the State of Nevada, along with a portion of the $47 billion earmarked for climate resilience within the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
What is the League’s position? SUPPORT
From our very beginnings 64 years ago, the League has always recognized the power of passionate, pragmatic and dogged advocacy, coupled with relationship building, to Keep Tahoe Blue. Our efforts with the California Tahoe Alliance continue that long and fruitful tradition of building Tahoe support among decision-makers at every level of government.
More information:
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Cozy up in a little luxury this season with our naturally weighted Tahoe Woolen Blanket.
Created by the renowned Pendleton Woolen Mills, our wool blanket features a tri-color topographic design of the Tahoe Basin.
All proceeds benefit our efforts to Keep Tahoe Blue.
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Tahoe Leaders Host Virtual Chat with Senator Padilla
December 7 | Facebook Live
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The League and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency hosted a virtual chat with U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) to discuss how the recently passed federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will benefit the Tahoe Basin.
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Our efforts to Keep Tahoe Blue depend on the generosity of our members and supporters. Thank you for donating to protect Lake Tahoe. |
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