On August 20, 2009 Senator Ensign sponsored the Lake Tahoe Forum at Round Hill Pines Beach.  The Tahoe Douglas Fire District was pleased to have Round Hill Pines Beach chosen as the site for the Forum, as the area recently had a fuel reduction treatment and is a great demonstration of effective fuels management.  The U.S. Forest Service and Tahoe Douglas Fire District have been hard at work in that area this year. The project around Round Hill Pines actually extends all of the way to Logan Shoals and includes 70 acres thinned on Douglas County Parks and Douglas County School District property by the Fuels Reduction Program at Tahoe Douglas Fire District.  This project illustrates the great work that can be accomplished when agencies work together to protect communities.  This project also illustrates how important it is that the U.S. Forest Service, Nevada Division of Forestry and Tahoe Douglas Fire District are fully funded to implement the projects identified in the Community Wildfire Protection Plans. 

 

This year at the Lake Tahoe Forum a major announcement was made that the Nevada and California Congressional Delegations will sponsor the reauthorization of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act including authorization of up to $390 million  for environmental restoration projects.  This is critically important legislation for the health of Lake Tahoe and can provide funding for forest fuels reduction in the throughout the Tahoe Basin.  We recognize that there is a huge gulf between the authorization of funding and the actual appropriation of that funding. 

 

In other news Senator Feinstein announced the appropriation of $6 million for fuels reduction in the Tahoe Basin.  This funding is through Round 10 of the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act (SNPLMA).  The fuels reduction portion of SNPLMA provided $5 million to the U.S. Forest Service and $1 million to further fund the Nevada Fire Safe Council’s defensible space rebate program.  The Fire District will be able to continue to work on fuel break projects around the community with the funding provided by the Fire Safe Community Fund and other grant sources. The sources include SNPLMA Round 9 and a grant from the USFS.  

 

One point that the Senator Ensign and Senator Feinstein made bares repeating.  The work the Tahoe Douglas Fire District and our project partners are completing around your community is only as valuable as your defensible space.  If you have any questions about your defensible space we are here to help.  Give us a call at (775) 588-3591 ext 227 to schedule a defensible space inspection.