Placer Parks and Open Space awarded $658,457 grant to reduce fuel loads in the Lake Tahoe Basin

Published on May 10, 2023

The Placer County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday entered into a grant agreement with the California Tahoe Conservancy to fund fuel load reduction on county-owned properties in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

The $658,457 grant awarded to the Placer County Department of Parks and Open Space from the California Tahoe Conservancy will reduce fuel loads on approximately 78 acres of county property encompassing 51 parcels.

The funding will help the county protect neighboring properties from wildfire spread.

“These are properties in Tahoe neighborhoods that have become overgrown, in some cases too thick to walk through,” said Parks Administrator Andy Fisher. "This is not clear cutting. With thick undergrowth removed, fire fighters have a greater opportunity to suppress fire starts before they can get into the tree canopy and spread, well, like wildfire.”

These properties were already identified as part of a countywide effort by Parks and Open Space to complete vegetation management on county-owned properties to enhance defensible space and forest health efforts.

“We are committed to ensuring the safety of our residents and visitors, and this grant will provide much-needed funding to reduce the risk of wildfires in the Lake Tahoe Basin,” said Placer County District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson. “With the help of the California Tahoe Conservancy, the county will continue to work toward a safer and more sustainable future for the Lake Tahoe Basin.”

The CTC grant consists of state funding for regional vegetation management in the Tahoe Basin to reduce wildfire risk and promote forest health.

The work will involve reducing underlying layers of vegetation, ladder fuels and specific trees that are overgrown, dead or dying.  

Work will be performed through existing county contracts and parks staff with chainsaws and chippers. This will promote a safer and healthier environment in the area, and reduce the risk of wildfire.