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Campaign Updates
Our monthly update on projects the Regional Climate Change Program is working on as part of our effort to maintain and improve the health of our beautiful "Range of Light."
Regional Climate Change Program Update
February 19th, 2014
By Gavin Feiger
Regional Climate Change Senior Program Associate, Sierra Nevada Alliance
The Alliance Helps Create Lake Tahoe’s First Sustainability action Plan
On January 29th, Lake Tahoe’s first
Sustainability Action Plan was released. The Alliance Regional Climate Change Program took a leading role in developing the Plan. We drafted the Community Engagement chapter, collected public input on the Plan through the Lake Tahoe Sustainability Collaborative (LTSC), and provided our expertise in climate change planning, community engagement and outreach, and collaborative work to the team that developed this Plan and the LTSC. The Plan provides a menu of quantifiable and achievable strategies for citizens, businesses, tourists and local governments to undertake in order to make the Tahoe Region more sustainable. This is a cutting-edge and unique Plan and its “toolkit” nature makes it a model for other regions in the Sierra.
The Threat
The last six months offered a glimpse of what climate change may have in store for the Sierra. Our lungs and eyes experienced the largest wildfire on record in the Sierra, our record books logged 2013 as the driest year on record, and our feet and skies slip and scrape over the all-time low snowpack, less than 20% of normal. In 2006, the California Energy Commission predicted the
80% reduction in snowpack that we are seeing right now by the end of the century.
Lake Tahoe is warming at twice the rate of the world’s oceans and in 2012 we recorded the highest average surface water temperature ever. Climate change and warming conditions in the lake could affect the threat of wildfire and aquatic invasive species, and could alter the deep water mixing of Lake Tahoe, which keeps the lake healthy.
Globally, regionally, and locally, we all need to do our part to mitigate the worst effects of climate change while adapting to the changes that are already in motion. Lake Tahoe’s Sustainability Action Plan is a step in this direction.
Unique solution
The Alliance drafted the Community Engagement chapter of the Plan, helped establish the
Lake Tahoe Sustainability Collaborative and worked with the Collaborative, Tahoe Basin Partnership for Sustainable Communities, Tahoe Metropolitan Planning Organization (TMPO), and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), and Ascent Environmental to create the
Lake Tahoe Sustainability Action Plan.
The Sustainability Action Plan is unique in a number of ways that make it more than your traditional Climate Action Plan. We took a toolkit approach, recognizing that there are a number of cities and counties in the Region with their own planning processes and timelines and embracing the need to pursue sustainability actions that are difficult to measure in terms of greenhouse gases. The Plan encourages governments, agencies, citizens, businesses, and tourists to take a part in creating a sustainable Lake Tahoe Region. The Plan is designed to allow each of these players to focus on an aspect of sustainability and provides resources and guidance to lead by example, get involved with the planning processes, and make changes in your own life or business. The Plan
website allows people to find the sections that most apply to them with a single click.
The Plan also uniquely addresses climate adaptation or “readiness” by providing a menu of actions that governments and agencies in the Tahoe Region can take. This is the first adaptation plan specific for Tahoe and one of the first and most detailed efforts in the Sierra.
Finally, the Plan includes the first complete greenhouse gas emissions inventory, prepared by
California Tahoe Conservancy, for the Lake Tahoe Basin. This inventory includes breakdowns by state, county, and city and addresses wildfires and prescribed burns.
Alliance specific role
The Alliance is proud to provide our expertise in climate change planning, community engagement and outreach, and collaborative work to the team that developed this Plan and the Sustainability Collaborative.
The Alliance drafted the Community Engagement chapter, collected public input on the Plan through the LTSC, and provided input and advice on the entire Plan. We very much support the “toolkit” approach and look forward to promoting the Plan and further engaging the LTSC and the Tahoe community to focus on implementing sustainability actions.
The Alliance helped found the Collaborative in May 2012 with the mission to accelerate a shift toward a healthier Tahoe-Truckee community, environment, and economy. This year, the all volunteer group, comprised of over 120 members and supporters, is breaking ground from the bottom up and bringing meaning to the power of grassroots action with innovative projects.
In 2013, signature projects included the implementation of composting programs in two elementary schools, bike lane and marking improvements on Highway 50, Pioneer Trail, Venice, Black Bart, Ponderosa, and Eloise in South Lake Tahoe, Apache in Meyers, and Lakeside Parkway by Douglas county, the advancement of bike safety in the City in partnership with Caltrans, published a Sustainability Directory and Speakers Bureau, provided the community review function for a Renewable Energy Regional Planning Project, and a hosted a Regional Workforce Roundtable with 60 professionals from every workforce sector in the region. In addition to these local projects, the LTSC worked with TRPA/TMPO and the Partnership for Sustainable Communities to inform and review the recently published Sustainability Action Plan, including a unique community engagement chapter.
The Plan and the LTSC were funded in whole or in part through a grant awarded by the California Strategic Growth Council.
Please donate today to help us help the Sierra.
Events
Over the past seven years and across the Sierra Nevada, diverse groups have been coming together to create model Integrated Regional Water Management Plans (IRWMPs) to ensure reliable water supply, protect water quality and restore Sierra headwaters. While in various stages of pre-planning, planning and implementation, IRWMPs now cover almost the entire Sierra region. The Sierra Water Workgroup mission is to assist regional efforts to protect and enhance water quality, water supply, and watershed health; to develop cooperative regional responses; and to facilitate reinvestment in our watersheds and water resources by all beneficiaries.
This two-day event is an occasion to raise the profile of the Sierra, discuss issues specific to disadvantaged communities, inform stakeholders of state and federal water policy issues, and share accomplishments, challenges, and resources among Regional Water Management Groups throughout the Sierra Nevada. This year’s Summit will feature speakers and panelists from IRWM Groups, lawyers, state and federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, tribes, and public officials. The Summit will bring together IRWM stakeholders from all over the Range of Light and will feature informational workshops, great food, networking and interactive discussions. We hope you can join us for this event and we look forward to seeing you in June!
Date: June 12-13, 2014
Place: North Lake Tahoe Event Center, Kings Beach, CA
More Information: Click here for more information
This 12th annual event continues the California Watershed Network's annual outreach program that first began in 2002 for watershed protectors, restorationists, state agency representatives and legislators. Confirmed speakers include Natural Resources Secretary John Laird, State Water Board Member Steve Moore and water bond wizard Alf Brandt!
Date:Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Place: Cal-EPA's Klamath Room, 10th and I Street, Sacramento, CA
More Information: Click here for more information
The two year anniversary of the Stewardship Showcase sponsored by the Lake Tahoe Sustainability Collaborative will feature some very inspirational speakers highlighting current and future projects. The event is a great opportunity to share community stewardship strategies. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.
Date: Monday, May 12th 1:00-5:00 pm, 2014
Place:Lake Tahoe Community College in the Aspen/Board rooms, South Lake Tahoe, CA
More Information: Click here for more information
Comic of the Month
Newsletter contents prepared by Cody Bear.
If you have articles, events or announcements that you would like included in this newsletter or if you have feedback, please email cody@sierranevadaalliance.org.
