Although the League has made great strides throughout the years ensuring sensitive land is preserved and urban boundaries are not extended, development pressures continue to escalate in the Tahoe Basin. Tthe League acts as the primary watchdog for Lake Tahoe's environment and closely monitors the work of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), the U.S. Forest Service, and other management and regulatory agencies in the Basin.
CURRENT PRIORITIES
Development in the Shorezone
Despite strong public opposition, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency adopted a new set of shorezone ordinances in October 2008. The new regulations, which dictate the allowable level of shorezone structures such as buoys, piers and boat ramps, would dramatically increase motorized boating, adding more than 62,000 boat trips to current annual boat traffic. The League, as part of a coalition of conservation groups, filed a lawsuit to force adequate environmental review of the plan. On September 18, 2009 a judge ruled in favor of the conservation coalition's request for a preliminary injunction in the shorezone case. Follow the links below for more information on our recent shorezone efforts.
Click here for a news release regarding the preliminary injunction victory.
Click here to view the ruling.
Click here for more info on the shorezone plan, including comment letters submitted by the League.
League Op-Ed: Safeguarding the Shorezone, September 18, 2009 (8 KB pdf)
Regional Plan
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency(TRPA) is currenlty developing a new Regional Plan for the Lake Tahoe Basin. The League is concerned that the recently proposed Regional Plan Alternatives are not focused on environmental threshold attainment and maintenance, but instead are focused on development objectives and intense urbanization of the Basin. These alternatives propose increases in height, density, and population which will have negative impacts on environmentally mandated goals. In a comment letter submitted the summer of 2009, we posed numerous questions to the TRPA regarding the environmental impacts of these development oriented alternatives. Click here for more info on the Regional Plan Update.
Timeshare Proposal for Tahoe Vista (Cerulean Lake Tahoe)
During the summer of 2008 the TRPA and Placer County approved a "dense" luxary timeshare development project in Tahoe Vista. The League has joined forces with the Friends of Tahoe Vista to legally challenge approvals granted to the project by the agencies. The League is particularly concerned that TRPA appears to have abandoned longstanding rules regarding limitations on coverage to accommodate this development and that the agency is inappropriately issuing development rights to such coverage without regard to the consequences for water quality. Both TRPA and the County failed to disclose the impact of this massively over-covered project on the watershed in their environmental documents. The project is currently on hold pending litigation. Click here for more info.
New Residential Development Approved for Burke Creek
During June 2009, the TRPA Governing Board approved a new 50 unit residential subdivision, to be called Sierra Colina Village, on previously undeveloped land beside Burke Creek in the Stateline/Kingsbury area. This approval represented the first time in nearly forty years that the agency has permitted a new residential subdivision without counting its road coverage against the overall coverage limitations for the project. The League and numerous other organizations and residents expressed concern, and the League has initiated litigation challenging the exemption of the new subdivision’s road from coverage limitations. Click here to read the comments submitted on the DEIS.
Threats of Aquatic Invasive Species
The destructive Quagga and Zebra mussels have recently infested 17 different lakes and reservoirs in California and Nevada. Lake Tahoe is seriously at risk. While the League considers the establishment of TRPA’s Aquatic Invasive Species Program an important step in the right direction, we are concerned that the program is not stringent enough. Click here for more info and to learn how you can help prevent the spread of these invasives to Lake Tahoe.
Heavenly Mountain Resort’s Proposed 2010 Capital Projects
Heavenly Mountain Resort is proposing the relocation of the Umbrella Bar, the construction of a new lodge and safety hazard reductions on California Trail. These projects need to be in conformance with the approved Heavenly Master Plan. Discrepancies in coverage need to be addressed and potential impacts to soil, vegetation and water quality must be avoided or properly mitigated. Click here to download the comment letter submitted by the League.
* * Go to our Other Projects page for an archive of additional projects and comment letters.
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