The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT) is a collaborative group of land management and fire agencies, resource organizations, and non-profits that work to reduce wildfire risk, restore resilient forests, and support community wildfire preparedness across the Lake Tahoe Basin. This year marked the first time TFFT has had dedicated staff to coordinate partner efforts, strengthen communications, and provide strategic support for wildfire mitigation and forest health initiatives.

The new TFFT Program Manager, Annabelle Monti, started early in the field season, focusing on aligning Basin-wide efforts and building connections across agencies and organizations. A TFFT Assistant, Katlyn Lonergan, joined later in the summer to lead public outreach and communications. There’s a lot of great work happening around the Basin, and we want to share it!

With this first season of dedicated staff, TFFT prioritized understanding the evolving needs and challenges of partners. Conversations with agencies, local organizations, and community groups have been essential in shaping where TFFT can add the most value – not by duplicating work that’s already successful, but by filling gaps, adding capacity, and amplifying accomplishments.

Key areas of focus:

·         Collaboration: Supporting efficient partner coordination and clarifying roles across efforts.

·         Communications: Enhancing public outreach through the Fire Public Information Team (Fire PIT) and          ensuring consistent messaging about wildfire risk mitigation and forest management projects.

·         Strategic Support: Gathering input to inform TFFT’s evolving strategic direction, ensuring Basin-wide priorities align with state and federal goals.

This season reinforced what’s possible when agencies, organizations, and communities work together. Looking ahead, TFFT staff will continue to plug in where support is most needed and help drive Basin-wide progress toward resilient forests and communities.