South Lake Tahoe presses TRPA over Caldor herbicides

South Lake Tahoe leaders are preparing a broad push against conventional herbicides, including glyphosate, although their direct power is limited. The proposed resolution would prohibit pesticides on municipal property, where the city says none are currently used. It would also urge the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to prohibit pesticides basin-wide and examine possible court remedies if the regional agency declines.

The debate follows federal authorization allowing possible glyphosate treatment across as many as 3,600 acres burned by the Caldor Fire. The treatment is intended to support reforestation in vulnerable locations, but the entire project lies beyond South Lake Tahoe’s boundaries. Federal and California rules generally keep cities from restricting pesticide use themselves.

Council members asked staff to investigate another route through city land-use plans, which require TRPA review, and to seek a state-law change granting local governments regulatory power. Letters will also go to federal and state officials, the U.S. Forest Service and TRPA leaders. The measure calls for stronger water testing following applications and public information about disposing of herbicides safely. Health agencies remain divided: the World Health Organization assigned glyphosate a probable human-cancer classification in 2015, while a 2017 EPA review identified no concerning human-health risk. A refreshed EPA assessment is expected in late 2026.