by Martin Goldberg | Jul 12, 2023 | News, Uncategorized
South Lake Tahoe, Calif.—The California Tahoe Conservancy has awarded two grants totaling $4,627,000 to build partner capacity for forest and wildfire resilience projects across the California side of the Lake Tahoe Basin:
- A $3,302,500 grant will build the capacity of the Lake Valley Fire Protection District and South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue to plan and oversee projects to reduce wildfire risk on the south shore.
- A $1,324,500 grant will fund the Tahoe Resource Conservation District to provide professional forestry services to complete environmental review and prepare prescriptions and layout for forest resilience projects.
“The Caldor Fire showed the importance of reducing hazardous fuels on forested lands in our communities,” said Fire Chief Chad Stephen with the Lake Valley Fire Protection District. “These grants will help us protect our communities by increasing the pace and scale of forest management.”
Lake Valley Fire, South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue, and the Tahoe RCD will base their work on a list of priority fuels reduction projects to be identified through the Lake Tahoe Basin Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). Using funding from a 2022 Conservancy grant, Basin partners are currently updating the CWPP. These fuels reduction projects will help reduce wildfire risk for Tahoe communities and restore the resilience of Basin forests and watersheds to climate change impacts. Work funded by this grant will help achieve a goal of the 2019 Lake Tahoe Basin Forest Action Plan to complete initial treatments on 22,000 acres of forest within the wildland-urban interface in the Basin by 2025.
Tahoe RCD will use the grant funds to provide professional forestry services, completing environmental review, developing project-specific prescriptions to manage trees and brush, identifying project boundaries, and marking trees for removal on local government and private lands on the California side of the Basin.
“A scarcity of professional foresters has become a barrier to getting Basin forestry projects implemented quickly enough,” said Mike Vollmer, Executive Director for Tahoe RCD. “Tahoe RCD is excited to assist Tahoe fire districts and other partners in getting these important projects planned, permitted, and implemented.”
The grant funds will enable Lake Valley Fire and South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue to serve for five years as project managers for the priority fuel reduction projects on local government and private lands on the south shore. The fire agencies will coordinate with private and public landowners, including securing land use agreements needed for implementation. The fire agencies will also collaborate with Basin partners to secure funding to implement the shovel-ready projects following environmental review.
“By partnering, our agencies can work faster together to make our forests more resilient to wildfire across a range of public and private lands,” said Fire Chief Jim Drennan of South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue. “These efforts will leave our communities better protected.”
Funding for these grants comes from the State of California’s 2021 wildfire package and from a Regional Forest and Fire Capacity grant provided by the California Department of Conservation. Regional Forest and Fire Capacity grants advance the goals of the California Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force, which include supporting activities that build local capacity, help plan and prioritize where to reduce hazardous fuels, and decrease the potential for future high-intensity wildfire.
Media contact: Chris Carney, Communications Director, [email protected], 530-543-6057
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The California Tahoe Conservancy is a state agency, established in 1985, with a mission to lead California’s efforts to restore and enhance the extraordinary natural and recreational resources of the Lake Tahoe Basin. Learn more at tahoe.ca.gov.
by Martin Goldberg | May 14, 2023 | News
Lake Tahoe Celebrates Community Wildfire Preparedness All Year
Agencies Seek Feedback on Community Wildfire Protection Plan
Contact(s):
Jeff Cowen, [email protected], (775) 589-5278
Cheyanne Neuffer, [email protected], (530) 543-1501, ext. 115
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA – In recognition of National Community Wildfire Preparedness Day on May 6, the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT) is encouraging people and organizations everywhere to come together to take action, raise awareness, and reduce wildfire risks. The TFFT is stressing the importance of wildfire preparedness throughout the year to continue protecting communities and Lake Tahoe’s environment from the increasing risk of wildfire. Lake Tahoe has seen firsthand how important it is to be vigilant, be prepared for evacuation, and work together to create defensible space and thin overstocked forests.
“After decades of fire suppression, the Tahoe Basin’s forests are overstocked and highly vulnerable to insects, disease and catastrophic wildfire,” said TFFT Incident Commander and North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District Division Chief Isaac Powning. “We rely on firefighters, land managers, and the public to all work together to protect our communities and ecosystem from damaging wildfires.”
In 2022, TFFT partners reduced fuels on more than 2,500 acres and completed a record 7,962 inspections to help property owners create defensible space around homes and businesses.
Along with TFFT’s work, the community has a critical role in wildfire preparedness. Next Saturday, May 13, South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue will host the 6th annual Wildfire Safety Expo from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at South Tahoe Middle School, 2940 Lake Tahoe Blvd. in South Lake Tahoe, Calif. The Wildfire Safety Expo is a fun, free, community event to provide information on how to be fire-safe during this upcoming wildfire season.
And on May 23, North Shore fire agencies will host a community wildfire preparedness workshop from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the North Lake Tahoe Event Center, 8313 N. Lake Blvd., Kings Beach, Calif. The event will educate, inspire, and build fire-adapted communities and Firewise neighborhoods in the North Tahoe Region. Sign up here to attend or visit tinyurl.com/wildfireworkshop.
The TFFT is also urgently requesting public feedback on the Lake Tahoe Basin Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) survey. These plans help reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires and increase the resilience of communities to natural disasters. To complete the quick survey, visit arcg.is/8zKGr0.
“This survey is an opportunity for fire districts to hear from community members about concerns and priorities related to wildfire risk reduction. Community input will help guide the update of community wildfire protection plans and ensure that they reflect the needs and values of communities in the Lake Tahoe Basin,” said Cheyanne Neuffer, the CWPP Program Coordinator at the Tahoe Resource Conservation District.
The Tahoe Resource Conservation District also manages the Fire Adapted Communities Program and has assisted neighborhoods throughout the region to become certified in the program. Contact the district for more information.
Forest health is one of the focus areas of the Environmental Improvement Program, a collaborative partnership of over 80 public and private organizations committed to achieving the environmental goals of the region. Since the EIP’s inception in 1997, TFFT partners have treated more than 92,000 acres of forest to reduce hazardous fuels. The full list of projects is available at eip.laketahoeinfo.org.
“These fuel treatments have proven themselves invaluable. During the Caldor Fire we saw flames 150 feet tall in untreated areas that shrunk to 15 feet tall when they reached a treated area in Christmas Valley,” said Captain Martin Goldberg of Lake Valley Fire. “This meant that our firefighters could engage the fire and protect the nearby homes. If that area hadn’t been treated, we may have seen a very different outcome.”
This year, TFFT partners plan to exceed the 2,500 acres treated in 2022, especially near power lines and neighborhoods. On the East Shore, the Nevada Tahoe Resource Team will be treating about 450 acres near Marlette Lake, which will complement the work by NV Energy to create resilient corridors along NV Energy’s electrical lines on all lands. Liberty Energy will be doing similar resilience corridor work throughout their service area on the South Shore. Crews will be working to reduce hazardous fuels in Van Sickle Bi-State Park this summer, and South Tahoe Public Utility District will be conducting projects to protect water infrastructure in case of wildfire. The North Tahoe Fire Protection District will reduce hazardous fuels on at least 300 acres within North Tahoe and Meeks Bay Fire Protection Districts.
Protecting Lake Tahoe communities from damaging wildfire and restoring ecosystem resilience requires agencies and communities to work together. Maintaining defensible space and landscaping with native plants complements larger forest health projects and helps create a safer and more resilient Lake Tahoe Basin. By working together, Lake Tahoe’s communities and environment will be better protected throughout the year.
Photo NLTFPD Chipping3.jpg Caption: Many fire districts at Lake Tahoe offer free services such as curbside chipping and defensible space inspections that improve safety for firefighters and the community.
Photo Credit: North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District
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About the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team
The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT) consists of representatives of Tahoe Basin fire agencies, CAL FIRE, Nevada Division of Forestry and related state agencies, University of California and Nevada Cooperative Extensions, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, the U.S. Forest Service, conservation districts from both states, the California Tahoe Conservancy and the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board. Our Mission is to protect lives, property and the environment within the Lake Tahoe Basin from wildfire by implementing prioritized fuels reduction projects and engaging the public in becoming a Fire Adapted Community.
For more information, visit www.tahoefft.org.
Jeff W Cowen (he/his)
Public Information Officer
Tahoe Regional Planning Agency
775.589.5278
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