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Forum points actions to resolve BMP problems

April 24, 2008

bmptalks_3.jpgBMP Talks reached the final stage in which participants decided on the best solutions and actions for BMP problems. On May 8th, they will present their conclusions and recommendations to the officials and press in a public meeting.

Participants selected these solutions from a list that they had created during the previous BMP Talks meetings. This community conversation started in the beginning of April, as a OurTahoe.org community self-help project.

The first meeting took place in the beginning of April. In that meeting participants named reasons why they think citizens are not implementing BMPs. In the second meeting, in mid-April, participants talked about possible solutions for the problems they had identified.

Below is a list of solutions and actions they advocate for (in no particular order).

Send Stronger Outreach Messages.

A more vigorous outreach program should include: more direct and mass mailings; public service announcements in the local media; penalty notices and follow-up letters to residents; and more media publicity and promotion.

Better outreach is one of the most important and productive ways to make the BMP process work better. Citizens in particular noted that even though the program is two decades old, many Tahoe homeowners still do not understand the rules. “Homeowners don’t understand BMPs and don’t think they can help the lake,” one of the citizen participants, Paul Reardon, said at the first meeting.

Combine BMP and Defensible Space Outreach.

The group suggests that the BMP agencies and fire departments begin by committing to the following:
–conduct at least 100 combined inspections by the end of 2008;
–create informational material for citizens that includes information about both programs;
–combine public relations and marketing strategies for the programs so that citizens come to see them as coordinated activities.

Agencies responsible for implementation of BMPs need to coordinate and collaborate better with fire departments that are involved in implementing Defensible Space rules. “We need to find a way to get this started, either by a staff member trained to do both inspections, or by a team of a fire inspector and a BMP evaluator,” said John Cobourn, UNR, in an online forum.
Such collaboration certainly raises many technical issues. However, the group believes that combining the two efforts will increase demand for site evaluation inspections and improve the quality of property management. “More people are likely to comply with BMP and Defensible Space regulations if they can get both inspections done with a single phone call and a single appointment,” Cobourn said.

Amplify and execute penalties and fines.

The group believes that the TRPA, the Nevada Tahoe Conservation District and the Tahoe Resource Conservation District are best positioned to create this system.

At the end of the day, BMPs are an enforcement program. As Dennis Olivier from the TRPA put it, “This is an enforcement program, it’s a law. We need to start fining residents.” The group agrees; penalties and fines for not complying with requirements should be imposed. These fines are TRPA’s responsibility and vary from $1000 to $4000, but have not been strictly enforced so far. A process of issuing notices, collecting monies, and publicizing enforcement efforts will need to be put in place.

Promote Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s success.

The goal is to help to lend the TRPA a more positive public image and to encourage community ownership of the agency’s success.

“When I was a kid, my parents used to tell me that by the time I grow up Tahoe was not going to be as blue and as beautiful as it is right now,” said Rich Breuner, Tahoe City resident. “Yet, the lake is still beautiful and pretty clear. So the TRPA must have done something right and we should talk about it.” The group feels that in order to amplify this message, the general public should be given more facts and promotional information about the policies that have contributed to the health of the lake and about the agency’s success.

Focus on neighborhood-wide implementation.

Need to get involved as a team to: integrate with community personalities in order to seek funding; incorporate projects like fuels thinning, defensible space, and storm water utility districts; send out a stronger BMP message and promote success.

The TRPA ought to organize neighbor-based forums so that citizens have an opportunity to learn more about the BMP process. The group imagines these forums to be opportunities for citizens to get questions answered directly from the responsible officials, but also as a way for them to interact with one another so that they can create shared understandings of the value BMPs bring to their community. In this way, the forums will raise community awareness of BMPs, but also perhaps promote a feeling of civic stewardship. Many organizations, including the Conservation Districts (NTCD and TRCD), University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Office, University of California Cooperative Extension Office and Natural Resources Conservation have resources, which might be brought to bear on the design and implementation of these forums. The TRPA should seek out their assistance.

Create Storm Water Utility Districts.

By 2009, at least one Storm Water Utility District (SWUD), a special assessment district put in place to generate funding specifically for stormwater management, or a Community Service Area, needs to be established. SWUD programs have been successfully searching for workable ways to fund stormwater management and water-quality programs in communities across the United States.

At a minimum, the process of creating these entities in both, California and Nevada, will require:
–an evaluation of various jurisdictions for best fit to sponsor a trial program in each state;
–creation of proposals for one SWUD in each county. This proposal should include a list of potential benefits for property owners;
–implementation of building fee structures that are based on sliding scale criteria for amount of water quality impact on property and owners’ income/ability to pay.

Anyone interested in this project is invited to join the final presentation meeting on May 8th and the BMP Talks forum.

Related posts: [ Second BMP Talks meeting adds to solutions ] [ Second BMP Talks meeting adds to solutions ] [ First meeting of BMPTalks highlights policy challenges ] [ BMP Talks participants present their BMP solutions ] [ Community meeting to discuss solutions for BMPs - Live streaming video available ] 

Written by Kamila Pawlik · Filed Under Feature #2, Landscaping 

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