Washoe Tribe of Nevada given $305,000 grant for Tahoe Basin

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, California (KOLO) - The California Tahoe Conservancy has awarded a $305,000 grant to the Washoe Tribe of Nevada for work in the Tahoe Basin.

The work they and the state of California will conduct includes work to improve forest and watershed health and reduce wildfire risk.

The money will also give the tribe additional capability to participate in resilience projects in Tahoe. It will also advance the use of culturally prescribed burning and cultivate culturally significant native plants, the organization said in a press release.

“The Washoe Tribe have called the Lake Tahoe region home for thousands of years and bring a unique and critically important perspective to the Conservancy and other Lake Tahoe agencies and organizations,” said Conservancy Board Chair and El Dorado County Supervisor Sue Novasel. “Ensuring the Tribe has greater resources to participate in forest and watershed planning will improve projects to restore the Basin’s natural resources and protect communities from wildfire.”

They will be able to participate in planned and current basin projects, such as recovery from the Caldor Fire.

It will also increase the use of culturally prescribed fire and use culturally significant plants important for plant restoration.

Funding for the grant comes from a Regional Forest and Fire Capacity grant provided by the California Department of Conservation.