Launched in 1997, the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) is a partnership of federal, state and local agencies, private interests, and the Washoe Tribe. The EIP includes over 50 different agencies working together under one program, and they account for all program expenditures and accomplishments together. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) serves as the coordinator of the EIP data collection, performance measure reporting, and program accountability.
Prior to the launch of the EIP Project Tracker website in 2014, it was challenging for the public and national and state legislators to learn about the various taxpayer-funded EIP projects underway in the region. After the launch, the online platform quickly proved invaluable in improving data coordination, increasing transparency, and showcasing progress towards attaining compliance with environmental threshold standards.
Attendees of this talk will:
- Gain behind-the-scenes information about what it took to launch this groundbreaking online resource.
- Learn how Clackamas Partnership, thanks to the open source license, is leveraging significant EPA and TRPA investment to benefit their multi-agency program in Oregon.
- Understand how other organizations can increase data collection efficiency and program transparency through shared open-source reporting tools.
Results/Conclusions
TRPA currently tracks $2 billion in funding and over 700 cross-agency projects with the EIP Project Tracker website. To date, EIP partners have completed more than 450 projects. An analysis of performance measures using the EIP Project Tracker calculated that these projects have restored more than 16,000 acres of wildlife habitat; improved public access to 2,770 feet of Lake Tahoe shoreline; built or improved 152 miles of bike and pedestrian trails; and inspected more than 46,853 boats and treated 927 acres for invasive species. This performance measure analysis is updated annually by agency partners using web-based workflows.
TRPA granted an open source license for the platform so other organizations can leverage the system to enhance the reporting and analysis capability of their own cross-agency programs. In March of 2017, Clackamas Partnership officially launched their instance of the platform at www.clackamaspartnership.org. The Partnership is a collaboration of watershed councils and government agencies that are committed to improving watershed health and fish population in the Portland metropolitan area. While Clackamas Partnership is in the formative stages of their conservation planning program, their successful implementation demonstrates the scalability and reusability of the web platform among both established and newly formed agencies.