Washoe role on TRPA board called just

Friday, Aug. 1, 1997 | 11:48 a.m.

Peter Chase Neumann, who was appointed to the board by President Clinton in 1995, said the Washoe now have a greater stake in the Tahoe Basin because of an agreement that gives them control over 400 acres of the basin.

Clinton announced the agreement between the U.S. Forest Service and the Washoe at the Lake Tahoe Presidential Forum. The 30-year special-use permit re-establishes the Washoe in the Tahoe Basin, where their ancestors lived in summer camps for centuries and which they regard as their spiritual home.

"The tribe definitely needs representation," said Neumann, a Reno attorney, who suggested the Washoe could have his place on the board.

"Historically, they've had a role as stewards of the basin for a long time," he said. "They have a historic birthright and I feel they should have representation based on that reason."

Neumann's statement will likely stir discussion on the board. Board Chairman Drake Delanoy described the proposal as innovative.

"I think that it is a quite interesting idea," Delanoy said. "If the Washoe Tribe is going to hold land, it might be helpful for them to express their thoughts on how things should be done in the basin."

Neumann and Delanoy said the biggest hitch with the proposal is that the position is the only non-voting seat on the governing board. Because of the frustration of not being able to affect votes, past presidential appointees have had a spotty attendance record.

The position has remained vacant for more than four years out of the last eight.

Neumann suggested that, if the Washoe are on the TRPA board, they should be able to vote. That would require legislation by California and Nevada, and the approval of the U.S. Congress, said Rachelle Nicolle, a TRPA counsel.

Neumann said making the seat a voting position would give the Washoe more influence.

"It wouldn't hurt my feelings if that position were converted to a voting position and given to the Washoe," Neumann said. "Without a vote, I often sit there like a bump on a log.

"Occasionally I participate in the discussions, but as a practical matter, if you don't have a vote, you don't have much moral suasion."