Remote Surveillance Trailer in Incline Village, NV

This summer, faculty from the University of Nevada, Reno’s Tahoe Institute for Global Sustainability are sharing their research with the local Tahoe community, showcasing University expertise beyond the classroom. The talks are supported by the Tahoe Fund and hosted at Alibi Public House in Incline Village, where anyone can join in the fun and learn while relaxing. Upcoming speakers will discuss the power of meadows in carbon capture and what it is like to know the Tahoe Basin through walking and drawing.

The first talk on July 29 highlighted the work of Baker Perry, Ph.D., State Climatologist, professor of climatology in the Department of Geography, and faculty at the Tahoe Institute for Global Sustainability, where he explored the biggest surprises from high-elevation weather stations.

“There are many reasons we study high-elevation climates, and one is from a water supply perspective,” said Perry during his talk. “For example, all over the world, there’s been a huge loss in snow and ice which impacts water availability downstream. Through research, we understand not only how important glaciers and snowpacks are for sustaining communities downstream, but also that these critical water towers are changing rapidly.”

Perry captivated the audience with tales of installing research stations at extreme elevations, where he shared stories of low-oxygen fieldwork while also describing the changes he has seen in high-elevation locations in his lifetime of research. Perry also shared data collected from the weather stations and discussed what the data reveals about climate change in high elevations and how those changes might affect surrounding communities.

For Tahoe Institute faculty, the talks offer not only an opportunity to share their research locally, but also a chance to inspire other community members through their research and projects to have larger discussions about sustainability. Tahoe Taproom Talks continue on Aug. 26 and Sept. 30 with interdisciplinary faculty from the Tahoe Institute. The talks are from 5-6 p.m. at Alibi Public House in Incline Village. See below for a list of presentation dates, presenters, and their research topics, or find the schedule of talks on the University of Nevada, Reno events calendar.

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — In 2025, the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District (NLTFPD), in partnership with the Incline Village General Improvement District (IVGID), launched the 176.5-acre Worm Project, a wildfire fuels reduction initiative named for the long, narrow shape of the treatment area.

The project is creating an intensively managed forest buffer around neighborhoods above Highway 431 in Incline Village, extending from private property boundaries onto IVGID and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) lands. By reducing hazardous vegetation, the project helps lower wildfire risk, improve firefighter access, and strengthen the protection of lives, homes, and critical infrastructure.

Work includes thinning understory vegetation and removing smaller, suppressed trees while retaining approximately 10–15% of native brush in a mosaic pattern. This approach supports wildlife habitat, protects soil stability and water quality, and preserves the area’s natural forest character.

Phase 1, encompassing 62.6 acres, was completed in July 2025. Phase 2, covering the remaining 113.9 acres, is scheduled to begin July 20, 2026, and is expected to be completed by September 2026. The work will be performed using hand crews and low-impact, remotely operated mastication equipment operated by a qualified contractor to minimize disturbance while efficiently reducing hazardous fuels.

Phase 1 was fully funded by IVGID. Funding for Phase 2 is supported through multiple partnerships, including:

“The Worm Project is an important investment in the long-term safety and resilience of the Incline Village community. While no single project can eliminate the risk of wildfire, strategic fuels reduction significantly improves our ability to slow fire spread, provide firefighters with safer and more effective access, and better protect lives, homes, and critical infrastructure,” said Fire Chief Ryan Sommers. “As wildfire seasons continue to become longer and more complex, proactive forest management remains one of the most effective tools available to reduce wildfire risk. Projects like the Worm Project complement defensible space efforts on private property, creating a more resilient landscape where neighborhoods and surrounding forests work together to withstand wildfire. We appreciate the community’s patience and support as this important work takes place.”

For project updates, wildfire preparedness information, and other community announcements, visit http://www.nltfpd.org

and follow the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

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98 %

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With the Bug and Stallion fires burning over 120,000 acres north of Reno, fire fuels mitigation is more important than ever.

Incline Village is getting ahead of the game.

As a way to clear vegetation and reduce fire risk, the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District is partnering with BurnBot to take a bite out of the problem.

Since BurnBot's masticators are remote operated, they give the operator a better vantage point they wouldn't have in a cab.

"They have a much broader view of the area they're treating," says Tanya Soans with BurnBot. "It's much lower impact on the environment, both because they can see where they are and also because it's lighter."

The masticators chew up the fuels and, with the help of hand crews, reduce the fuel load and spread it out so that if a wildfire burns here, the flames are much less intense and easier to fight.

NLTFPD is working with several agencies on this project. The Incline Village General Improvement district owns the land, the Nevada Division of Forestry orchestrates much of the funding, and BurnBot brings the equipment.

The project is called "the worm."

"We got, good quality wildfire fuels reduction right up to the boundary of private property, 132 feet deep on the forest land," says Jason Furmaniak, NLTFPD's Forester.

That boundary just so happens to wiggle like a worm, hence the project's name.

The map on the right shows where crews are working above State Route 431. In yellow is the 62.6 acres crews finished in phase one last year. In green is phase two, and additional mitigation work is in black.

Furmaniak says the project's name gets people to ask questions, first about why it's called that, and then about how it works and why it's important.

Tom Millhoff has lived in Incline Village since 1999. He says the worm gives him peace of mind and hopes it inspires his neighbors to clear their own defensible space.

"The masticators can't come on our property," he says. "It's our job to make sure that ember that lands on our property doesn't become a house fire or a neighborhood fire."

The project is taking place on IVGID's land. The agency fully funded last year's work and continues to support it this year.

"It's really benefiting the safety of our residents as well as the stewardship of the lands that we have and are challenged with protecting for our beautiful village," says Michelle Jezycki, IVGID Trustee and Vice Chair.

This time around, the Nevada Division of Forestry administered a Better Together Nevada Shared Stewardship grant to fund 94.9 of the 113.9 in this phase through the State of Nevada. IVGID is matching 10% of that grant.

"We're glad to have the coordinated efforts of all the grant work come together and increase the protection for the community," says Tony Parenti with NDF.

As of August 13, 35 acres in Phase Two are complete since work began in July. Work is scheduled to be completed by mid-September.

Once the worm project is finished, fire fuels on 176.5 acres will be mitigated in Incline Village.