TRPA approves tougher grazing rules for cattle and horses in Tahoe Basin
Thursday, Jan. 28, 1999 | 10:05 a.m.
The regulations approved by the TRPA on Wednesday will require ranchers to fence stream banks, dispose of manure and protect willow saplings.
They also prohibit grazing in meadows when the ground is moist and require livestock operators to submit management plans for regular review by the TRPA.
Critics argued that when compared to other environmental problems in the Tahoe Basin, the impact of grazing is minimal.
But agency officials said the requirements are necessary to prevent erosion of stream banks, overgrazing of sensitive vegetation and pollution from manure, all which they say contribute to the decline of Lake Tahoe's clarity.
About 700 cattle, calves, horses and mules graze on 35,000 acres within the Tahoe Basin.
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