TRUCKEE, Calif. – Seven different entities and Truckee Fire Protection District (TFPD) joined forces to secure $7 million in state funding from CAL FIRE’s Forest Health Program, supported by California Climate Investments.  Additionally, another $1 million-plus was secured in partner-matching funds which will improve forest health and resilience across 2,627 acres through multiple regional projects and jurisdictions in Nevada and Placer Counties. 

The Nevada and Placer County Collaborative Landscape Resiliency Project grant award was a nearly two-year process that began in October of 2023. It required significant coordination and collaboration between multiple landowners, led by a $500,000 financial commitment from the Martis Camp Community Association.  

“This forest health grant funding reflects what is possible when organizations align on a common vision for resilience,” said Scott Bower, general manager of the Martis Camp Community Association. “Martis Camp’s commitment of $500,000 was not just about funding—it was about stepping up as a partner in a regional effort. Protecting our forests requires looking beyond our boundaries, and this collaboration is a model of how we can get it done together.”  

Grant partners and the scope of their projects include:  

• Martis Camp (380 acres, commercial thinning, biomass utilization)  
• Sierra Pacific Industries (571 acres, fuels reduction)  
• Truckee Donner Land Trust Billy Mack Canyon (167 acres, commercial thinning and biomass utilization)  
• Northstar Vail Corporation (140 acres commercial thinning, biomass utilization)  
• North Tahoe Fire Alpine Meadows Forest Health (95 acres fuels reduction, prescribed fire)  
• Tahoe Donner Association (354 acres fuels reduction, reforestation)  
• National Forest Foundation Alder 89 WUI (920 acres fuel reduction of surface and ladder trees)  

These projects represent a multi-jurisdictional, landscape-scale effort designed to improve forest health and wildfire resilience at a pace and scale capable of producing meaningful results. Recent Measure T–funded projects led by TFPD have started at the neighborhood level and worked outward. This grant funded project does the opposite—beginning in the forests around town and moving back toward the community. This complementary, two-pronged strategy is essential for creating a connected, resilient landscape that protects both wildlands and the communities that depend on them.  

“The work on the landscape that surrounds our community is just as critical as what happens within the core of our neighborhoods. Improving the health of surrounding forests directly protects our town centers, our homes, and preserves the way of life we value in Truckee,” said Dillon Sheedy, TFPD registered professional forester. “When we secure major funding for projects that advance our shared mission, it feels like we’re making real, lasting progress.” 

With support from Measure T, TFPD launched a wildfire prevention division to identify large‑scale forest health priorities and connect those needs with the funding to carry them out. Sheedy was central to the effort, dedicating extensive hours to building the regional partnership and guiding the grant application that ultimately secured this significant investment. 

Treatments in the bi-county area include forest fuels reduction, prescribed fire, biomass utilization and reforestation. “With this funding, we have the unique opportunity, and ultimately the responsibility as land stewards, to reduce stand density such that the forests we manage have increased resilience to insects, disease and climate effects, offering protection for not only the forest resource, but our communities,” said Danielle Bradfield with Feather River Forestry. 

“Wildfire doesn’t respect property boundaries. That’s why working in a collaborative, cross-boundary manner builds landscape-scale resilience,” said Dan Alvey, Central Sierra Program Manager with the National Forest Foundation.” The National Forest Foundation is excited to be part of this effort, which brings together diverse stakeholders to achieve common goals for the benefit of the Truckee community.”  

The grant collaborative represents a new model for the many agencies involved, with much of its success rooted in TFPD’s recent update of its Community Wildfire Protection Plan. Over 18 months, the district pored over extensive data to shape a more comprehensive fire protection strategy for the region. This process not only clarified the priorities of partner organizations but also strengthened relationships across eastern Placer and Nevada County fire jurisdictions. 

“We all have projects we want to get on the ground, and funding is always an issue,” said Sheedy. “When you can show that you are working together and are not competing against each other for these funding opportunities, you are more likely to succeed as a group.”  

What’s Next for the Community 

With grant work underway, residents and property owners can expect to see expanded fire prevention projects over the coming year on public and private lands, as well as along key evacuation routes. 

“These projects wouldn’t be possible without the support from CAL FIRE and local voter support for Measure T,” Truckee Fire Chief Kevin McKechnie added. “As more projects launch this fall and into 2026, the Truckee–Tahoe region will continue to demonstrate what’s possible when communities unite behind wildfire resilience.”