TRPA wants opinions about BMP handbook
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is seeking input as it updates the Handbook of Best Management Practices. It last updated in 1988.
The BMP Handbook provides guidance to consultants, engineers, contractors, homeowners, agencies, and others who are proposing projects in the Lake Tahoe region which may affect water quality. Stormwater is an evolving science and new research provides information that improves BMP effectiveness and design.
Topics addressed in the proposed BMP Handbook update include urban hydrology, site analysis, temporary and permanent BMPs selection, shorezone protective structures, soils restoration and revegetation, approved plant lists, fertilizers, fire defensible space, inspection, maintenance, and monitoring.
Input will be accepted until Aug. 1. The 1988 BMP Handbook and the Final Draft BMP Handbook are available online.
Input may be submitted online or via email to jchoy@trpa.org.
Is there a reason these agencies including the forest service now ask the public for input? Just curious why they wouldn’t be contacting experts in their fields instead of clerks, bank tellers or tv repairmen. Is this a sly move by gov’t agencies to later say the public approved of a project because of their requested input – whether right or wrong?
They are required to by law under the National Environmental Policy Act.
BMP’s can easily being headed up by the City & Building Departments. We don’t need to be the only cities (around the whole lake), in the country, with our own special little agency, to tell us the exact same thing that is being legislated and enforced Nationwide, by all of the rest of the country, with no such extra double coverage of agencies.
Our city can adopt cutting edge, science backed up laws that are proven, and will be a bit more stringent then nationwide standards, but we do not need to support a redundant, non elected agency.
The TRPA needs to adopt region-wide BMP’s that the local jurisdictions can then implement and enforce at the local level. Jurisdictions still have to follow state standards. Letting each jurisdiction come up with their own set of BMP’s would just spell trouble for Lake Tahoe as a whole.Reducing pollutant and sediment input into the Lake is a collaborative process that will only be accomplished if everyone works together.
Jurisdictions need to provide input into the BMP handbook to describe and resolve unique topographic and community scenarios that don’t fit a regional cookie-cutter mold.
Regardless, TRPA needs to update the “ancient” BMP handbook.