Fuel Reduction Projects

District Projects

In 2022, the District approved the Olympic Valley Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). The plan identifies and prioritizes the fuels reduction and wildfire prevention strategy within Olympic Valley Fire Department's service area. Five major fuels reduction projects were prioritized:

OV-1: Olympic Valley North Forest Thinning - IN PROGRESS

Funded by a grant from CAL FIRE (Project Tracking Number: 21-FP-NEU-0209), the licensed timber operator is scheduled to begin work in August 2023 and the project should be completed by the end of 2023. This shaded fuel break will cover 120 acres on the ridgeline north of the community using primarily mechanical thinning and mastication methods. This break will significantly reduce flame length, intensity, rate of spread and potential duration of wildfire in the area. For more information about OV-1 please look at our July 2023 Board Exhibit F-3, August 2022 Board Exhibit F-2, and October 2022 Board Exhibit F-3.

Informational Resources:

Slideshow Presented August 14th, 2023

August 14th, 2023 Community Meeting Recording (note- recording started about 5 minutes into meeting)

USFS - Fuels Project Saves Homes (slideshow page #9 video) 

Olympic Valley Fuel Reduction Project, is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing GHG emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment- particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California. For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at: www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov

OV-2: North Valley Prescribed Burns and Thinning 

Project area OV-2 (between the OV-4 community buffer and the OV-1 north forest thinning project) is a recommended place to use prescribed burning. Mechanical and hand thinning of fuels is also recommended in this area. This project would be a focus after the OV-1 and OV-4 shaded fuel breaks have been completed. 

OV-3: Roadside Wildfire Safety - IN PROGRESS

 In the event of a fire emergency, movement into and out of the valley is of paramount importance. Clear and safe roads are essential for ingress of fire personnel and egress of evacuees. Currently, there is one entrance and exit into the valley, a potential traffic bottleneck. For efficient travel, roadside hazard reduction along Olympic Valley Road and Resort Road is needed to reduce the risk of trees or other objects (signs, structures, etc.) falling into the roadway if they catch fire. The S-Turns Forest Fuels Reduction Project has already been funded and began in November, 2021 to reduce a 2.7 acre stand of lodge pole pine on the south side of Olympic Valley Road in the Washeshu Creek meadow. The next phase of work will be bid when the ground conditions are dry enough to allow for continued work. For more information about OV-3 please look at our September 2022 Board Exhibit F-6 and June 2022 Board Exhibit F-9.

OV-4: Olympic Valley Community Wildfire Buffer Project - IN PROGRESS

A fuels reduction project surrounding the perimeter of homes, buildings, and other structures in the valley. In the event of an encroaching fire, this will provide the community an additional layer of safety on top of individual lot maintenance. This buffer would be constructed through a combination of hand cut piling and burning, chipping and mechanical thinning. In 2023 the District received a grant from the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Wildfire Resilience Program to complete layout, design, and CEQA compliance for a minimum 150-foot wide fuel break surrounding the perimeter of residential properties, buildings, and other structures in the valley on private parcels greater than 3 acres totaling approximately 100-acres. To learn more about the project please view the July Board Exhibit F-2 and the June Board Exhibit F-15. 

Come learn more about OV-4 Septemer 28th, 2023 

OV-5: Olympic Valley North Forest Thinning 

This break will cover approximately 120 acres on the ridgeline south of the community using mechanical thinning methods. This project will likely be prioritized in conjunction with the USFS-led project described below as the Alpine Meadow / Olympic Valley Project.

The District has been awarded $685,911 in grant funding as of July, 2023. These funds are dedicated to the planning and implementation of fuels management projects as summarized below: 

Fuels Management on National Forest Lands Adjacent to Olympic Valley:

Five Creeks Project

The Five Creeks Project promises to be a major fuels management initiative to provide protection for the Olympic Valley community. The project area aligns with the Truckee River and the State Route 89 corridor, south of Truckee and north of the Olympic Valley, approximately five miles northwest of Lake Tahoe. More information on the project can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=60390

Alpine Meadows and Olympic Valley Fire Protection Project

This 1,080-acre project is planned to reduce fuel loading and promote forest health on the Tahoe National Forest surrounding the communities of Alpine Meadows and Olympic Valley. Surveys and analysis are currently in progress.