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Overview
Basics
Basics
The Tahoe Truckee Airport District - North Tahoe Fire (TTAD/NTF) River Road Fuels Reduction Project 1 is located on the south side of the Highway 89 corridor where it parallels the Truckee River between Tahoe City and Alpine Meadows, CA. This portion of Highway 89 is a primary evacuation route for Lake Tahoe residents and visitors and it is within the Defense Zone of the Wildland Urban Interface. The project addresses dead and dying trees, ladder fuels, and excessive ground fuels and will be part of a series of projects to reduce hazardous fuels and improve forest health, allowing for the highway corridor to better serve for evacuation among multiple benefits.
Completed
2024
2025
2026
$400,000
April Shackelford (shackelford@ntfire.net)
10/28/2024
01/26/2026
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| Location Information | Location Notes |
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Organizations
Organizations
EIP Details
EIP Basics
EIP Basics
02.01.01.0151 - Tahoe Truckee Airport District/ North Tahoe Fire- River Road Project 1
Performance Measures
Expected Performance Measures
Expected Performance Measures
| Acres of Forest Fuels Reduction Treatment | [Initial or Maintenance Treatment: Initial], [Property Ownership: U.S. Forest Service], [Treatment Type: Hand Thinning], [Treatment Zone: Community Defense Zone] | 72.8 | acres |
| Acres of Forest Fuels Reduction Treatment | [Initial or Maintenance Treatment: Initial], [Property Ownership: Private], [Treatment Type: Hand Thinning], [Treatment Zone: Community Defense Zone] | 13.4 | acres |
| Acres of Forest Fuels Reduction Treatment | [Initial or Maintenance Treatment: Initial], [Property Ownership: California Tahoe Conservancy], [Treatment Type: Hand Thinning], [Treatment Zone: Community Defense Zone] | 6.2 | acres |
Reported Performance Measures
Reported Performance Measures
| Acres of Forest Fuels Reduction Treatment | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Total | Units | ||||
| Initial or Maintenance Treatment | Property Ownership | Treatment Type | Treatment Zone | |||
| Initial | California Tahoe Conservancy | Hand Thinning | Community Defense Zone | 8.3 | 8.3 | acres |
| Initial | Private | Hand Thinning | Community Defense Zone | 10.6 | 10.6 | acres |
| Initial | U.S. Forest Service | Hand Thinning | Community Defense Zone | 69.8 | 69.8 | acres |
| Total | 88.7 | 88.7 | acres | |||
Funding
Expected Funding
Expected Funding
$400,000
$400,000
$0
| Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Truckee Tahoe Airport District (TTAD) | $400,000 | $400,000 | $0 |
| Grand Total | $400,000 | $400,000 | $0 |
Reported Expenditures
Reported Expenditures
| Total | 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truckee Tahoe Airport District | $315,273 | $299,924 | $15,349 |
| Grand Total | $315,273 | $299,924 | $15,349 |
Photos
Some removal of downed logs will be taking place to better complete a previous treatment at the 64-acre recreational area.
(Timing: Before) (~6,494 KB)
Treated on the left, with untreated on the right. Tahoe Rim Trail in the Middle. Both areas were treated with this project.
(Timing: During) (~3,971 KB)
Ladder fuels and sub-dominant trees will be removed for structure protection as well as enhancing forest health.
(Timing: Before) (~6,360 KB)
Monitoring Point 6 Before
(Timing: Before) (~249 KB)
Monitoring Point 6 After
(Timing: After) (~241 KB)
Dead and dying surface and aerial fuels will be cut and piled for burning. This areas is downslope of homes on Kimberly Drive in Tahoe City.
(Timing: Before) (~5,058 KB)
Monitoring Point 8 Before
(Timing: Before) (~280 KB)
Monitoring Point 8 After
(Timing: After) (~243 KB)
Monitoring Point 11 Before
(Timing: Before) (~269 KB)
Monitoring Point 11 After
(Timing: After) (~191 KB)
Other Details
Watersheds
No watersheds set for this project.
Threshold Categories
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Being located along the Middle Truckee River, the project will remove coniferous vegetation that has encroached along the river's edge and in riparian areas where small streams and underground water drain into the Truckee River. This will help to restore historic habitats for plants and wildlife as well as a more historic water table as more water will reach the river instead of being drawn to the roots of encroaching and unnatural vegetation.
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The project is located on Scenic Highway 89 and is visible by thousands of people traveling along the highway or bike path, down the river by raft, and by people recreating on the river in various locations. Thee reduction of dead standing trees will enhance scenic views for thousands of people.
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The treatment will promote historic vegetation conditions that were in place during a natural fire return interval. While reducing forest fuels as described in the treatment prescription, thee project will promote the diversity of understory plants especially in riparian areas or areas with a higher water table that are more capable of wider plant diversity.
Local and Regional Plans
No Local and Regional Plans set for this project.
Related Projects
Related Projects
No Related Projects set for this project.
External Links
Notes
Notes
| 01/09/2026 2:18 PM | April Shackelford | This project reduces fuels in the area that poses the biggest threat to safety and assets within the jurisdictional boundary of North Tahoe Fire. This prioritization is shown in the 2025 Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) and is based on modeling from the Vibrant Planet software. The area treated has never been treated before, and the extreme fuel loading is a result of decades of fire suppression that has taken place for community protection. Additional work is planned to take place along the powerline corridor on the other side of the river, and we are planning for fuels reduction work along the bike path. All of this work is paramount in improving travel safety and ingress/egress during a wildfire. The project also creates tremendous improvements in forest health and promotes better balance with water availability which is particularly beneficial for the adjacent Truckee River. Project partners include the US Forest Service; Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, the California Tahoe Conservancy, five private property owners, and the Tahoe Resource Conservation District for planning and management assistance. We thank Tremaine & Associates for the archeological review, and Nichols Consulting Engineers for the biological review. The Sierra Nevada Forestry Service performed impressive hand-thinning work across the landscape, including the removal of dead and downed logs near Lake Tahoe within the 64 acre park managed by the Forest Service. We look forward to burning the piles beginning in winter 2026/2027. These areas are not very sun exposed and may take longer to cure. Therefore we need 1-3 years to burn the piles. We are grateful for the generous assistance from the Truckee Tahoe Airport District and their wise decision to invest in completing high priority fuels reduction projects for the safety of the community; residents and visitors alike. |
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| 01/13/2025 6:35 PM | April Shackelford | Project planning continues. The project footprint is established across federal, state and private ownership to address the highest priority landscape that is not already planned for fuels reduction. With the area being adjacent to the Truckee River it is likely that historical resources, and sensitive species are present. An archeologist has been secured and will complete their survey after the snow melts. We are also soliciting for consulting biologists to carry out survey's for sensitive plants and animals. We look forward to incorporating survey information into the vegetation management plan. Concurrently we'll be soliciting for an implementation contractor to get the hand thinning work done. They will work around known resources or outside of avoidance periods as determined by consulting firms. | ||
| 09/06/2024 1:39 PM | April Shackelford | Project planning began in July 2024, with implementation intended in May 2025. Thee project utilizes three NEPA Decision Memos that have aided in the planning process. |