Dear Friends,

We’ve been challenging Placer County’s efforts to adopt TRPA’s pro-density, pro-coverage amendments over the past couple of years without first addressing existing conditions and increased wildfire danger. Now the same issues have officially arisen within El Dorado County. The Notice of Preparation for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a new Tahoe El Dorado Area Plan (termed “TED” by the agencies) has been released for public review.

Further, the reduced minimum number of parking spaces/unit is unrealistic and apt to force new residents to park along neighborhood streets. Please read below for more details and how to take action (comments are due by April 3rd)!

As always in our bi-monthly newsletters, we will keep you updated on West Shore activities and opportunities to participate in land use planning activities. We look forward to your continued feedback and support, and encourage you to contact us with any additional ideas or questions you may have.

Sincerely,

Attention HOAs and other community groups!

As in previous summers, FOWS will again be making presentations at West Shore homeowner meetings throughout the summer. Please contact me at jmtornese@aol.com if a FOWS Board member can speak for about 10 minutes at your HOA meeting to update your members on what’s happening on the West Shore. Alternatively, we can provide a brief written update on the status of West Shore projects which can be distributed to your members at your meeting.

El Dorado County Area Plan

As we advised in a recent Alert, El Dorado County recently held public workshops regarding the Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report/Statement for the proposed “Tahoe El Dorado Area Plan” (aka “TED”), which is now available for review here. Comments are due on April 3rd.

Unfortunately, the proposed TED Area Plan would mean significant changes for Tahoma. While FOWS supports the need for more affordable housing in the Basin, we believe the agencies must first analyze current conditions with respect to wildfire and emergency evacuation and access - before packing more people and vehicles into the Basin and adding to an already dangerous situation. FOWS and others also question whether the policies will truly result in the intended affordable housing and believe that alternative options have not been adequately examined. Further, increases in allowable density, coverage, and multi-family units in single-family residential areas are also included for units that would not be deed-restricted to provide affordable housing.

Specifically, the Area Plan proposes major changes in two ways:

FOWS encourages you to submit comments on the NOP. Comments can be emailed to TEDAreaPlan@edcgov.us or submitted through the TED NOP contact page.

Placer County Tahoe Basin Area Plan

An initial settlement conference for the Phase 2 litigation filed by FOWS, TahoeCleanAir.org, and the North Tahoe Preservation Alliance was held last month between Placer County and the three Plaintiffs. An Agreement with Placer County was not reached regarding preparation of a supplemental Environmental Impact Report and the litigation is progressing through the court system. In February, FOWS and other Plaintiffs also filed a Notice of Appeal on the Phase 1 litigation, which is also proceeding through the courts.

The TRPA housing amendments are mandated for adoption by all counties. While TRPA is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), local jurisdictions within California must follow CEQA requirements.

TRPA Housing Amendments

The ‘3rd phase’ of housing amendments (termed “Cultivating Community, Conserving the Basin” by the TRPA) recommend policies that further strip away environmental protections and ignore the impacts to public safety associated with packing more people and vehicles into the Basin. Additional, despite being advertised to improve affordable and workforce housing, not all of the new units utilizing the benefits of the amendments would actually be deed-restricted for low- and moderate- income housing. See our last newsletter for additional details.

TRPA released the Notice of Preparation for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on 1/29/2026. Public comments were accepted through 3/16/2026. TRPA will now prepare the EIS and aims to release the draft later this year.

FOWS remains concerned the Phase 3 amendments include more significant increases in development and urban sprawl without evaluating other options to improve housing and without sufficiently planning for emergency evacuation and access. Read FOWS comments on the NOP here.

Homewood Mountain Resort (HMR)

We are pleased to report that the deed restriction language has been finalized with TRPA to confirm that the property will be used for recreational purposes only. It needs to be signed and filed for the record. The new Gondola is on track for construction next year.

HMR and the North Tahoe Fire Protection District have not yet reached agreement on the requirements to fulfill equipment and staffing commitments.

Other updates

• The Boatworks at Tahoe: The application remains active but there are no new updates.

• Lake Tahoe West Forest Restoration –The project aims to improve forest health and public safety through methods such as forest thinning, prescribed fire, aspen/meadow restoration, construction of forest access roads, and related activities. Work is anticipated to begin summer 2026.

Other Items of Interest

• A recent Travel and Leisure article ranked the Top 10 Cleanest Lakes in the U.S. based on water quality and clarity - and Lake Tahoe didn’t make the list. In fact, as reflected in years of research and monitoring by the Tahoe Environmental Research Center, while the loss of the annual average clarity has generally stabilized, the average summer clarity has continued to decline.

• North Tahoe may be on its way to becoming its own town after a local organization announced it has formally submitted an application to incorporate at a press conference at Kings Beach on Thursday, Feb. 26.

• "The blue waters of Lake Tahoe shimmer when sunlight hits the surface and glow with warm shades of orange as the sun dips behind the Sierra Nevada. The view is often enough to stop people mid-sentence, caught in a quiet moment of awe. But what, exactly, is happening beneath that feeling?” Researchers explore that question and more in a new docuseries: “Beyond Awe Struck: The Scientific Search for Connection.”

• NV Energy has advised our local provider, Liberty Utilities, that they have one year to find another source for the Basin’s power.