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26th Annual Lake Tahoe Summit August 16

Next week, the annual Lake Tahoe Summit returns for its 26th year to the shores of Lake Tahoe, this time at Sand Harbor Nevada State Park. Along with an in-person audience, the August 16 event will be livestreamed. The annual gathering of Tahoe’s congressional representatives brings national focus to the challenges facing Lake Tahoe and the work of Environmental Improvement Program partners to protect the lake and its communities.

This year’s summit will be hosted by U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), who has invited White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy to give the keynote address. McCarthy is tasked with coordinating the Biden administration’s domestic climate agenda and previously served in the Obama administration. 

This year’s summit theme is “Protecting Lake Tahoe’s Future” and will be a chance to review recent accomplishments of more than 80 organizations working together through the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program and to lay out Tahoe’s most pressing priorities and resource needs.

For more information, click here.

Photo: The 2016 Tahoe Summit at Sand Harbor Nevada State Park

Tahoe Experts Picked for National Commissions

Two TRPA program managers were recently tapped for federal commissions working on solutions to environmental threats here and across the nation.
 
Forest Health Program Manager Kat McIntyre has been selected for the newly created Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission to help develop wildfire prevention, mitigation, and recovery strategies. She will serve on behalf of TRPA and the Tahoe Fire Fuels Team, bringing the region’s collective expertise to the commission to help Lake Tahoe and the West adapt to climate change impacts and better prepare for wildfires.
Dennis Zabaglo, TRPA’s aquatic resources program manager, was also recently appointed to the blue ribbon commission established to enhance strategies to stop spread of aquatic invasive species in the U.S. The commission brings together leading biologists, environmentalists, policymakers, and industry and resource managers to identify solutions to invasive plant and animal species that cost the nation millions of dollars each year to control. They will present their results to Congress and the Biden administration in 2023 with the goal of passing legislation to better manage and eliminate aquatic invasive species.

Congratulations Kat and Dennis!

Moving key housing policies forward

Solving Tahoe's housing crisis requires many solutions from multiple sources. Over the past year, TRPA had added to programs and projects across the Tahoe Region. The agency has removed a major permitting requirement for moveable tiny homes, reduced mitigation fees for workforce housing by thousands of dollars, and taken much of the uncertainty out of adding accessory dwelling units on the California side of the basin.

At its housing workshop in July, the TRPA Governing Board said more bold steps are needed to address Tahoe’s lack of affordable and workforce housing. The board directed staff to stay on course and build upon recent recommendations from the Tahoe Living Housing and Community Revitalization Working Group. Chief among the current work are updates to land coverage, density, and height standards for accessory dwelling units and multi-family projects such as duplexes, triplexes, and apartments. Agency staff are also drafting updates that will raise protections on deed-restricted housing and help level the playing field in the development rights marketplace for smaller housing units.
 
For more details on these changes, visit TRPA’s Housing Webpage.

Microtransit Expands to South Shore 

In July, transportation and tourism partners on the South Shore launched Lake Link, a free, on-demand microtransit service that covers a central service area on both sides of the state line. The new, app-based rideshare service is adding to destination stewardship and transportation improvements in the region including the popular TART Connect microtransit service available across the North Shore. 

The South Shore Transportation Management Association and area partners launched the service to help residents and visitors access trails, beaches, and entertainment, or to commute or run errands in the service area for free. The new service is actually a built-in feature of the Tahoe South Event Center that is still under construction. The service area is expected to expand once the event center opens.

If you haven't yet, you must try it!

Tahoe Lake Link | Información en Español

Take Care Launches 'Take it Slow, Tahoe'

The Take Care Tahoe team has launched a new campaign to encourage safe driving in Tahoe. “Take it Slow, Tahoe” captures the attention of drivers and creatively incorporates artwork to remind them of why driving safely is so important: to protect people and animals.

Read more...

Simple Steps for Tree Removal

The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team and TRPA are sharing an urgent call to action for Lake Tahoe residents and property owners to create defensible space and to follow a few simple steps if tree removal is needed.

Fire agencies, TRPA, and other water quality agencies are in agreement on all defensible space requirements, including removing pine needles and hazardous trees. Most fire hazard trees and limbs can be removed without a permit and most local fire protection districts will issues permits for larger tree removal with a defensible space evaluation.

Find out more... 

30th Annual Best in the Basin Awards

A new crop of outstanding public and private projects will be recognized as Best in the Basin Award winners at the August 24 TRPA Governing Board meeting

This marks the 30th anniversary of the Best in the Basin awards and this year’s winners will share a special spotlight at the Governing Board presentation as we look back at some past award recipients and the environmental and community benefits they continue to deliver. The projects and programs receiving awards this year are part of a legacy of environmental excellence in the Lake Tahoe Basin and deserve to be recognized!

Best Water Quality, Restoration, and Erosion Control Projects:
  • Brautovich Park Stream Environment Zone Restoration and Park Rehabilitation Project, Stateline, Nev.
  • Tahoe Pines Restoration and Public Access Improvement Project, Meyers, Calif.
  • Incline Village Golf Course Maintenance Wash Pad and Erosion Control Project, Incline Village, Nev.
Best Public or Environmental Improvement Program Project:
  • Dennis T. Machida Memorial Greenway Trail, South Lake Tahoe, Calif.
  • Eyes on the Lake Aquatic Invasive Species Early Detection and Rapid Response Program, Lake Tahoe, Nev./Calif.
Best Sustainability Action or Program
  • Homewood High & Dry Marina Electric Boat Charging Station, Homewood, Calif.
Best Defensible Space and Forest Health Project
  • NV Energy and North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District Energy Resilient Corridor 4100 Project, Incline Village, Nev.
 Join the August 24 board meeting in-person or online to learn more about these projects. Meeting information will be available on the TRPA Meetings and Notice page on August 17.

ICYMI

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