Lawmakers discuss withdrawal from compact governing Tahoe land use

CARSON CITY -- Frustration over tough land-use regulations fueled criticism against California and Lake Tahoe regulators Friday as Nevada lawmakers considered a proposal to withdraw from a decades-old compact governing the scenic basin that straddles both states.

Under SB271, Nevada would secede from the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, a bi-state agency created in 1969, and assume regulatory duties for lands in the Tahoe Basin within the state's boundaries.

Sen. John Lee, D-North Las Vegas, said the regulatory structure of the TRPA has been taken over by California and litigation from environmental groups. He said his bill is "the only arrow I have in my quiver" to try to bring change.

Republican co-sponsors called TRPA a "bloated bureaucracy" and an "obstructionist organization," that takes years to decide whether a homeowner can cut up a dead tree or pave a driveway.

"We are suffocating from regulation," said Mike Young, an Incline Village resident and president of the Nevada Association of Realtors. He said Nevada is being held "captive" by California's influence on the bi-state regulatory board, calling the neighboring state "the big bully in the school lunchroom."

No action was taken by the Senate Government Affairs Committee, though Lee said it would be discussed further in work sessions.