Public Comment Period Open for Lake Tahoe Basin Community Wildfire Protection Plan

December 2nd, 2024

Contact:  Tahoe Resource Conservation District, Cheyanne Neuffer 530-543-1501 x115

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev., Nov. 18, 2024 – The 2025 Lake Tahoe Basin Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) has been updated to reflect the evolving needs of our communities and landscape. CWPPs are community-driven plans that prioritize wildfire risk reduction, using local input and data to guide fuels reduction, improve preparedness, and address structural ignitability and wildfire response. In 2022, the California Tahoe Conservancy (Conservancy) awarded a California Department of Conservation Regional Forest and Fire Capacity grant to the Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD) in coordination with the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team to complete an update of the Basin’s CWPP. The CWPP update represents another significant step forward in wildfire preparedness for the region.

What’s New in the 2025 CWPP Update?

The update introduces a web-based platform that makes wildfire information more accessible and interactive. The Lake Tahoe Basin CWPP landing page is now available on ArcGIS Hub, offering interactive StoryMaps that enable users to explore the CWPP through dynamic maps, graphics, and other engaging resources.

The update integrated advanced tools, including Vibrant Planet’s Land Tender software, which uses data and scientific modeling to assist land managers in planning fuels reduction treatments and other wildfire mitigation strategies. This software helps identify areas that will benefit most from these actions, prioritizing efforts that reduce risk to residents and enhance ecological resilience.

How to Get Involved

Communities around the Basin have already played a critical role in shaping the updated CWPP through participation in last year’s public CWPP meetings and the Basin-wide survey. Input has been invaluable, and now that the CWPP draft is complete, community members are invited to provide feedback during the public comment period from November 18 to December 20, 2024. Visit the ArcGIS Hub (https://tahoe-basin-cwpp-trcd.hub.arcgis.com/) to explore the CWPP draft and interactive StoryMaps. To submit feedback, email comments to cneuffer@tahoercd.org.

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 USDA 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.