Fueling Change for Wildfire Resilient ForestsS
The Middle Truckee River Watershed Forest Partnership (MTRWFP)’s 10-Year Vegetation Management Plan will drive forest restoration and fuels management work on 60,000 acres within the Middle Truckee River watershed by 2034.
After two full years of operation, the collective efforts of MTRWFP have resulted in the following significant milestones toward this goal. All MTRWFP efforts aim to protect our communities, secure critical water supplies, and restore the natural resilience of our forests against extreme wildfire.
Ladybug Wildfire Fuels Mitigation, completed in Fall 2025, was the first project of the MTRWFP.
2025 Progress Update
The following are cumulative tallies since projects began in 2023.
11,771 acres of vegetation management and prescribed fire have been implemented.
3,854 acres underwent hazardous fuels reduction through mastication, mechanical thinning, or hand work to reduce ladder fuels.
5,634 acres were commercially thinned to improve forest health and long-term resiliency.
17,506 acres reached "project readiness" through the completion of environmental planning and compliance.
$10,899,656 in federal, state, local, and private funding was invested into these vital planning and implementation projects.
2026 Project Outlook
2026 Forest Restoration Project Areas. Download the full map from the USFS.
MTRWFP has several key projects taking place over the coming year that may impact public access, due to the use of mechanical vegetation management work, including the use of heavy equipment, movement of haul trucks, tree-falling operations, mastication, and piling. Here is a brief description of each:
Alder 89: Treating nearly 3,000 acres of forest in a high-use area directly adjacent to the Town of Truckee and dense developments like Tahoe Donner.
Alpine Meadows: Focusing on creating defensible buffers for the Alpine Meadows community and protecting critical ingress and egress routes along Highway 89.
Big Chief: Focusing on mechanical thinning and fuels reduction with periodic closures of the Big Chief climbing area and surrounding trails.
Boca: Protecting forest lands above essential water infrastructure for Reno and Sparks, Nevada while improving overall ecosystem resiliency and reducing wildfire risk for the greater Truckee area.
Woodchopper Project: Fuels reduction work planned on approximately 850 acres north of Truckee, between Highway 89 North and Boca Reservoir.
Ongoing Projects: Implementation continues for the Cabin Creek, the first of three projects covered under the Five Creeks environmental assessment, located directly south of Truckee, west of Highway 89.
Access the USFS media release on potential public access closures for these projects.
Science of Project PrioritizationThe Middle Truckee River watershed is an expansive 315,000-acre landscape. To ensure resources are spent where they have the greatest impact, MTRWFP is guided by three factors: wildfire risk, climate change susceptibility, and hydrologic impacts.
To help facilitate specific project selection, the following management objectives are weighed:
Read more about MTRWFP’s strategic approach in its 10-Year Vegetation Management Plan at truckeeforests.org/resources.
LEARN MORE
Stay in the Know
Projects active & planned to approach to address at-risk forests within the Middle Truckee River Watershed.
As work moves forward, some project phases may include closures of recreational trails or forest roads to keep everyone safe from hazards such as falling trees, mechanical thinning operations, and heavy equipment traffic. Camping may also be prohibited. For the latest project updates, maps, downloadable flyers, and more, visit truckeeforests.org/project-updates.
Feel free to download, print, and share the following flyers for the MTRWFP’s active projects.
Want an easy way to support the partnership? Share our newsletter!
The Middle Truckee River Watershed Forest Partnership (MTRWFP)’s 10-Year Vegetation Management Plan will drive forest restoration and fuels management work on 60,000 acres within the Middle Truckee River watershed by 2034.
After two full years of operation, the collective efforts of MTRWFP have resulted in the following significant milestones toward this goal. All MTRWFP efforts aim to protect our communities, secure critical water supplies, and restore the natural resilience of our forests against extreme wildfire.
Ladybug Wildfire Fuels Mitigation, completed in Fall 2025, was the first project of the MTRWFP.
2025 Progress Update
The following are cumulative tallies since projects began in 2023.
11,771 acres of vegetation management and prescribed fire have been implemented.
3,854 acres underwent hazardous fuels reduction through mastication, mechanical thinning, or hand work to reduce ladder fuels.
5,634 acres were commercially thinned to improve forest health and long-term resiliency.
17,506 acres reached "project readiness" through the completion of environmental planning and compliance.
$10,899,656 in federal, state, local, and private funding was invested into these vital planning and implementation projects.
2026 Project Outlook
2026 Forest Restoration Project Areas. Download the full map from the USFS.
MTRWFP has several key projects taking place over the coming year that may impact public access, due to the use of mechanical vegetation management work, including the use of heavy equipment, movement of haul trucks, tree-falling operations, mastication, and piling. Here is a brief description of each:
Alder 89: Treating nearly 3,000 acres of forest in a high-use area directly adjacent to the Town of Truckee and dense developments like Tahoe Donner.
Alpine Meadows: Focusing on creating defensible buffers for the Alpine Meadows community and protecting critical ingress and egress routes along Highway 89.
Big Chief: Focusing on mechanical thinning and fuels reduction with periodic closures of the Big Chief climbing area and surrounding trails.
Boca: Protecting forest lands above essential water infrastructure for Reno and Sparks, Nevada while improving overall ecosystem resiliency and reducing wildfire risk for the greater Truckee area.
Woodchopper Project: Fuels reduction work planned on approximately 850 acres north of Truckee, between Highway 89 North and Boca Reservoir.
Ongoing Projects: Implementation continues for the Cabin Creek, the first of three projects covered under the Five Creeks environmental assessment, located directly south of Truckee, west of Highway 89.
Access the USFS media release on potential public access closures for these projects.
Science of Project PrioritizationThe Middle Truckee River watershed is an expansive 315,000-acre landscape. To ensure resources are spent where they have the greatest impact, MTRWFP is guided by three factors: wildfire risk, climate change susceptibility, and hydrologic impacts.
To help facilitate specific project selection, the following management objectives are weighed:
- Fire Dynamics: Reducing the risk of "stand-replacing" fires that destroy entire ecosystems and lead to massive soil erosion.
- Forest Resilience: Restoring diverse forest structures that can survive natural disturbances.
- Water Security: Protecting source water supplies for the over 470,000 people and 7,000 businesses in the Reno-Sparks area that depend on the Truckee River.
- Biodiversity Conservation: Protecting the habitats of native species and unique ecosystems that contribute to forest resiliency and water quality.
Read more about MTRWFP’s strategic approach in its 10-Year Vegetation Management Plan at truckeeforests.org/resources.
LEARN MORE
Stay in the Know
Projects active & planned to approach to address at-risk forests within the Middle Truckee River Watershed.
As work moves forward, some project phases may include closures of recreational trails or forest roads to keep everyone safe from hazards such as falling trees, mechanical thinning operations, and heavy equipment traffic. Camping may also be prohibited. For the latest project updates, maps, downloadable flyers, and more, visit truckeeforests.org/project-updates.
Feel free to download, print, and share the following flyers for the MTRWFP’s active projects.
Want an easy way to support the partnership? Share our newsletter!
