Office of the Governor :: Press Release

Office of the Governor :: Press Release: "07/25/2007 GAAS:590:07 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Released: 07/25/2007

Governor Schwarzenegger Applauds Release of the Angora Fire
BAER Report

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today commended the USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Area for completing the Angora Fire Burn Area Emergency Response (BAER) report. The BAER is an analysis developed by the U.S. Forest Service following fires on federal lands. The purpose of the report is to evaluate initial fire restoration activity and costs. The Angora Fire BAER Report recommends nearly $2.2 million in federal fire suppression funds for sediment management and monitoring activity and additional environmental evaluation in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

"I have the greatest amount of respect for our firefighters and I want to thank them. From the day we were able to get this fire out I wanted to make sure that we could focus on Lake Tahoe's recovery," Gov. Schwarzenegger said. "Many people have been working very hard on our plans to protect the people of Lake Tahoe and this special place," he added. "Helping people to recover their lives, to restore their neighborhoods, to rebuild their businesses and make sure that we keep Tahoe blue is our biggest concern right now. The release of this report is an important step in that direction."

The Angora Fire began on June 24, 2007 in the North Upper Truckee area in South Lake Tahoe, California and was fully contained on July 2, 2007. The fire burned a total of 3,100 acres and destroyed 254 homes.

The BAER investigation was conducted to evaluate post fire activity, stabilize hillsides and protect natural and cultural resources and test the water quality impacts of the fire on Angora Creek, a tributary to Lake Tahoe. This resulted in a determination by the BAER team that an emergency did exist and funding for $2,192,205 should be allocated from federal fire suppression funds for restoration activities.

On July 2, Governor Schwarzenegger issued an Executive Order that called for the California Resources Agency and CalEPA to coordinate all state departments with responsibility, regulatory authority or expertise related to recovery efforts in connection with the Angora Fire. The agencies were directed to coordinate the full cooperation of federal and local government agencies to facilitate the mitigation of the effects of the fire and the environmental restoration of the Tahoe Basin.

Actions in the report include both a ground aerial hydro mulch process that will take place on selected significant burn severity areas with high erosion potential, straw mulching, filter fencing, log fencing, native seeding and other restoration treatments. Also, roads and trails will be restored and hazards will be removed.

The BAER Report is linked below:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/