TRPA putting on a party, giving out awards
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is hosting its second annual Community Appreciation Day and Lake Spirit Awards on Sept. 27 from 4–7pm at its offices at 128 Market St., Stateline.
This year’s theme is Making Progress and will focus on the Regional Plan update and the fifth anniversary of the Angora Fire.
Partners include the Tahoe Science Consortium which will donate a display of Angora Fire photos and Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District which will provide a ladder and squad truck, an interactive ember house, along with a booth on Living With Fire and creating defensible space.
The family event will include live music, a free barbecue dinner, activities for kids, an ice cream social hosted by members of TRPA’s Governing Board and Advisory Planning Commission, and demonstration booths explaining the Regional Plan update and TRPA’s mission, as well as a TRPA boat where children can conduct mock inspections for aquatic invasive species with staff from the Tahoe Resource Conservation District.
The event will also include announcing the winners of the Lake Spirit Awards honoring real people making real progress at protecting Lake Tahoe. Members of the public are encouraged to nominate members of the community who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to protect the beauty and clarity of the Lake.
This year TRPA is adding an extra category to the Lake Spirit Awards contest. One category will be for everyday citizens, and the other will be for agency and environmental science representatives. Nominations for the Lake Spirit Awards can be made online through Sept. 16.
Where does TRPA get the funds to buy everyone dinner? From all their new fees?
I nominate Tyler durden
I spent thousands on worthless bmps and now I get a free burger? sweet I win!!
They are so alienated from the community, need to work on improving their image, do some good works, maybe that’s what they are trying to do with this event, but it doesn’t stir a desire for me to go.
There’s no perfect answer to creating balance between biz and enviro “stakeholders” but one thing is for sure, if not for the TRPA the free marketeers would have trashed the Tahoe Basin for a buck and there wouldn’t be a community future to talk about.
Dick there is no doubt that the plans for Tahoe were extreme. An interstate over Emerald Bay would be a case in point. But it is equally true that extreme environmentalism has lead to the decline of Tahoe. Its just a fact that increasing fixed costs of development means that the business must charge more to cover overhead. Add in the land constraints and it is a purely anti-business climate. And the squallor in SLT is the fruit we reap for the anti-business climate. There could be balance, but this ain’t it.
It is Not equally true that extreme environmentalism has lead to the decline of Tahoe. It IS true that environmentalists saved Lake Tahoe for future generations.
Been to alot of places without environmentalist hanging around. They seem to be doing just fine.
Dick thanks for clearing that up. Your economic arguements are very persuading.
Dick, if costs of production go up, that includes buildings, then prices also have to go up. Marginal revenue must equal or exceed marginal cost. That is basic economics. So if environmental regulation causes increased costs then price goes up. When price goes up then consumers start looking for substitutes – they go elsewhere. So if Izzy’s Burgers has to pave and put in complete BMP’s, then they have to increase price and they go out of business. We see it over and over and over. So Izzys continues to have a dirt lot because they are grandfathered in. But hey if they try to pave then they lose a large portion of their parking and their costs go through the roof and they go bankrupt. Congrats extreme environmentalists, nice job saving a dirt parking lot.
John, Thanks for the irrelevant basic econ example. Without the pristine Lake Tahoe environment, that so many have fought for against the unregulated development profiteers, Izzy’s Burger Spa would be bankrupt because we would have killed the proverbial “Golden Goose” for short term profit. As a 38 yr. local property owner I’m no big fan of everything the TRPA has done. I do know that poorly or un- regulated projects would have destroyed our unique natural beauty, our most profitable asset.