AIS Control- 

Tahoe RCD has had a productive season combating aquatic invasive plants across Lake Tahoe. Contracted dive teams surveyed 24 control sites (372 acres), with three more site assessments covering 170 acres planned for October. Divers visited 14 current and past plant infestation sites and conducted light hand removal at 6 of those locations to maintain their weed-free status. From May through September, divers also removed 11,000 gallons of plants and 19,805 individual plants at Pope Marsh and Emerald Bay.

CTC

The Tahoe Conservation Partnership seasonal field staff are wrapping up another successful season. Field crews completed over 200 projects during their six-month tenure, from May-October. Crews built or repaired barriers to protect conservation land from degradation, reduced fuel on forest lands, and removed litter from hundreds of urban parcels.

Our lot inspectors surveyed thousands of parcels to protect and maintain conservation land throughout the California side of the Tahoe basin. Additionally, our land stewards removed thousands of invasive plants and countless bags of trash, primarily in the Upper Truckee Marsh and Johnson Meadow.

If you, or someone you know is interested in joining our team, please see our website for job announcements. Recruitment for Restoration, Forestry, and Land Management field crew positions begins in January 2026.

 FAC

The Fire Adapted Communities (FAC) program has continued momentum and growth in our efforts to build wildfire-resilient communities throughout the Tahoe Basin. The FAC Network is supported by 103 active neighborhood groups, of which 73 are now Firewise USA® recognized. Many additional neighborhoods are in the process of becoming fire adapted and earning their Firewise status.

Our outreach and educational programming have expanded significantly over the past year. Notable actions include:

• Hosting Firewise Risk Assessment and Workday/Action Plan webinars
• Delivering a three-part FAC webinar series in partnership with Living with Fire
• Providing defensible space presentations as part of Latino Conservation Week
• Providing educational outreach at multiple community outreach events
• Presenting to HOAs and participating in neighborhood meetings and workdays

We continue to focus on expanding outreach and strengthening relationships with our local communities, a goal reflected in our engagement metrics. By September 2024, we connected with 1,689 community members. In 2025, that number has nearly doubled, reaching 3,230 community members—and counting!

Wildfire preparedness education continues through our social media channels and the recently updated Tahoe Living With Fire website. A key new addition is the Neighborhood Leader Library, designed to support and empower community leaders with tools and resources for local wildfire preparedness.

We are proud of our strong partnerships with UCCE Master Gardeners, the Living with Fire Program at UNR Extension, local school districts, and our broader Tahoe community. Together, we have created and delivered several impactful projects:

• Top Tahoe Plants brochure, developed with UCCE Master Gardeners
• Educational wildfire model, thanks to Jose Hernandez Garcia
• Children's activity book, created with Living with Fire, UNR Extension (publication in January 2026)
• Defensible space and fuel reduction presentations for grades 6–12 at Lake Tahoe Unified School District, in partnership with Tahoe RCD Forestry Team and local fire districts

As we move into the final months of 2025, we will focus on collecting data to assess the impact of our programs on wildfire risk reduction. At the same time, we will continue collaborating closely with community leaders and agency partners to deepen and expand our outreach efforts across the Tahoe Basin.

Follow Tahoe Living With Fire for wildfire news, prescribed fire updates, preparedness tips, and opportunities to get involved:

·        Facebook      Instagram      TahoeLivingWithFire.com