Agencies use every tool to face threat of fire
By Sage Sauerbrey, Moonshine Ink
“Forest fires happen because of decades of decisions that are made beforehand,” says forest ecologist Malcom North of a long line of mistakes in forest management stretching more than 100 years into the past.
These unintentional blunders have compounded with climate change and natural forest processes throughout the years to create the most dangerous fire conditions in Tahoe’s human history, leaving us struggling to play catch-up.
The toolboxes possessed by public agencies to prevent wildfire are unique in that they include not just a bevy of modern treatment methods, but also extensive access to the most current data, state funding and grants, as well as interagency cooperation and some unusual creative partnerships. Will these new efforts be enough to keep up with the looming threat of a catastrophic wildfire in Tahoe?
