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Working Groups: EIP OutreachDeveloping an Interagency Structure for Improving EIP Implementation
The concept of people working together to improve the Lake Tahoe Basin is not new. For many years, groups in the region have coordinated efforts to resolve issues that threaten to erode the beautiful environment that so many have treasured for centuries.
In the late 90s, key decision makers in the Basin renewed their commitment to work collectively to repair past damage caused by human activity in the area. What resulted was a new emphasis on making the Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) a reality at Lake Tahoe.
The EIP is inherently an interagency program, which means that many government agencies in the Basin must work together like never before. While the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is the lead planning agency, other implementing, funding and regulatory agencies bear the brunt of actual project implementation. An interagency structure or communication framework parallel to each agency's internal management structure, is necessary in order to optimize success.
For many years, resource professionals from different agencies have been working together in small teams called interagency working groups. These groups have tackled a wide range of environmental issues, from forest health to scenic quality to the use of sand on winter roads.
The EIP, however, is a much more complex program than the Basin has ever seen. Implementing it requires interagency communication and coordination that, with the possible exceptions of the restoration of the Great Lakes and the Chesapeake Bay, has never been accomplished in the history of the environmental field. The EIP includes more than 800 different environmental improvement projects such as road improvements, stormwater runoff treatment facilities, and habitat restoration. These projects will be funded, permitted, constructed and maintained by a cadre of federal, regional, state and local government agencies.
With careful coordination among agencies, jurisdictions are able to plan projects together, which is especially important given our short building season. This type of collaboration results in fewer traffic impacts to residents and visitors, fewer project delays and better cost control.
In an effort to implement this necessary cooperative structure, staff from 10 different agencies, and from different levels within the agencies met at a workshop in November 2001. The workshop was very successful at laying out the steps to improve our interagency coordination, and at getting commitment from participants to make that improvement happen. Although this improved interagency structure is new to the Basin agencies, there is a real commitment to making it happen. Successful communication is difficult, both for individuals and for agencies. But we all understand that the EIP is our best chance to save Lake Tahoe.last modified: April 29 2002Lake Tahoe Basin Executives Recognize Need for EIP Outreach
In 2002, the committee of the executive directors of key federal, state and local agencies at Lake Tahoe recognized the need for increased public education about the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP). This group formally established the EIP Outreach Subcommittee to help raise public awareness of the importance of the EIP in preserving the natural environment at Lake Tahoe.
One of the founders of this committee, Ed Gee, deputy superintendent of the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit of the USDA Forest Service, insists that Tahoe agencies must do a better job of publicizing the purpose of their EIP projects. He has supported the work of public information officers and of LTEEC, because he believes the public will be more supportive of this multifaceted $1.4 billion program to protect the lake if public awareness is raised. The EIP calls for an ambitious array of scientific research, restoration projects, and long-term maintenance programs to meet nine separate environmental goals or “thresholds” at the lake.
Gee has strong feelings about the debate described in this newsletter’s cover story. In his position, he has been able to support EIP outreach education. Sadly for those of us who have worked with him, Gee has accepted a position in Washington, D.C., and he will be leaving in mid-August.
What Has the EIP Outreach Subcommittee Accomplished so Far?
Jeannie Stafford of the USDA Forest Service publishes a newsletter about EIP projects, and LTEEC includes the “EIP Corner” in its quarterly newsletter. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency has created an informational video that describes the EIP, and LTEEC has developed a PowerPoint presentation on the EIP that can be used by managers and staff of other agencies. The USDA Forest Service has provided support for the LTEEC media campaign, which produces 90-second environmental news segments on Reno’s KOLO News Channel 8, KOH radio (780 AM), and matching newspaper articles each week in all local papers.
The Nevada Division of State Lands has provided funding for LTEEC to prepare one- to two-page EIP Update Reports and mail them to 4,400 Douglas County property owners in the Basin. A separate report is being included in the utility bills of 4,200 property owners in the Incline Village General Improvement District this month.
Other agencies have publicized their EIP projects in creative ways. The EIP Outreach Subcommittee is interested in promoting greater cooperation and coordination of these efforts in the future. As noted in the cover story, each of the many jurisdictions who are implementing the restoration projects of the EIP need to assign at least one staff member to disseminate information and before-and-after photos to the subcommittee. Their “success stories” need to be shared with all Tahoe residents, second-homeowners, and visitors.last modified: August 30 2004Environmental Improvement Program Success, Fall 2003
Projects listed in the Environmental Improvement Program document are available online at: http://www.trpa.org/eipdocument/intro.html.
Lower Kingsbury Erosion Control Project
This restoration project is being constructed in the residential neighborhoods just above the commercial area at the foot of Kingsbury Grade. The goal is to reduce the amount of erosion that occurs along residential streets and roadside ditches during rainstorm or snowmelt events. The drainage improvements of this project are designed to reduce the amount of sediment that enters Burke Creek and Edgewood Creek, which flow through the area and into Lake Tahoe.
How the Project Works: In most of the older neighborhoods and urban areas, roadside ditches and street drains were installed to carry storm runoff directly into the nearest streams and lakes. Project engineers studied the streets in this hilly neighborhood, and determined that several of them will produce less sediment if eroding shoulders and ditches are replaced with curbs, storm drains and culverts. Where steep, eroding slopes exist in the street right-of-way, concrete block retaining walls are being built to stabilize the soil (see photo above left). The urban storm water that enters street drains will be partially cleaned by routing it through engineered underground filtration vaults (see photo above right), which are being installed at the foot of drainage systems to remove coarse sediment before discharge of the water to the creeks. The sand and gravel in these vaults will be cleaned out by the Kingsbury General Improvement District as part of annual maintenance. Residents can help prevent water pollution by remembering never to dump any waste material down storm drains.
Restoration of Stream Environment Zones (SEZ): Stream environment zones on publicly owned lots are being modified in some cases to provide more natural filtration of storm water by detention in flat, shallow, well-vegetated basins. Perhaps the most dramatic restoration of a SEZ will be the reconstruction of a channelized section of Burke Creek, just below Chimney Rock Road. The new channel will be carefully constructed with meanders, pools, riffles, and small (1-foot) cascades, meant to function just as a natural channel would function. Boulders and logs will be incorporated into the stream bed and banks, and native topsoil and mulch will be returned to allow good growing conditions for all-important riparian (streamside) plants.
Van Sickle California/Nevada Bi-state Park
Nevada Division of State Parks, California Tahoe Conservancy and California State Parks have begun a master planning process which will result in the first bi-state park between Nevada and California. The planning phase will be followed by phased park construction, anticipated to begin in 2005.
Thirteen years ago, Jack Van Sickle donated 542 acres to the State of Nevada, specifically for a new park facility. Early planning studies identified an additional 150 acres in California adjacent to the Nevada property, which would expand the park and preserve the 140-year-old Van Sickle Barn in its current location.
It is possible that the future Henry Van Sickle California/Nevada State Park may offer traditional state park activities, such as trailhead, parking, picnicking, camping, and group use facilities. There is also a vast interpretive potential since the park is located in a remote natural area untouched by development and has an array of historic structures, forested areas and wildlife. The area provides suitable habitat for northern goshawk, American marten, California spotted owl, black bear, mule deer, blue grouse, pileated woodpecker, willow flycatcher, and osprey.last modified: August 30 2004Environmental Improvement Program Success, Spring 2004
Many agencies are working together to help implement the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) to protect our spectacular lake. In Nevada, many beneficial and attractive projects are being completed each year. This unprecedented effort will help protect our environment.
State Route 28 Improvement Project
The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) plans to construct water quality, fish passage, and drainage improvements this summer in Incline Village along State Route 28 (SR 28) from the Ponderosa Ranch to Mt. Rose Highway. The $6 million project will control the sources of sediment and other pollutants to Lake Tahoe. The project includes reseeding slopes to prevent erosion and improving road drainage using engineered curbs and gutters, drop inlets and silt traps along the highway. Underground pretreatment vaults will capture coarse sediment and separate oil and grease from storm water before releasing it to flow toward the lake.
Where Third Creek passes under SR 28, a 12-foot by 7-foot concrete box culvert will replace two 72-inch metal culverts. It will be designed to improve fish passage up the creek. In addition, IVGID will restore portions of Third Creek on the golf course by replacing culverts with bridges to improve fish spawning habitat.
A meandering pedestrian path will be constructed on the south side of SR 28 from Country Club Drive to Southwood Blvd. Most construction will occur nightly, 6 p.m. - 6 a.m., Sunday night through Friday morning. The SR 28 bridge over Third Creek will be built in September and October. For details, contact Kerri Williams-Lanza, NDOT, (775) 888-7534.
Rosewood Creek Restoration and Realignment
This EIP project, described in last summer’s update, has now been completed. Since new vegetation needs to become established along the banks, hikers are urged to stay out of this sensitive area.
Incline Village Unit 4/Ponderosa Project
Washoe County Public Works will reduce sources of sediment in residential areas by stabilizing steep slopes and eroding ditches along roadways and treating runoff in detention basins where pollutants can settle.
Nevada State Parks Visitor Center at Sand Harbor
The new visitor center at Sand Harbor State Park will be completed in 2005.
Private Property Owner Contribution: BMPs to Protect Water Quality
These large public EIP projects will not be successful without private property owner implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs). Homeowners are responsible for infiltrating the water on their properties. If you have not applied for a free BMP site evaluation, and your home was built prior to 1987, please call to schedule a free site visit:
Nevada Residential: Contact NTCD, (775) 586-7223, ext. 1
California Residential: Contact TRCD, (530) 543-1501, ext. 110
Multifamily or Commercial: Contact TRPA, (775) 588-4547, ext. 205last modified: August 30 2004Lake Tahoe is Losing Water Clarity
Lake Tahoe waters have been losing transparency at an average of about one foot each year since the late 1960s.
Lake Tahoe’s exceptional clarity is a result of the absence of suspended sediment and free-floating, single-celled algae in the water. Given undisturbed conditions, the lake’s water quality would change so slowly the changes would be undetectable over a human lifetime. Human settlements and logging activities that began in the late 1880s have contributed to the rapidly declining clarity. Lake Tahoe’s clarity has decreased by more than 33 percent since the 1960s and is steadily declining at the rate of one foot a year. Scientists say that the rate of water quality deterioration at Lake Tahoe has been steady for so long it may become irreversible in 10 years.
Lake Tahoe’s water quality problems are not caused by industry or by wastewater treatment plants. The causes of water pollution are the daily activities of the thousands of residents and visitors in the Lake Tahoe watershed. We all need to learn to reduce our impact on the environment—impacts like erosion, over-fertilization, spills, leaks, and disturbances of soils and stream environment zones.last modified: December 27 2005EIP Update: Public Funding Authorized
EIP Update:
Public Funding Authorized
Nevada Assembly Bill 285 provides for the periodic issuance of general obligation bonds of up to $53.2 million to implement EIP projects during the period between July 1, 2001 - June 30, 2007, . Recently, the Nevada Legislature took the next step and actually authorized the issuance of state bonds and the use of revenue in the amount of $12.9 million for EIP projects during the period 2003-2005. Similarly, California has committed $240 million in the future to implement EIP projects. Recently, California Proposition 50 was passed, which provides $30 million for Lake Tahoe EIP projects.
Completed Nevada Projects
Jim Lawrence, Tahoe program manager, Nevada Tahoe Resource Team, keeps track of the various EIP projects in Nevada. The total commitment for Nevada ($82 million) includes projects in eight of the nine threshold categories (water quality, SEZ/soils, vegetation, fisheries, recreation, wildlife, and scenic quality with no project currently listed under air quality threshold). Water quality EIP projects completed to date in Nevada include:
Washoe County
- Incline Village #1 – drainage conveyance and runoff treatment, revegetation and sediment basins
- Incline Village Commercial – conveyance and runoff treatment
- Chateau/Country Club – revegetation, rock-lined ditches, retaining walls and rock slope protection
- Incline Village Tourist Water Quality – drainage conveyance and runoff treatment facilities
- Mill Creek Phase I – water quality treatment and erosion control
Douglas County
- Upper Kingsbury (Kingsbury Estates) – revegetation, slope stabilization, conveyance and runoff treatment
- Marla Bay – installation of sediment traps, water conveyance and treatment
last modified: February 20 2003Fish Species of the Lake Tahoe Basin
Lake Tahoe Report #151
January 9, 2006
By John Cobourn and Heather Segale
In terms of lakes, Tahoe is a relatively harsh environment for fish. It was cutoff from other bodies of water many thousands of years ago, so as it evolved, only seven species of fish evolved in it. However, since the introduction of humans and human intervention at Lake Tahoe, that number has changed.
According to Brant Allen, fisheries biologist with the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, “The original native game fish was the Lahontan cutthroat trout, which is no longer in the lake. But, there are still six native species of fish swimming in Tahoe.” The Lahontan cutthroat trout, named for the distinctive red streak under its chin, once topped Lake Tahoe’s food chain and weighed as much as 40 pounds. This fish thrived in the Tahoe Basin and migrated the length of the Truckee River between Tahoe and Pyramid Lake.
The native fish that still survive in Lake Tahoe include:
· The mountain whitefish (Prosopium willaimsoni) is Lake Tahoe’s only native game fish. It lives near the bottom to a depth of about 100 feet.
· The Lahontan redside shiner (Richardsonius egregious) is a native minnow that is abundant in the shallow shorezone and can usually be seen in large numbers around marinas and rock crib piers. It grows to 3 to 4 inches long.
· The Lahontan speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus) is another native minnow that grows to about 2 to 3 inches long. It is difficult to find, as it seeks the cover of rocky substrate on the bottom of the lake.
· The tui chub (Gila bicolor) is a bottom-oriented chub that feeds on zooplankton or sediments on the bottom of the lake.
· The Tahoe sucker (Catostomus tahoensis) is a bottom feeder that grows to about 16 inches long.
· The Paiute sculpin (Cottus beldingi) grows to about 3 inches long. It lives under rocks and is rarely observed in less than 10 feet of water.
The native Lahontan cutthroat trout went extinct in Lake Tahoe in 1939, due in part to overfishing, competition with nonnative species, and the development of dams. In particular, Derby Dam below Reno and Sparks and the Tahoe Outlet Dam in Tahoe City isolated the Tahoe population of cutthroat trout from other populations within the historic range.
Beginning in the late 1800s, when the effects of human environmental changes had reduced the numbers of Lahontan cutthroat in the lake, humans began introducing nonnative fish species in hopes of increasing Tahoe’s yield of game fish. These introductions included lake trout from the Great Lakes, Chinook salmon, Atlantic salmon, golden trout, Arctic grayling, Great Lakes whitefish, brook trout, brown trout, and rainbow trout. Of these fish species, the lake trout, brown trout, brook trout, and rainbow trout were able to establish self-supporting populations in the Tahoe Basin.
In the 20th century, additional introductions of nonnative invertebrates and fish further altered the Tahoe Basin ecosystem. Using the best available science at the time, exotic species were introduced with the intention of adding a recreational component or supporting an existing fishery. Unfortunately, not all of the species behaved as expected in the clear, cold waters of the Tahoe Basin.
After 70 years of alteration, the aquatic ecosystem now supports nonnative lake trout (Mackinaw) as the top predator. They are accompanied by rainbow trout, brown trout and kokanee salmon, providing multiple recreational fishing opportunities for shallow and deep-line anglers. The native Lahontan cutthroat trout is now among the most endangered western salmonids. Fortunately, as noted above, the other six native Tahoe fish species have survived the planned exotic introductions and continue to thrive within the Tahoe Basin.
In recent years, new threats to Tahoe’s remaining native fish have arisen. A number of warm-water fish species have been illegally introduced to Lake Tahoe, including largemouth and smallmouth bass, crappie, and sunfish. While these fish are typically associated with warm-water environments, their populations are able to grow and spread within the Tahoe Basin. Taking advantage of seasonally warm water in bays and marinas, the fish feed on native minnows and successfully spawn.
Scientists from University of California Davis and University of Nevada Reno plan to study the potential expansion of these species, and with help from the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, implement a plan for their control. “The warm-water invasive species appear to pose a great risk to Tahoe’s remaining native species,” states Brant Allen a research biologist for UC Davis. “Their ability to consume large numbers of fish and the apparent overlap with native minnow spawning areas is a big concern.”
Warm-water fish invasions are not new to California. Nearby Lake Davis continues to experience problems resulting from the illegal introduction of northern pike, a voracious predator. Controlling the spread of similar species in the Tahoe Basin could go a long way to preserving native fish and assist the recovery of Tahoe’s once great Lahontan cutthroat trout.
The Lake Tahoe Report is a collaboration between John Cobourn, Water Resource Specialist with University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, and Heather Segale, Education and Outreach Coordinator for the University of California, Davis. For more information, contact Heather Segale, (530) 583-3279, or logon to www.lteec.org, www.tahoe.unr.edu, or terc.ucdavis.edu.
last modified: January 10 2006Bald Eagle Viewing More Likely During the Winter
Lake Tahoe Report #153
January 23, 2006
By Heather Segale and John Cobourn
Sighting a bald eagle is a magnificent experience, especially after the bald eagle’s near extinction in the not-so-distant past. The bald eagle population fell to endangered levels of less than 500 pairs in the early 1960s due to hunting, habitat loss and contamination of waterways and food sources by various pollutants and pesticides, most notably DDT.
There was a similar drop in eagle populations at Lake Tahoe during the late 1980s, when the two nest sites in the basin were both inactive. There are usually only one or two pairs of bald eagles in the Tahoe Basin during the summer. However, during the winter, bald eagles migrate to Tahoe because it is more temperate than Alaska and Canada. According to wildlife biologist Stewart McMorrow, “as many as 20 eagles have been counted in the Tahoe Basin during the winter months.”
Bald eagles live near large bodies of open water, such as lakes, marshes, seacoasts and rivers, where there are plenty of fish to eat and tall trees for nesting and roosting. Bald eagles feed primarily on fish, but also eat small animals, such as ducks, coots, muskrats, turtles, rabbits, and snakes. Occasionally, they also eat dead animals. They are a kind of predator called raptors. They swoop down to seize fish in their powerful, long and sharp talons. They exert approximately 1,000 pounds of pressure per square inch in each foot. They can carry their food off in flight, but can only lift about half their weight. Bald eagles can fly at speeds of about 65 miles per hour in level flight, and up to 150 or 200 miles per hour in a dive.
Bald eagles are monogamous and mate for life. A Bald eagle will only select another mate if its faithful companion dies. They build large nests, called eyries, at the top of sturdy, tall trees. The nests become larger as the eagles return to breed and add new nesting materials year after year. Bald eagles make their new nests an average of 2 feet deep and 5 feet wide. Eventually, some nests become 10 feet wide and weigh several tons. When a nest is destroyed by natural causes, it is often rebuilt nearby. Bald eagles line their nests with twigs, soft mosses, grasses and feathers.
The female lays one to three eggs each spring, which hatch after about 35 days of incubation. Feathers of newly hatched bald eaglets are light grey, and turn dark brown before they leave the nest in about 12 weeks. When they are 3 or 4 years old, bald eagles have mottled brown and white feathers under their wings and on their heads, tails and breasts. The distinctive white head and tail feathers do not appear until they are about 4 to 5 years old. Their beaks and eyes also turn from dark brown to yellow during this time.
Bald eagles are about 29 to 42 inches long, can weigh 7 to 15 pounds, and have a wingspan of 6 to 8 feet. This makes them one of the largest birds in North America. Females are larger than males, but both have white heads and tail feathers and yellow beaks.
The bald eagle is our national symbol, so when it became threatened with extinction in the 1960s, people took notice. Strong endangered species and environmental protection laws, as well as active private, state and federal conservation efforts, have brought back the bald eagle population from the edge of extinction in the United States. The use of DDT pesticide is now outlawed in the United States, which has contributed greatly to the return of the bald eagle to America's skies. There are now over 5,000 nesting pairs and 20,000 total birds in the lower 48 states. There are over 35,000 bald eagles in Alaska.
There are several other common raptors living at least part of the year in the Lake Tahoe Basin. One of the most common is the osprey, which is somewhat similar in appearance to the bald eagle, having white markings on its head and throat and a dark brown back and tail. It also preys mostly on fish. Most nests that you see in the Tahoe Basin are osprey nests. Sometimes eagles will steal freshly caught fish from the slightly smaller ospreys.
Forest hawks, which do not fish for food, include the sharp-shinned hawk, the Cooper’s hawk, and the northern goshawk. Such raptors are called accipiters. Other raptors in the Basin include the merlin, the great horned owl, the western screech owl, the flammulated owl, the northern Pigmy owl, the northern Saw-whet owl, and the rare California spotted owl. Red tail hawks also frequent Tahoe, and peregrine falcons sometimes pass through the region.
For more information about the birds of the Tahoe Basin, visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/recreation/wildlife/birds.shtml.
The Lake Tahoe Report is a collaboration between John Cobourn, Water Resource Specialist with University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, and Heather Segale, Education and Outreach Coordinator for the University of California, Davis. For more information, contact Heather Segale, (530) 583-3279, or logon to www.lteec.org, www.tahoe.unr.edu, or terc.ucdavis.edu.
last modified: January 23 2006Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) Going Strong
Since the Presidential Forum in 1997, most lake restoration efforts at Tahoe have been integrated into a package called the Environmental Improvement Program or EIP. Full implementation of these hundreds of capital improvement projects is considered critical by Tahoe Basin leaders if we are to reverse the steady decline in our lake’s water quality.
While implementing projects of the Environmental Improvement Program, there will be some inconveniences. You can expect recreational impacts such as increased vehicle traffic, trail crews, construction, and noise from chain saws, trucks and tree chippers. We thank you for your patience and cooperation. Remember, these projects are designed to benefit Lake Tahoe, the surrounding forests, streams, recreation and wildlife for the future.
Some of the EIP projects occurring this summer include:
* State Route 760 Elks Point Drive Erosion Control — Revegetation and runoff construction is underway by Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) on Elks Point Drive leading down to Nevada Beach.
* State Route 28 Water Quality Improvements — Construction on the east shore is currently underway including slope stabilization, conveyance, runoff treatment, parking removal and control. Be prepared for up to 20-minute delays if traveling through this area.
* Angora Creek Restoration — This California State Parks Department project will redivert Angora Creek back into its original channel and includes 2 acres of Stream Environment Zone (SEZ) restoration, 0.5 acres of meadow habitat improvement, and 0.1 acres of riparian and stream habitat improvements.
* Highway 89- 15th Street to Current USFS Bike Path — El Dorado County Department of Transportation will construct a class-one bicycle trail to connect 15th Street with the southern end of the U.S. Forest Service bicycle trail to Camp Richardson.
* Sugar Pine Point State Park Day Use Improvements — This California State Parks project involves development of day use areas, lake access, and installation of entrance and kiosk signage. In addition, new parking and restroom facilities will be built. These recreation improvements will also enable Best Management Practices to be installed at Sugar Pine Point State Park.last modified: July 8 2002Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) Spring 2003 Highlights
While implementing projects of the Environmental Improvement Program, there will be some inconveniences. You can expect recreational impacts such as increased vehicle traffic, trail crews, construction, and noise from chain saws, trucks and tree chippers. We thank you for your patience and cooperation. Remember, these projects are designed to benefit Lake Tahoe, the surrounding forests, streams, recreation and wildlife for the future.
EIP Project Highlight: The Rosewood Creek Restoration and Realignment project will re-connect Rosewood Creek to Third Creek in Incline Village near Aspen Grove. This location is considered one of the main contributors of sediment load. The project also includes overbank treatment in lower areas below Incline Way. There will be rockwork and earth moving in May, June and July; however, revegetation work is not expected to happen until September or October. These areas are sensitive and should not be disturbed.
Besides the many local projects underway, Nevada EIP projects include:
Nevada Division of Wildlife (NDOW):
East Shore Furbearer Survey
Riparian Wildlife Habitat Enhancement – taking place along North Canyon Creek corridor and Tunnel Creek corridor.
Sugarpine Project above Sand Harbor
North Canyon Old Growth Project
Water Diversion Survey to Maintain Instream
Upland Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Project
Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF):
Forest restoration of about 7,000 acres of Nevada State Lands within the Tahoe Basin
Nevada State Parks:
Interpretive programs
Hidden Beach Rehabilitation
New trail system from Sand Harbor to Memorial Point Trail
New trail for equestrians and hikers only “Marlette Lake Trail”
Spooner Summit Trailhead for Tahoe Rim Trail Spooner North
The Private Property Owner Contribution: BMPs to Protect Water Quality: The large public EIP projects will not be successful without private property owner implementation of Best Management Practices or BMPs. Large-scale erosion control projects will fail without your help, as they are only designed to handle storm water runoff and snow melt runoff from roads and public property. Homeowners are responsible for infiltrating the water on their property.
EIP Outreach: Outreach related to EIP projects is funded by Nevada Division of State Lands through the Lake Tahoe License Plate program. Under the Lake Tahoe license plate program, the Department of Motor Vehicles is authorized to issue a special license plate. The proceeds from the sale of those plates will be used solely for the support of programs for the preservation and restoration of the natural environment of the Lake Tahoe Basin.last modified: June 20 2003TRPA Releases “Leaving a Lake Tahoe Legacy”
The second edition of “Leaving a Lake Tahoe Legacy” was published as an insert in the local newspapers in early September.
In this edition, Rochelle Nason, executive director of the League to Save Lake Tahoe, writes “the top challenge for the Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) over the next five years will be public education. The public is being called on to make sacrifices to make the program work. The people making these sacrifices, especially those in the local community, need to understand how EIP investments result in environmental benefits, and how those environmental benefits will translate into social and economic benefits over the long term. To meet this challenge, we need community and government leaders who can comprehend and convey this vision to the public, and who have the courage to stand up for what’s right under pressure.”
“Leaving a Legacy” describes the EIP with clear language and striking color photographs. For all educators interested in teaching the public about the monumental efforts to save Lake Tahoe, “Leaving a Lake Tahoe Legacy” is a must.
You can obtain a free copy of “Leaving a Lake Tahoe Legacy” by contacting Pam Drum, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, (775) 588-4547, ext. 237. Multiple copies of this 12-page document are available from TRPA for distribution to groups and organizations.last modified: October 14 2002
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