Opinion: Expanding vision will save Lake Tahoe
Publisher’s note: The TRPA sent this guest column to media in the Bay Area. This ran Aug. 25, 2010, in the San Jose Mercury News.
By Joanne Marchetta
Because it is one of the world’s most beloved natural settings, people come from all over the planet just to catch a glimpse of Lake Tahoe. Residents of the Bay Area, however, are fortunate to have it right in their backyard. To these more frequent visitors, Lake Tahoe’s beauty may seem a constant: Crest Echo Summit, and there it is, in all of its cobalt blue glory, the perfect getaway.
From a distance, the lake may appear as spectacular as ever. But Lake Tahoe is locked in an epic battle for its future. Decisions we make over the next 18 months as we develop an updated plan for Tahoe’s future will determine whether its communities, economy and environment thrive. If current initiatives are not successful, the pristine Lake Tahoe we envision for future generations could be lost.
Joanne Marchetta at the Aug. 17 environmental Summit. Photo/Kathryn Reed
At the 14th annual Lake Summit last week, the core discussion among elected officials, policymakers and other stakeholders was that the economy and the environment at Lake Tahoe are inextricably linked. By expanding our vision, we see that careful economic development can boost environmental conditions.
The story of how we landed here has 40 years of history. In the late 1960s, uncontrolled growth threatened the Lake Tahoe Basin. Tahoe’s legendary water clarity fell into decline as streams, meadows and wetlands were paved over. There was talk of building a metropolis the size of San Francisco and of erecting a bridge across the mouth of Emerald Bay.
Joanne Marchetta is executive director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.