Tahoe wildfire news: TARP The 2008 Best in the Basin award, resignations and more

Breaking Tahoe wildfire news today: The Executive Director of the planning board responsible for, among other things, fire protection in Lake Tahoe has resigned, due in part to blame for lack of wildland fire preparations

TARP The 2008 Best in the Basin wildland fire related award winners are:

Best Residential Defensible Space Work: Nevada Fire Safe Council.
Pretzer residence, 355 Snowflake Ave., Tahoe Vista, owner Carolyn Pretzer. Work by contractor Rockwood Inc. of Kings Beach. Special recognition goes to the Nevada Fire Safe Council.
Best Area-Wide Defensible Space Work: Nevada Fire Safe Council.
Chinquapin Homeowners Association, at 3600 North Lake Tahoe Boulevard, Tahoe City. The Chinquapin complex is a 98-acre property with 172 condominiums and town homes on the Placer County shoreline. The defensible space and forest fuels treatments have been ongoing since 2005. Last year, Chinquapin was recognized as the Best in the Basin winner for best BMPs. Work by North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District hand crews, California Department of Forestry hand crews, CTL Forestry Management of Placerville, registered professional forester Bruce Seabold, and WMC Inc. Special recognition goes to Tahoe Regional Planning Agency forester Brian Hirt and the Nevada Fire Safe Council.
Best Erosion Control Project: USDA Forest Service.
Crystal Bay Phase I Water Quality Improvement Project, Somers Loop Road, Washoe County. This area-wide erosion control / water quality project incorporates several cutting-edge techniques for stormwater management, including vegetated pavers, pervious concrete and large underground infiltration galleries. Work by engineers Nichols Consulting, landscape designers Integrated Environmental Restoration Services, and contractor Aspen Developer's Corporation. Funding by the Nevada Tahoe Bond Act and USDA Forest Service. Special recognition goes to the Nevada Tahoe Conservation District.

Defensible space note: It's important for property owners to take "defensible space" measures to protect their homes in the unfortunate event of a wildfire. There are many simple things you can do to protect your home:

• Call your local fire district for a defensible space home inspection and/or tree removal permit for fire safety.
• Remove all vegetation that may be touching your home. Look for tree branches and bushes that have grown up next to your house.
• Break up dense vegetation around your home.
• Clear all dead vegetation including tree limbs on the ground, pine needles and cones, dried grass, flowers, etc. Many local fire departments have a free service to chip your dead tree limbs.
• For areas of bare soil with no vegetation, rake all pine needles once a year, in the Spring; then let them fall and collect the rest of the year. TRPA and all Lake Tahoe fire districts agree that this is both defensible and good to control erosion.
• Consider leaving the "duff" layer of pine needles in your yard wherever there is bare soil. The "duff" layer is the dark area at the ground level where pine needles are decomposing. The duff layer has low ignition properties and is a ready option to controlling soil erosion.
• Keep an area approximately 30 feet surrounding your home clean and free of debris or dead vegetation including pine needles. Everything in this area should be healthy and green.

For more information about fire safety, contact your local fire protection district

TARP Angora Fire Information:

(click here) for a status report on TRPA's implementation of recommendations from the Bi-State Fire Commission delivered to the TRPA Governing Board September, 2008. (click here) for the Bi-State Fire Commission Report (click here) for the Forest Service report showing the effectiveness of fuels treatments during the Angora Wildfire. (click here) to go to the Tree Removal Guide. (click here) to go the Living With Fire website for the Tahoe Basin.