BLM: $30 million to reduce wildfires in Lake Tahoe Basin

STATELINE — The Bureau of Land Management has awarded almost $30 million in wildfire prevention projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin, Carson Range, and Carson City, the agency announced Wednesday.

Janice Schneider, U.S. Department of the Interior assistant secretary for Land and Minerals Management, approved the funding, which was generated through the sale of public lands around Las Vegas under authority of the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act (SNPLMA), and awarded to BLM partners based on thorough project proposals.

“This program relies on the strength of its strong partnerships that take on important forest health and water quality projects that make a real difference,” said Assistant Secretary Schneider at a signing ceremony near Lake Tahoe. “The partners receiving funding will help ensure that we continue to improve the quality of life in the Tahoe Basin and surrounding areas while protecting the integrity of biological communities.”

The eight projects are funded under the authority of SNPLMA who directs the BLM to use a portion of funding generated from the sale of public lands in southern Nevada for comprehensive hazardous fuels reduction and wildfire prevention projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin and surrounding areas.

“This money will make a real difference by funding the work that is needed to slow and stop catastrophic wildfires,” said BLM Director Neil Kornze. “We’re proud to partner with the people of California and Nevada to get this important work underway.”

The funding announced today includes approximately $29.5 million for hazardous fuels reduction and wildfire prevention including:

Nevada Regional Fuels Reduction, $973,250; Completion of wildland urban interface treatments in Carnelian, Incline and South Shore around Lake Tahoe, $10,358,300; Community outreach and assistance with wildfire preparedness, $5,826,125; Carson City Hazardous Fuels Reduction, $1,999,900, and Collection, $102,389; Hazardous fuels treatments on private property, $6,814,500; Hazardous fuels reduction planning for the Mount Rose corridor, $1,640,635; and Completion of the Programmatic Timberland Environmental Improvement Report for all private, local government, and California Tahoe Conservancy fuel reduction projects, $1,784,843.

Additional nominations for other categories in Round 16 are currently being reviewed and decisions will be announced in the coming months. More information on Round 16 is available online at www.blm.gov/snplma.

Since SNPLMA’s enactment in 1998, approximately $3.6 billion has been raised for more than 1,200 projects that benefit public places in Nevada. In accordance with SNPLMA, the funds generated by the sale of certain lands will be used throughout Nevada for projects such as the development of parks, trails, and natural areas, capital improvements on federal lands, acquisition of environmentally sensitive land, and landscape restoration projects. Additionally, 5 percent of the revenue goes to the State of Nevada General Education Fund and 10 percent to the Southern Nevada Water Authority.