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Home My Public Portal AboutPublic Comment - Richard Anderson^can the YZ coĚe Ĩor acceƐƐ to the ĚraĨt 'eneral Plan ĚocumentƐ or ǀiƐit trucŬeeϮϬϰϬ͘com Eame:_______________________________ Email AĚĚress:______________________________________________ Instructions:PleaƐe uƐe a ƐeƉarate Ɖublic comment Ĩorm Ĩor each ElementͬĚocument͘ /n each boǆ͕ ƉleaƐe iĚentiĨy the item you are commentinŐ by ƐelectinŐ 'oal͕ Policy or ctionƐ ;or oǁntoǁn drucŬee PlanͿ Ĩrom the ĚroƉ Ěoǁn menu anĚ ǁritinŐ in the reĨerence number͘ ny commentƐ are ǁelcome͘ /Ĩ you haǀe ƐƉeciĨic teǆt chanŐeƐ you ǁoulĚ liŬe to ƉroƉoƐe͕ ƉleaƐe ƉroǀiĚe the lanŐuaŐe͘ /Ĩ aĚĚitional ƐƉace iƐ neeĚeĚ Ĩor one comment͕ ƉleaƐe uƐe the neǆt comment boǆ͘ Feel Ĩree to uƐe multiƉle ƉaŐeƐ͘ /Ĩ you haǀe Őeneral commentƐ͕ ƉleaƐe note that it iƐ a Őeneral comment͘ Email your Ĩorm to PlanninŐiǀiƐionΛtoǁnoĨtrucŬee͘com or η͗ͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺ Comment͗ η͗ͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺ Comment͗ η͗ͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺ Comment͗ η͗ͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺ Comment͗ Public Comment Form Yuestions͍ Call ϱϯϬ-ϱϴϮ-ϳϳϳϲ Richard Anderson COS Element COS-7 COS-3.A As per the attached letter sent to the Town in February, please update the Conservation and Open Space Element to explicitly recognize groundwater-dependent ecosystems as an important aspect of Truckee’s environmental resources. The organizations that support the letter request that a third paragraph be added to the Water Resources section that highlights groundwater-dependent ecosystems and provides an explicit basis for the Town's continued involvement in the environmental aspect of groundwater issues. An example of a paragraph that fulfills this purpose is provided in the attached letter. As per the attached letter sent to the Town in February, the supporting organizations request that a policy be added that explicitly protects the beneficial uses of surface waters and groundwater-dependent ecosystems, thus recognizing the full intent of Goal COS-7. This policy could be as simple and straightforward as “Protect the beneficial uses provided by surface waters and groundwater-dependent ecosystems.” This policy would also 1) strengthen the wetland and habitat protection goals of the Climate Change Adaptation Plan by adding a policy basis in the General Plan, and 2) assist in defining the biological resources (specifically, groundwater-dependent ecosystems) to be mapped under Action COS-1.C and protected under Action COS-3.A Please change the time frame for this action, which implements a plan for protecting sensitive biological resources, from "mid term" to "short term." This Action has languished for years in the current General Plan; the organizations that support the February letter request that it be implemented as quickly as possible. Such a plan is especially important given the pace at which Truckee is growing and the recurring and potentially worsening impact of drought on our sensitive biological resources. We need to better understand the location of these resources, their character and beneficial uses, and their susceptibility to impact from growth in water demand and from land development. Action COS-3.A also helps implement the near-term, high-priority strategy 7.1 of the Climate Change Adaptation Plan, which is to “identify sensitive areas and those that provide ecosystem services and develop policies which ensure their protection.” General Comment Goal Action [Select One] Click Here to Submit Comment Form Conservation and Open Space Element Groundwater-Related Proposals for Truckee’s General Plan From Mountain Area Preservation, SOS Glenshire, Trout Unlimited, California Trout, Tahoe Truckee Fly Fishers, Truckee River Watershed Council, and California Fly Fisher magazine February 10, 2022 Wetlands and riparian areas are important ecological resources in and around Truckee. Drought, of course, is an obvious threat to these water-dependent places, but they are also under threat from the increasing demand for water to serve our growing community.The Town of Truckee’s General Plan has guiding principles that call for the preservation of “the Truck-ee River corridor, its tributary drainages, and riparian habitat” and the protection of “sensitive biolog-ical resources” that include “streams and wetlands.” Similarly, the Town’s 2020 Climate Change Adap-tation Plan has goals and strategies to “protect and restore native habitats and species” and “enhance ecosystem services,” such as those provided by wetlands, rivers, and meadows. However, both the General Plan and the Climate Change Adaptation Plan are mostly silent on the threat to surface waters and wetlands posed by groundwater pumping. (The same is true for the Martis Valley Groundwater Management Plan that has been adopted by local water purveyors.)Given that existing and future development in and around Truckee has the potential to reduce ground-water levels and surface waters that our ecosystems need to remain healthy, our organizations request that the Town clarify wetland and surface-water-related text and policy as part of the General Plan update and that the Town also begin implementing one of the General Plan’s long-standing conserva-tion-related Actions. Specifically,1) Update the Conservation and Open Space Element to explicitly recognize groundwater-depen-dent ecosystems as an important aspect of Truckee’s environmental resources. We ask that in Section C. Other Resource Issues, a third paragraph be added to the Water Resources discussion (page 7-22) that will highlight groundwater-dependent ecosystems and provide a basis for additional policy. Here is an example of a paragraph that fulfills this purpose:Water supplied to existing and new development in Truckee comes almost entirely from the Martis Valley Groundwater Basin. Groundwater pumping during periods of high demand and low recharge (summer and autumn) has the potential to harm beneficial uses provided by groundwater-dependent ecosystems and groundwater-influenced surface waters. Protection of these beneficial uses from groundwater pumping is an objective of the State of California through its Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, signed into law in 2014. page 1 2) In Goal COS-11 (page 7-43), add a policy that protects the beneficial uses of surface waters and groundwater-dependent ecosystems. This policy could be as simple and straightforward as “Protect the beneficial uses provided by surface waters and groundwater-dependent ecosystems.” Defining how to implement it would need to occur at some point, but the necessary first step is to affirm that such protection is an explicit policy of the Town. Doing so also strengthens the wetland and habitat protec-tion goals of the Climate Change Adaptation Plan by adding a policy basis.3) Implement the Conservation and Open Space Element’s Action A4.1 (page 7-32). This Action would prepare a “comprehensive plan for the management and protection of sensitive biological resources such as wetlands, riparian corridors, and critical habitat areas.” Such a plan is especially important given the pace at which Truckee is growing and the recurring and potentially worsening impact of drought on our sensitive biological resources. Local agencies need to better understand the location of these resources, their character and beneficial uses, and their susceptibility to impact from growth in water demand and from land development. Action A4.1 also helps implement the near-term, high-pri-ority strategy 7.1 of the Climate Change Adaptation Plan, which is to “identify sensitive areas and those that provide ecosystem services and develop policies which ensure their protection.” Supporting organizations: page 2