Dear Friends:

The recent hiring freezes, firings, and other funding cuts being made to the U.S. Forest Service and others could have devastating consequences for the Lake Tahoe Basin, where 78% of the land is managed by the USFS. Unfortunately this comes at a time when wildfire danger is ever-increasing due to climate change and visitation to the Basin has significantly increased. The loss of seasonal USFS firefighters and other important federal employees could leave the Basin with far fewer resources to both prevent and fight wildfires. A recent article notes:

"[M]any of the probational workers have ecological expertise vital to fire response, and post-fire recovery efforts as well as other aspects. These cuts not only reduce manpower, but also reduce this knowledge, and could lead to larger issues in the long term.

As far as the compounding effect the lack of seasonal workers will have…“It literally impacts everything because they rely on seasonal employees so heavily.”

Other impacts include fewer staff to manage visitor centers and recreational resources, trash control, and USFS law enforcement (which would result in fewer rangers to patrol and ensure campfires are put out).

FOWS and others in the community are extremely concerned about the potential impacts to the Basin and public safety. FOWS is one of 495 organizations that recently signed this letter urging the US Senators and Representatives to reverse the terminations and halt further workforce reductions. This situation is yet another reason that FOWS does not support the ongoing approvals of significant increases in development by TRPA and Placer County without first adequately evaluating emergency access and evacuation, especially during peak periods.

As always, we will keep you updated on West Shore activities and other projects in our bi-monthly newsletters. 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,

Placer County Tahoe Basin Area Plan (TBAP)

On Wednesday March 26 the TRPA Governing Board approved a motion to adopt the “Phase 2 Housing Amendments” as part of the Placer County TBAP. These amendments were approved by TRPA in December 2023 despite opposition by organizations (including FOWS) and members of the public expressing concerns about increasing development and population without first addressing the existing overcrowding and threats to public safety and wildfire evacuation. An Environmental Impact Report is required to properly analyze the significant impacts of allowing unlimited density (number of units/acre), up to 65’ tall buildings, 100% lot coverage, and little or no parking. TRPA’s code requires the amendments to be adopted into individual County Area Plans after approval by TRPA’s Board. Placer County anticipates public hearings to vote on final approval by the Board of Supervisors later this year.

At this time, the lawsuit filed by FOWS and other organizations against Placer County’s October 2023 amendments is proceeding through the next steps prescribed by California law.

TRPA Housing Amendments

It is not clear when the TRPA will be bringing forward “Phase 3 Amendments” that the agency claims will improve housing in the Region. The amendments were not on the agenda at the most recent Tahoe Living Working Group meeting on January 27. However, the primary discussion at that meeting focused on a “TRPA 101” presentation that aimed to provide information on the background and history of the agency, including legislative authority, structure of governing and advisory bodies, and the role of TRPA vs. local governments. The presentation can be viewed here.

FOWS Social Media Survey

FOWS is conducting a survey to determine more information about the West Shore residents, homeowners, and visitors. We would particularly like more feedback on your use of social media and your primary source of information for environmental and community projects, including which efforts are most supportive to our community. We’re hoping this information can better serve us in disseminating updates and prioritizing FOWS advocacy for our community. We kindly ask that you take a few moments to complete this brief survey.

Homewood Mountain Resort (HMR)

Several other positive items were officially added and documented on the record during the meeting, including HMR annual reports, guarantee of ski passes for 2nd homeowners, and public access to skier services facilities and other amenities. The community group Keep Homewood Public will continue to monitor future development as it relates to this and other provisions in the amendment.

All documents and information about the application process are on TRPA’s Homewood Mountain Resort information page.

8305, 8307, & 8311 Meeks Bay Ave. Development/Vacation Rentals

These housing projects are still undergoing design review and alteration and have not been taken before the TRPA Hearings Officer for a second hearing. Community members were recently advised that TRPA recently signed a contract with an environmental consulting firm to prepare a scenic evaluation of the combination of the three projects. For those interested in these projects; please contact Dana Schneider for more information.

US Forest Service Electric-bikes and Trails Proposal

The USFS held a meeting with the community members and groups that filed an Objection to the USFS decision that will allow the use of e-bikes on many trails around the Basin. Those who had previously commented on the project were permitted to speak. Concerns expressed included user conflicts (among hikers, bikers, e-bikers, and equestrians), public safety, the difficulty in distinguishing between different classes of e-bikes (not all classes of e-bikes would be allowed), and limited USFS staff to enforce regulations. The latter concern has since become even more pronounced due to the reductions in federal government staff that have since occurred (discussed elsewhere in this letter).

Other updates

Tahoe/El Dorado Area Plan (“TED”):

There are no new updates at this time. Agency coordinators have stated that a new survey will be posted to the TED website soon as they move into Phase 2.

Wildfire Prepareness Survey: