Resilient Corridors and more Less Talk, More Action

The June meeting will feature a presentation by the California Tahoe Conservancy on their Resilient Powerline Corridors project with Liberty Utilities and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit National Forest.  Liberty Utilities will also be present to discuss and answer questions on their Vegetation Management Plan in Alpine County.  In addition there will be further discussion on priorities in the Poor Boy – Hot Springs Corridor potential fuels reduction project.

The U.S. Forest Service, California Tahoe Conservancy, and Liberty Utilities are partnering to improve the fire safety and resiliency of more than 62 miles of utility lines in the Tahoe Basin. Through potential funding opportunities, Liberty will fund its obligation to remove trees that pose an immediate threat to its power lines, while the public agencies will fund projects to improve the long-term health and resilience of the broader utility corridor and surrounding forest.  This is an excellent example of collaboration between public agencies and private interests to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire.

There will be detailed maps available to facilitate further discussion on what is to be done in the Poor Boy – Hot Springs Corridor area.  Hopefully the agencies and organizations involved will agree to move forward collaboratively to develop the specifics of a plan to reduce the fire hazard in this area.  Major private landowners in the area are receptive to participating at some level, but naturally want to review the details before making any commitments.

Proposals for completing the scoping study to determine how best to make use of the excess biomass in our forest and improve our local economy have been received from four consultants.  They are TSS Consultants, Biomass Energy Resource Center, Wallowa Resources Community Solutions Inc., and a joint proposal from Wisewood Energy and the Beck Group.  The proposals are being reviewed by CHIPS and the ABC, and the final selection should be made by the July meeting.

During the month the ABC facilitated a meeting with the Sierra Nevada Conservancy’s new Executive Director Angie Avery for organizations that work in Alpine County.  Presentations were made by the Alpine Trails Association, Chamber of Commerce, Alpine Watershed Group, Washoe Tribe, Carson Ranger District, and the ABC.

Our June meeting is scheduled for Tuesday June 4^th at 6:00 pm at Turtle Rock Park.