We can protect our communities from wildfire only through partnership, not partisanship. Cooperation between local, state, federal, and private resources is essential to achieve the results we need. Over the past 5 years, local agencies in our region have invested more than $40 million for wildfire mitigation. However, recent federal cuts have severely impacted the capabilities of agencies that manage public lands throughout Truckee and the Sierra Nevada. This could have very real and potentially disastrous impacts.
We need the federal government to step up its commitment as we have ours, not withdraw at such a critical time. To address this concern, a group of leaders from Truckee/Tahoe, the Sierra Valley, and Mammoth Lakes met with Rep. Kevin Kiley in mid-April. We asked for the restoration of critical federal funding and staffing, and that the federal pause that prevents the USFS from executing or amending contracts, which has caused many planned mitigation projects to be halted, be immediately lifted.
One might reasonably assume Rep. Kiley would know about these affected mitigation projects, given that they are in his district. He did not and asked for a list, which we provided. Some of the projects from that list are:
- Tahoe National Forest, Sierraville Ranger District – Blatchley Forest Health Project: A wildfire risk reduction project to hazardous fuels from 5,195 acres south of Sierraville and west of 89 North. Highway 89 is a critical evacuation route for multiple communities. The National Forest Foundation (NFF) has agreed to take over implementation of the project, saving the need for USFS field staff. However, the $1.2 million in federal funding for fuel reduction and $350,000 to support NFF is stuck in limbo because of a USFS contracting hold-up.
- Tahoe National Forest, Truckee Ranger District – The Five Creeks Project: This is the final 650 acres of a multi-year project to remove fuels from the area between Highway 89 and the eastern boundary of Alpine Meadows. This area contains critical infrastructure — world renowned ski resorts, commercial development, and the Eastern Regional Landfill — and is one of only two evacuation routes running north from Lake Tahoe. It is funded and shovel ready, with $2.5 million secured from the state; however, it is also held up in the USFS Grants and Agreements Department.
- Alpine Meadows and Olympic Valley Fire Protection Project: Involves fuels reduction on 750 acres adjacent to Alpine Meadows and Olympic Valley. The project would create defensible spaces and fuel breaks for both the communities and ski resorts — major employers and economic drivers of the region. The project is shovel ready, with $2.5 million provided by the state. This is also held up in the USFS Grants and Agreement Department.
- Alpenglow Timber Sawmill: This will create a much-needed outlet for logs that are generated from local fuel reduction projects. The sawmill would be located on a 124-acre property north of Truckee. It received construction approval in October 2024 and was awarded $1.5 million from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy in December 2024. Plans to complete construction and begin operation in the fall of 2025 have come to a halt because the USFS has not been allowed to process the required financing paperwork.
- USFS Workforce Reductions: Drastically reduced Forest Service staffing means that as many as 76 campgrounds in Tahoe National Forest, 75 in Plumas National Forest, and 110 in Inyo National Forest may be impacted by workforce cuts, and may be unable to open. Opening campgrounds is critical for reducing wildfire risks that often come when people camp outside of monitored campsites.
Our communities are surrounded by federally managed lands and wildfire does not respect political boundaries. We need action now.
As of June 3 — 6 weeks after meeting with Rep. Kiley — we have received no update regarding his advocacy for these critical projects and for the constituents he serves.
My promise to you: I will continue advocating on this critical issue to protect the health, life, and safety of everyone in Truckee and the entire Sierra Nevada until we see results from our current representative, or his successor.
Please contact Kiley’s office at (916) 724-2575 and remind him that he has the project list he asked for, and we’re waiting for the action he promised.
~ Courtney Henderson was elected to Truckee Town Council in 2020, served as mayor in 2022, and was reelected to council in 2024. She is a fierce advocate for investments in forest health to mitigate the threat of catastrophic wildfire and to protect local communities and economies. She is a former pro-level mountain bike racer and mother of an 8-year-old.
