Spotlight on Wildfire Preparedness: Tahoe Chamber CEO Roundtable Hears from TRCD on Basin-Wide Protection Plan

Brandi Brown | April 16, 2025 | Community News

At the April Tahoe Chamber CEO Roundtable, local leaders had the opportunity to dive deep into wildfire preparedness thanks to a timely presentation by Mike Vollmer, Executive Director of the Tahoe Resource Conservation District (TRCD). Vollmer shared valuable insights into the Lake Tahoe Basin Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)—a comprehensive, collaborative effort designed to protect the Tahoe region from catastrophic wildfires.

🔥 A Strategic Blueprint for Wildfire Resilience

The CWPP is more than just a plan—it’s a living, strategic blueprint that guides how federal, state, tribal, and local agencies, along with residents and stakeholders, come together to reduce wildfire risk in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI). From identifying the most fire-prone areas to allocating resources for fuel reduction and defensible space, the CWPP provides a coordinated approach to safeguarding lives, homes, infrastructure, and landscapes throughout the Tahoe Basin.

This evolving plan is continuously updated to reflect new science, environmental changes, and lessons learned from recent wildfire events such as the Rim Fire (2013), King Fire (2014), and the devastating Caldor Fire (2021).

🌲 Wildfire Preparedness in Action

The Tahoe Basin has become a national model for wildfire preparedness, thanks to more than 20 years of multi-agency collaboration and the formation of the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT) in 2008. This team—made up of federal and state agencies, local fire departments, nonprofits, and community groups—has implemented a range of mitigation strategies including:

Defensible space creation
Home hardening education
Prescribed burns and fuel reduction
Development of fire-adapted communities

Since 2004, over 92,200 acres of forest near Tahoe communities have been treated. These proactive efforts paid off during the Caldor Fire, when treated areas slowed the fire’s spread and allowed firefighters to better protect homes and infrastructure.

🎯 CWPP Objectives at a Glance

Create fire-adapted communities
- Promote defensible space, fire-resistant building practices, and homeowner education.
Restore fire-resilient landscapes
- Use fuel reduction, forest thinning, and prescribed fire to maintain healthy ecosystems.
Enhance wildfire response capabilities
- Coordinate across jurisdictions to respond quickly and effectively to wildfire threats.

🔍 Explore the Plan

The Lake Tahoe Basin CWPP is hosted on an interactive website that provides maps, data, and detailed information about ongoing projects and wildfire mitigation strategies.

🔗 Explore the CWPP Here

The Tahoe Chamber is proud to support and share resources like the CWPP that align with our mission to build a resilient and connected community. We thank Mike Vollmer and the TRCD team for their leadership and dedication to keeping Tahoe safe.

Want to learn more about how your business or household can contribute to wildfire preparedness? Visit the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team or TRCD websites for tools, checklists, and local fire safety contacts.

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