Fire Chief Lindgren has publicly claimed that fire breaks will keep my riparian property safe. That assertion reflects a misunderstanding of both fire behavior and the ecological function of riparian areas.
Riparian corridors are among the most fragile and valuable ecosystems in the Tahoe Basin. They depend on intact canopies, mature trees, and undisturbed soil to regulate temperature, retain moisture, protect groundwater, and slow the spread of fire. Removing towering trees and old-growth cedar resources that will not return in our lifetimes does not make these areas safer. It permanently degrades them.
Fire breaks are not neutral interventions. They create open corridors that allow wind to move more freely, aerating fires and enabling them to burn hotter and spread faster. This particular area has already experienced extensive clear-cutting, with approximately 80% of the forest removed. Further tree loss exposes soil and rock, increases ground temperatures, accelerates snowmelt, and intensifies the effects of climate change. Trees are essential infrastructure, not expendable obstacles.
Nevada is also facing a serious groundwater crisis. Riparian forests play a critical role in groundwater retention and recharge. Adding to the risk are piles of slash that have been left on site for more than 25 years—known fuel sources that are not being addressed in the current project.
This work is being justified under the utility resilience corridor. Yet, many of the trees marked for removal are more than 1,000 feet from power lines, well outside the corridor’s own stipulations.
This is not responsible fire mitigation. It is ecological damage being mislabeled as public safety.
-Dr. Staci Baker, DVM
Dr. Baker is one of the first 1,000 licensed veterinarians in Nevada. She studied biology and wildlife science, including fire science, and is a decades-long resident of the South Shore.