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A blue ribbon way to cooperate
March 19, 2008
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Since September we've watched the California-Nevada Tahoe Basin Fire Commission address and work through the after effects of the Angora Fire. Shortly after the flames subsided in South Lake Tahoe and more than 250 homes were burned, the "blue ribbon" bi-state commission was formed to find a way to better defend the TAhoe Basin from wildfire. And, while wildfire will always be an accepted threat in Tahoe, the commission, composed of basin fire chiefs and officials, has pinpointed ways to make living here safer.
The commission worked diligently with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to align the agency's best management practices with accepted defensible space policies. The two bodies are heavyweights, filled with influential people who have the same agenda. This was a remarkable display of public officials living up to the mandate of their constituents and keeping their needs in mind. It also illustrated what public officials with clout can do when they are united in achieving a common goal.
Tomorrow when the commission meets to finalize its report to the governors of Nevada and California, their progress will be nearly complete.
We commend the TRPA and the commission for working toward a common goal - making the basin safer - and doing it in the commission's allotted time. The deadline was the end of March. After Friday, the 70 or so recommendations will go up for a 30-day public review before being sent to the governors for action.
After it is finalized by the governors, the goal will become to publicize the advancements the commission made, to make that information available to everyone in the basin. Some are simple things, such as the fact that the commission encourages residents to clear pine needles from their yards once a year to reduce fire risk. Some carry a certain amount of gravity for residents, such as streamlining the permit process for locals to create defensible space and remove trees from their backyard.
Publicity is the final step in the commission's task, we applaud it for its members' work so far and look forward to the successful fruition of the job.
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