Second BMP Talks meeting adds to solutions
April 9, 2008
Below is a full list of problems and solutions listed by the BMP Talks team.
Do you agree? Can you add to the conversation? Let us know what you think! Join the BMP Talks forum.
A lack of effective outreach and BMP education:
Solutions:
• More cooperation and engagement from the press.
• Provide more reasonable and convincing reasons why people should install BMPs.
• Increase funding for BMP outreach, education and marketing.
• Think of new, more effective outreach strategies.
• Educate about BMPs with tax notices.
• Combine BMPs and Defensible Space outreach.
• Enlist real estate agents to help inform about BMP process.
• Provide BMP info on the property assessors’ Web page.
Residents don’t have money and time to do BMPs:
Solutions:
• Provide more financial incentives, e.g. through property taxes.
• Have counties install BMPs and amortize payments for residents over time.
• Secure grants, loans, donations.
• Provide volunteer installation for the elderly.
• Consider a BMP tax.
• Develop a Mitigation fee.
• Develop BMP community works, similar to public works.
• Provide free public access to BMP materials such as wood chips, pine needles, rocks.
Residents fear they will be penalized for infractions if their property is evaluated:
Solutions:
• Make it clear in outreach that the BMP retrofit is exempt from TRPA inspections for infractions.
• Make it clear that BMP inspections are not related to code enforcement.
• Educate the public about free, no-risk site evaluation.
• Make it clear that new requirements are not retroactive, once property is BMP certified.
• Make the messages from TRPA, Conservation Districts, City and Counties consistent.
The homeowners do not respect TRPA, agency responsible for BMP regulations:
Solutions:
• Promote TRPA’s success.
• Use different program names to differentiate TRPA and BMP program.
• Other agencies should promote TRPA.
Lack of enforcement:
Solutions:
• Make the timeline for BMPs completion clear.
• Increase funding for agencies enforcing BMPs.
• Amplify penalties.
Believe BMPs are not effective:
Solutions:
• Combine BMPs and Defensible Space programs.
• Fund grants for research to verify effects of BMPs.
Believe that BMP requirements change frequently:
Solutions:
• Add a disclaimer to the policy that informs homeowners that codes and regulations might change.
• Show public the responsibilities of all agencies.
Related posts: [ Second BMP Talks meeting adds to solutions ] [ Forum points actions to resolve BMP problems ] [ 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 ]
Hello Friends.
March 3, 2008
How are you doing today?
Related posts: [ Together in prayer, Junto en la oración ] [ Community newspaper struggles to reach Hispanics ] [ Hispanics attend landscaping class ] [ Lessons from the 7-11 ] [ Talking about immigration ]
Ways of going green
December 16, 2007
 Click here to take a virtual tour of Susan Smith’s home |
 Click here to take a virtual tour of Robin and Dave Rittenhouse’s home |
Here are two Lake Tahoe homes that demonstrate two markedly different ways of going green and reducing our impact on the environment.
On the left, Susan Smith of Rubicon Bay shares with us how she has used green technologies to reduce her energy consumption and harness the power of the sun. (She also hasn’t paid a power or heating bill in a year and a half).
On the right, Robin and Dave Rittenhouse show us how they live a low impact life at home by increasing their efficiency while reducing their use of energy. (They have one or two “low impact” days a month where they try not to use electricity or drive anywhere).
Related posts: [ Green tour highlights Tahoe homes, values ] [ Light bulb moment: Turn it off ] [ Tour the Cedar House ] [ Angora homeowners going green ] [ Alternative light: A bright idea? ]
New traditions for Christmas
December 11, 2007
Table of contents for Angora Fire
- First snow falls on Tahoe, not all celebrate
- New traditions for Christmas
Kate Lambdin loves Christmas, but this year she and her family must celebrate the holiday in a rental house, without the familiar ornaments and surroundings of the past years. The Lambdins’ home was among the 254 destroyed in the Angora fire last June. But Kate is determined to keep the Christmas spirit.
As the family rebuilds, all that remained of their old house was the mailbox. So on a cold afternoon, Kate, her sister Anna, mother Paula and father Larry came together to decorate their mailbox.
See the slideshow of Kate Lambin.
Christmas is about traditions and memories. What are your favorite memories? What new traditions will you start this Christmas? Please comment below.
Related posts: [ South Lake neighborhood lives on, even without houses ] [ Delicia Spees talks about the Angora fire ] [ Sitting on a park bench ] [ Student blogs about working parents ] [ Why we love Tahoe ]
Get to know us–read our blogs
December 2, 2007
In an effort to let you know more about who we are and what we care about, each of us has developed a blog featured on this site.
After a few adjustments (and by that we mean a couple of dropouts), we’ve settled on a graduate cohort of five students. We are focusing this time on trying new forms of journalism and new ways of communicating with the audience.We come from a variety of backgrounds and have different goals in mind, but on one thing we all agree: we want to work with you in accomplishing them.So, here’s who we are. We look forward to getting to know you better.
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Liz Margerum was born in Elko and raised in Reno. She has worked seven years as a photographer for the RenoGazette-Journal. She is fascinated by the Nevada desert and has captured much of its beauty in the photographs you can view on her blog.
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Allan Warren is from Alaska (talk to him for five minutes and you’ll hear it 14 times). The outdoors is an intrinsic part of his life and he shares it with you in his blog. Visit his site to read about his adventures around Tahoe. He and others also share their perspectives on the natural life.
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Dan Sorensen teaches philosophy at UNR and is looking for new ways to tell stories. He wants to find ways to work with you to tell your stories your way. Read his blog to find out more.
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Related posts: [ Understanding diversity ] [ It’s all about you ] [ Talking about immigration ] [ Participants named for “BMP Talks” ] [ Back to square one: TRPA to reconsider Heavenly Master Plan ]
Photo gallery- Lake Tahoe flipbook
October 20, 2007
According to thefreedictionary.com, a flip·book is “a small book consisting of a series of images that give
the illusion of continuous movement when the edges of the pages are flipped quickly.”
This idea was used to create the photo gallery by taking photos in succession and playing through them to create a movie effect. From clouds blowing over the Mount Rose summit to waves crashing onto the shore near Memorial Point, view the Lake Tahoe flipbook.
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If you would like to add to the flipbook, send photos to LizMargerum@ourtahoe.org. (You will need at least 10 photos.) |
Related posts: [ Together in prayer, Junto en la oración ] [ Why we love Tahoe ] [ Clarity focus of Tahoe Summit ] [ Tahoe Summit: 10 years later ] [ Off the couch and onto the river ]
Kokanee Salmon return to Taylor Creek
October 5, 2007
Every fall the Kokanee Salmon make their way up Taylor Creek to spawn. The fish spawn during October when cooler water temperatures and increased water flow draw the fish home. This weekend is the Kokanee Salmon Festival at Taylor Creek Visitor Center located off Highway 89 north of South Lake Tahoe. The visitor center is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during October.
See the slideshow of the salmon at Taylor Creek.
Related posts: [ Tour the Cedar House ] [ Delicia Spees talks about the Angora fire ] [ Impact of the Angora fire on water clarity ] [ Together in prayer, Junto en la oración ] [ Are slash mats worth the cost? ]
Angora homeowners going green
October 3, 2007
Many homeowners rebuilding in the wake of this summer’s Angora fire are planning to rebuild their homes with green technologies that improve efficiency and fire resistance.
Homeowner and Kayak Tahoe tours business owner Steve Lannoy lost his home in the fire.
“I’m taking a total open approach,” Lannoy said. “But if I rebuild, I will definitely go green.”
Danny Webb of Sierra Sustainable Builders said he is helping three homeowners in the rebuilding process, and that all three of them are going green.
“We’re primarily using cement board siding,” Webb said. “It’s cheaper than cedar, easy to apply, easy to paint, made of recycled materials, efficient and fire resistant. It can be used with any number of framing options. It’s our most recommended product.”
“For roofs we’re going with asphalt shingles,” Webb said. “A lot of roofs are heavily fire coated, but asphalt is fire resistant. It’s also easily recycled and can be turned back into road base if a re-roofing is ever necessary.”
Stonefield Development, a contracting company based out of San Diego, is also trying to help Angora homeowners go green.
“We’ve got about 25 homeowners who have signed letters of interest in our Angora Fire Rebuild program,” said Patti Moser, project manager for the program. “We’re striving for maximum efficiency both in the finished homes and in the building process itself. All of our homes will be built to the new (2008) codes.”
The Angora Fire Rebuild plan is modeled off of the Scripps Ranch Rebuild that Stonefield did for 81 homeowners following the San Diego Cedar fire in October of 2003.
“The Angora Fire Rebuild is designed specifically for Angora though. We’ll be working with local subcontractors as well,” Moser said.
Staying local is a concern for Steve Lannoy.
“I’ll give my local buddies the first option if I rebuild,” said Lannoy, who is also considering the option of letting the Tahoe Conservancy buy-out his property. “I just believe in their program and think it’s good for the lake. Part of my lot is wetland, so it might be good to ensure that it gets protected.”
Concern for the environment seems to be on everyone’s mind after the devastation of Angora.
“We’re really hoping to start building concrete homes,” Webb said. “There’s a huge market for concrete homes in the valley right now, and we’d like to see more of it happening up here at Tahoe. It’s getting harder and harder for people to meet the efficiency requirements of Title 24, the California mandates for efficiency in building. Cement buildings are already 15 percent beyond Title 24 requirements, and those restrictions are just going to get stricter by the year. A lot of recycled material can be used in the construction too.”
In addition to recycled aggregates that can be used to make concrete, fly-ash, a waste product from coal burning power plants, is being used more and more in concrete production.
“Up to 90 percent of concrete can now be made from fly-ash,” said Philippe Cohen, director of the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, home of Stanford University’s first “green” building.
Fly-ash produces stronger, more durable concrete and can easily be obtained locally through Headwaters Inc., which has two terminals for its products in Northern Nevada and three more in Northern California.
For a comprehensive list of green architects, engineers, material suppliers and builders, visit the Sierra Green Builders Association Web site at www.sigba.org. At the SiGBA Web site you can also register for the Oct. 6 Green Home Tour.
“The Green Tour was one of the primary starts to our association,” said Eli Meyer, president of the association.
This year’s tour will be around North Lake Tahoe between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., departing from 64 Acres Park, behind the Bridgetender in Tahoe City. Seating is limited to about 45 people on a biodiesel bus, fueled courtesy of Truckee Biofuels.
“The home tour shows people what’s real and what’s working right now (with green building technologies) in the local area,” Meyer said.
Do you have a green home? Have some suggestions for other readers? Feel free to add your comments.
Some other resources include:
www.sigba.org -an advocate for environmental design within the Central and Northern Sierra Nevada
www.greenbuilding.com -an informative and interactive site
www.greencommunitiesonline.org -an initiative to help low income families go green
www.firewise.org -explore a fire safe home in virtual reality
Related posts: [ Green tour highlights Tahoe homes, values ] [ Ways of going green ] [ Fire fund extends deadlines for Angora victims ] [ Delicia Spees talks about the Angora fire ] [ “Love thy neighbor” takes on a new meaning for local church ]
South Lake neighborhood lives on, even without houses
September 20, 2007
“Hi, how are you?” the conversation begins, with a hug at the front door. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“So, you made it through the first 10 days of school.”
Small talk. Food. Wine. Like any neighborhood party.
But this conversation turns from pleasantries to “… I just saw this orange glow. I couldn’t tell if it was two blocks away or two miles away because of the tree line.”
And, “There’s a pair of size 9 men’s shoes on the fireplace if anyone needs them.”
This neighborhood gathering isn’t a party. And it’s no longer a neighborhood.
Each Tuesday, residents of the Mountain View Estates in South Lake Tahoe who lost their homes in the Angora fire meet to share information, questions and hope.
“We were a very close neighborhood,” said Larry Lambdin, who hosts the weekly meetings along with his wife, Paula. “We just did a lot of things together. We’ve found that this is a good way to support each other.”
The meetings usually begin at 6 p.m. with food and conversation. Around 7 p.m. El Dorado County Supervisor Norma Santiago shows up for an informal town hall-like session where she updates residents on the latest information and answers questions.
This Tuesday, she updated residents on the county’s program to remove for free the hazardous trees burned in the June 24-July 3 fire that destroyed 254 homes.
She tells them 262 property owners have signed up for the program - some trees burned where homes survived.
She asks how it’s been going.
They’re disappearing. They’re gone. It’s sad, people respond. They say it’s hard to see their property cleared.
Santiago sympathizes. Then the questions get tougher.
Is anyone overseeing the company who’s cutting the trees? Residents who’ve already had their trees removed say the company turned their lots into “skid row,” dragging trees indiscriminately over property and “ripping everything apart.”
Some worried the process had changed the landscape of their lots and they would have to survey again, a cost of $600-$1,500.
Others said trees that may not have been dead were removed anyway.
It was the first Santiago had heard of the concerns. She promised to get answers.
“I’m so grateful (Santiago) is our supervisor,” Paula Lambdin said. “She never takes no for an answer.”
Residents understand the process is going to be slow sometimes.
“You wouldn’t believe the rumors we hear,” Robert Kaufman said. “(Rebuilding) is not as smooth as they made it sound like it was going to be.”
But through the difficulty, they said, they have seen the best of people.
For instance, the food at Tuesday’s gathering was purchased through a donation from a family in Stockton, Calif., who sent a note telling the Lambdins to use the $100 on something insurance wouldn’t cover.
Paula had a thank-you note sitting on the counter for everyone to sign.
The home the Lambdins are living in is owned by a man in the Bay area who offered it as a long-term rental. He agreed to allowing the meetings, which often draw 30 or more people, to be held there.
Churches and other community organizations have donated goods and services.
And neighbors have supported one another - even those whose homes survived.
“We’ve had survivors comes to meetings and apologize. ‘I’m sorry my house didn’t burn.’ We didn’t want them to feel that way at all,” Larry Lambdin said.
He said they used to have an informal decorating contest every year during Christmas. But 24 of the 30 homes on his Mount Olympia Circle were burned to the ground.
“We’ll go out there and decorate our mailboxes to keep the spirit of our neighborhood alive.”
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Clarity focus of Tahoe Summit
August 16, 2007
Some critics argue it’s too simple - crude even - but experts say that’s the advantage of the white disk, called the Secchi dish, lowered into the lake to determine clarity.”When people ask, what is clarity, what they’re really asking is how far down can I see to the bottom of the lake,” said UC Davis researcher Brant Allen, who conducted the test Wednesday. “For translating scientific clarity to the public, you can’t beat the Secchi dish.”Allen watched as the Frisbee-sized dish sank deeper and deeper into Tahoe’s famously blue water. Once it disappeared from sight, the depth of clarity for that day was determined - about 67.3 feet.==Start Related Links|Annual clarity measurements==
Related posts: [ Impact of the Angora fire on water clarity ] [ Tahoe Summit: 10 years later ] [ Weighing in on the Piers ] [ TRPA postpones pier review ] [ Thank you ]
Latest Headlines
- Hearing planned in Incline tree-felling case - The federal trial for an Incline Village woman charged with hiring a tree-cutting company to chop three Ponderosa Pines from her Lake Tahoe property has been canceled and a change-of-plea hearing scheduled May 1.
- Truckee man takes torch to North Pole - A Truckee man who reached the North Pole this week carrying an unlit torch for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games plans to discuss his experience and environmental issues Saturday by audio and video transmissions with participants at a Lake Tahoe festival.
- Quake pattern watched closely - As earthquakes continue to shake Reno, two reports released this month give new insight into the likely characteristics of a temblor at Lake Tahoe.
Winds are South at 8 MPH. The pressure is 30.28" and the humidity is 23%. The heat index is 76. Last Updated on Sep 30, 3:45 pm PDT.
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