Placer County California

News Advisory

August 21, 2007

Bruce Kranz, Supervisor

Placer County

Subject: Wildfires at Lake Tahoe

News: “Act Now,” Kranz letter to Board of Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, TRPA, will be presented tomorrow morning at TRPA meeting.

When and where: 9:30 A.M. Wednesday August 22, 2007 at TRPA Board Rooms, South Shore. Lower Kingsbury Grade, 128 Market Street, Stateline, NV 89449
775-588-4547

Attachment: Kranz Text.

Embargoed until 10:00 am Wednesday August 22, 2007.

Background: Supervisor Kranz has long warned of the dangers of wildfires and worked closely with other agencies and citizen groups to find specified solutions.

Contact: Roger Canfield. 916-961-6718

August 21, 2007

John Singlaub, Executive Director

Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, TRPA

P.O. Box 5310

Stateline, NV 89449

Dear Mr. Singlaub

Several weeks ago the Angora Fire burned over 3,100 acres and destroyed 254 homes. This last weekend, the Washoe Fire destroyed five homes in the Sunnyside community, just south of Tahoe City. We must act now to prevent an even more catastrophic wildfire that could destroy homes, Lake Tahoe’s clarity, and take human life. We cannot wait for the Blue Ribbon Commission report due on March 21, 2008.

We know what we need to do. We need to remove not only dead, dying, and diseased trees, but also low lying brush, small trees, and limbs. The time for talk is over. I am requesting TRPA take immediate action to implement these policies:

Authorize the use of environmentally sensitive mechanical equipment to clean out thick growth in Stream Environmental Zones, SEZs, which serve as wicks in the midst of our forests, e.g. Angora Fire. There will be no habitat or watershed if the SEZ is destroyed by fire. I also encourage work to restore the SEZs during these fuel reduction activities.

Allow the California Public Resource Code section 4291 to be fully enforced. We need to change the current TRPA ground cover requirement to enforce section 4291 which requires a 30-foot mineral earth clearance with an additional 70 foot vegetation modification for a total 100 foot clearance around structures. Section 4291 is successfully enforced state wide in the California State Responsibility areas. California State Responsibility areas exist within the Tahoe Basin; however TRPA regulations do not allow section 4291 to be fully enforced.

Allow homeowners to remove - without a permit - dead trees and small trees greater than the current permit rule of six inches. The Forest Fire Protection Act allows cutting trees up to 18 inches.

The fuel conditions and the resulting Washoe Fire required an extraordinary effort from multiple fire agencies throughout the entire region including North Tahoe Fire Protection District, U.S. Forest Service, CALFIRE, CAL OES, Squaw Valley Fire Department, Meeks Bay Fire Protection District, Truckee Fire Protection District, North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, Reno Fire Department, South Lake Tahoe Fire Department, Lake Valley Fire Protection District, Sierra Fire Department, and Fallen Leaf Lake Fire Department Without the outstanding coordination of these departments, the Washoe Fire could have destroyed up to 200 homes in the Sunnyside community last weekend. We cannot continue to rely upon good luck and skilled firefighters. We must be proactive to prevent catastrophic wildfires.

At the recent Tahoe Summit, Senator Diane Feinstein and Senator John Ensign encouraged stronger focus on wildfire prevention. Placer County is considering an ordinance to require homeowners to maintain their defensible space.

The time is now for TRPA and the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board to move forward to fulfill their obligations to public safety as well as environmental protection.

Sincerely,

Bruce Kranz, Supervisor, District 5

Chairman, Placer County Board of Supervisors

Board Member TRPA

cc: TRPA Board Members

The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor, State of California

The Honorable Jim Gibbons, Governor, State of Nevada

The Honorable Senator Dianne Feinstein

The Honorable Senator Barbara Boxer

The Honorable Congressman John Doolittle

The Honorable Senator Dave Cox

The Honorable Assembly Member Ted Gaines

Chief Brad Harris

Chief Duane Whitelaw

Chief Mark Shadowens

Chief Pete Bansen

Chief Bryce Keller

Chief John Pang

Harold Singer

John Pickett

Pete Evich

Brian Lungren

Sierra Sun

Tahoe Daily Tribune

Home > Board of Supervisors > District 5 > Press Releases > Press Releases 2007 > News Advisory - Wildfires at Lake Tahoe
	News Advisory August 21, 2007 Bruce Kranz, Supervisor Placer County Subject: Wildfires at Lake Tahoe News: “Act Now,” Kranz letter to Board of Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, TRPA, will be presented tomorrow morning at TRPA meeting. When and where: 9:30 A.M. Wednesday August 22, 2007 at TRPA Board Rooms, South Shore. Lower Kingsbury Grade, 128 Market Street, Stateline, NV 89449 775-588-4547 Attachment: Kranz Text. Embargoed until 10:00 am Wednesday August 22, 2007. Background: Supervisor Kranz has long warned of the dangers of wildfires and worked closely with other agencies and citizen groups to find specified solutions. Contact: Roger Canfield. 916-961-6718 August 21, 2007 John Singlaub, Executive Director Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, TRPA P.O. Box 5310 Stateline, NV 89449 Dear Mr. Singlaub Several weeks ago the Angora Fire burned over 3,100 acres and destroyed 254 homes. This last weekend, the Washoe Fire destroyed five homes in the Sunnyside community, just south of Tahoe City. We must act now to prevent an even more catastrophic wildfire that could destroy homes, Lake Tahoe’s clarity, and take human life. We cannot wait for the Blue Ribbon Commission report due on March 21, 2008. We know what we need to do. We need to remove not only dead, dying, and diseased trees, but also low lying brush, small trees, and limbs. The time for talk is over. I am requesting TRPA take immediate action to implement these policies: Authorize the use of environmentally sensitive mechanical equipment to clean out thick growth in Stream Environmental Zones, SEZs, which serve as wicks in the midst of our forests, e.g. Angora Fire. There will be no habitat or watershed if the SEZ is destroyed by fire. I also encourage work to restore the SEZs during these fuel reduction activities. Allow the California Public Resource Code section 4291 to be fully enforced. We need to change the current TRPA ground cover requirement to enforce section 4291 which requires a 30-foot mineral earth clearance with an additional 70 foot vegetation modification for a total 100 foot clearance around structures. Section 4291 is successfully enforced state wide in the California State Responsibility areas. California State Responsibility areas exist within the Tahoe Basin; however TRPA regulations do not allow section 4291 to be fully enforced. Allow homeowners to remove - without a permit - dead trees and small trees greater than the current permit rule of six inches. The Forest Fire Protection Act allows cutting trees up to 18 inches. The fuel conditions and the resulting Washoe Fire required an extraordinary effort from multiple fire agencies throughout the entire region including North Tahoe Fire Protection District, U.S. Forest Service, CALFIRE, CAL OES, Squaw Valley Fire Department, Meeks Bay Fire Protection District, Truckee Fire Protection District, North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, Reno Fire Department, South Lake Tahoe Fire Department, Lake Valley Fire Protection District, Sierra Fire Department, and Fallen Leaf Lake Fire Department Without the outstanding coordination of these departments, the Washoe Fire could have destroyed up to 200 homes in the Sunnyside community last weekend. We cannot continue to rely upon good luck and skilled firefighters. We must be proactive to prevent catastrophic wildfires. At the recent Tahoe Summit, Senator Diane Feinstein and Senator John Ensign encouraged stronger focus on wildfire prevention. Placer County is considering an ordinance to require homeowners to maintain their defensible space. The time is now for TRPA and the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board to move forward to fulfill their obligations to public safety as well as environmental protection. Sincerely, Bruce Kranz, Supervisor, District 5 Chairman, Placer County Board of Supervisors Board Member TRPA cc: TRPA Board Members The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor, State of California The Honorable Jim Gibbons, Governor, State of Nevada The Honorable Senator Dianne Feinstein The Honorable Senator Barbara Boxer The Honorable Congressman John Doolittle The Honorable Senator Dave Cox The Honorable Assembly Member Ted Gaines Chief Brad Harris Chief Duane Whitelaw Chief Mark Shadowens Chief Pete Bansen Chief Bryce Keller Chief John Pang Harold Singer John Pickett Pete Evich Brian Lungren Sierra Sun Tahoe Daily Tribune