Number range CHAPTER© 2004 by Leo Poppoff

# August 19, 2004

Basin Watch

by

Leo Poppoff

A MOMENTOUS DAY FOR TAHOE'S ENVIRONMENT

Last year, it was a promise. This year, the goods were delivered. Since
President Clinton's famous trip to Lake Tahoe, we've had an annual event
to take stock of progress and keep up the spirit of Clinton's visit. At
last year's event, Nevada's Senator John Ensign described his idea for
funding the federal share of the Tahoe Basin's billion dollar
Environmental Improvement Program. This year, the money arrived. That's
got to be a record.

For years, the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM), has been
auctioning off some of its land near Las Vegas. It's valuable property.
And, we're assured, not the kind that should be preserved in its natural
state. Proceeds benefit Nevada's parks and recreation areas. The program
is known as the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, or SNPLMA --
it's a mouthful, but a great resource.

President Clinton had promised us the federal government's third of the
Environmental Improvement Program costs. Still, it required legislative
action by California's Senator Dianne Feinstein and Nevada's Senator
Harry Reid to authorize the funds, some \$30 million per year, with
their Lake Tahoe Restoration Act. But, that didn't quite do the trick.
Tahoe has been receiving money from the feds for the past few years, but
never close to the amounts called for in the legislation. Would we ever
get the full amount?

Senator Ensign had an inspiration. Why not, he wondered, tap some of the
dollars generated by SNPLMA? At last year's event, Senator Ensign
announced that he had introduced legislation to provide Tahoe with part
of the SNPLMA proceeds. And fairly quickly, the bill was passed, and
signed by President Bush.

Tahoe agencies rushed to select appropriate projects that were ready to
go, and request funding. The request was reviewed by the Lake Tahoe
Federal Advisory Committee and the Tahoe Science Advisory Group,
forwarded through the necessary approval channels, and on to the
Interior Department. The request totaled almost \$38 million. Would the
Secretary of Interior approve?

We got the answer last Thursday at this year's event, held at the
Ponderosa Ranch, and hosted by Senators Reid and Ensign. John Singlaub,
TRPA's Executive Director, introduced the VIPs on the platform and
welcomed the audience, most of whom were protected from the hot August
sun by a large canopy. The VIPs weren't so lucky. Why the canopy
couldn't have been extended to protect the speakers wasn't clear.

TRPA Governing Board member Coe Swobe dedicated this year's event to
Nevada's Michael O'Callaghan. Swobe, a good friend of the recently
deceased O'Callaghan, spoke of the former Nevada Governor's love of
Tahoe and how much he did for Tahoe in the legislature, as Governor, and
in retirement.

Senators Reid and Ensign told of their pleasure with progress at Tahoe,
recognized that much more must be done, and urged all to continue the
good work. Senator Feinstein couldn't attend but sent a letter
expressing her interest in Tahoe's restoration and wildfire protection.
Help from Senators Reid, Ensign and Feinstein has been invaluable. It's
hard to imagine how we could be doing what we're doing without their
involvement -- and the great way California and Nevada have contributed
their share.

Then, Secretary Norton delivered the pièce de résistance. Her department
administers the SNPLMA and the U.S. Geological Service, both very
important for Tahoe's restoration. Secretary Norton, altered her very
busy schedule to attend the event and personally deliver a \$37.5
million check, which she signed on the spot. What service.

And there were more goodies. Wayne Nastri, administrator of EPA's
Pacific Southwest Region, told the audience that his agency is committed
to work with its state partners to protect "this precious natural
treasure." He announced a grant of \$1.1 million to California's
Lahontan Water Quality Control Board. The money will be used for a joint
program with the Nevada's Division of Environmental Protection. They'll
be evaluating new approaches and technologies to control pollution in
the Lake Tahoe area.

Most of the speakers also recognized the danger from wildfires to the
basin, its residents and the lake. Tahoe has a fire ecology. Low
intensity fire is important to maintain meadows, control undergrowth,
and renew native vegetation. Yet, fuels have accumulated so densely in
Tahoe's forests over the past seventy-odd years of fire suppression that
wildfires would be expected to be much too hot and dangerous. Professor
Charles Goldman was quoted as saying that a wildfire in the basin would
set Tahoe's restoration back a hundred years. Several basin fire
districts were recognized for their fire safety programs.

On Thursday afternoon, another momentous event took place. The Tahoe
Center for Environmental Sciences was "launched" at the Sierra Nevada
College campus. It will be a facility for research and education by
several institutions. We'll save that for a future column.

All in all, it was a great day for Tahoe's restoration efforts. Now,
with all those resources coming along, we have to do the best job we
can.

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