TRPA considers updating user fee study

Monday, Oct. 20, 1997 | 9:31 a.m.

While tourists are crucial to the Lake Tahoe economy, they also contribute greatly to the region's environmental demise, officials and environmental groups have said.

The TRPA has identified about $1 billion in erosion control and other environmental projects needed to protect the Tahoe Basin's sensitive ecosystem, but state and federal governments have allocated only a fraction of what is needed.

Now, the board will once again consider whether visitors should help foot the bill. Possible methods include toll booths and parking fees.

"People that come in to visit Tahoe should bear some of the expense of keeping it a fine place to visit," said Jerome Waldie, a former congressman and California appointee to the TRPA governing board. "We clearly need more revenue."

The governing board on Wednesday will consider spending $50,000 to $75,000 to update a 1974 study on the feasibility of enacting a user fee.

New interest in the user fee proposal comes as U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman prepares to visit the region to ink an agreement pledging federal assistance in protecting the lake's delicate environment.

President Clinton ordered the partnership during a two-day summit in July and authorized $50 million toward the effort. The summit was also attended by Vice President Al Gore, top cabinet officers and numerous state and federal officials from California and Nevada.

Since then, officials from various federal agencies have hammered out how they intend to coordinate environmental protection efforts with local entities and organizations.

Glickman is scheduled to sign the agreement on Oct. 29.

This is what we've been trying to do for years - to get all the players together," said Jim Baetge, TRPA executive director. "It's a big change from the past."

Experts have warned that unless drastic measures are implemented within the next 10 years, Lake Tahoe's famed clarity could be lost forever.