Pathway Forum needs to move forward

It's been six months since the Pathway 2007 Forum first met. The group of 43 people has gathered monthly for seven-hour-long meetings. Their purpose is to create a guide for the future of Lake Tahoe's social, economic and environmental planning.

That's a big task. And we don't expect it to be completed easily or quickly.

But, since the entire Pathway 2007 project is costing upwards of $22 million in state and federal grants and funding from local agencies, it's a project that needs to be done wisely. And efficiently. That money covers everything from research that's already been done, to hiring outside consultants to paying for maintenance costs once the project is completed.

Ultimately, the money is meant to save the lake. We don't want to see it being spent on lost time.

So far, the forum has spent most of its time working out the logistics of the forum. They've been figuring out the details of how the process is going to work. Now it's time to get to work on the real project. The forum members representing North Lake Tahoe say they're ready and eager to get down to business. After all, they have a lot of business to take care of - and only two years to complete it.

The Pathway 2007 Forum was designed to represent the thoughts and concerns of the public. It is made up of a wide array of people who each report to a different constituency. They are supposed to inform the public and receive and transmit comments from the public.

There's a lot of money, time and resources on the line here, folks. We have a chance to really shape the future of Lake Tahoe. Although the public is encouraged to attend the forum meetings, we understand that volunteering to sit in on a seven-hour-long meeting can be tough. That's why we have our representatives. The contact and constituency information on all the forum members can be found online at www.pathway2007.org. Check it out.

- Tahoe World