Getting More Done Together: TFPD Leverages Measure T Funding, Partnership Reimbursement Agreements to Increase Size and Scope of Projects
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Truckee, Calif. (Aug. 26, 2025) – Truckee Fire Protection District is leveraging Measure T funds through partnership reimbursement agreements to increase the size and scope of wildfire prevention projects this summer.
Using locally controlled funds from Measure T allows Truckee Fire Protection District to increase the pace and scale of project implementation and accomplish more meaningful work within each field season. It also maximizes the impact of those dollars – TFPD’s investment of nearly $200,000 of Measure T funds has resulted in more than $560,000 of total funding for regional projects through partner reimbursement programs, nearly tripling the impact of local taxpayer dollars.
The agreements are an innovative way for TFPD to support more work through capacity provided by partner agencies.
“Our forests are over-dense, unhealthy and at risk to high intensity wildfire, and no single agency can solve this problem alone. Sharing resources allows us to achieve common goals more quickly and have greater impact on our communities, landscapes and forest health,” said Dillon Sheedy, TFPD registered professional forester. “We are using locally controlled funds because we can’t rely on limited and competitive state and federal grants to enable us to meet the impact we need to achieve. Local funds allow us to enter into agreements more nimbly with a wide range of partners who are putting good projects on the ground in our district.”
By using Measure T funds to strategically fill gaps in funding, TFPD has unlocked and implemented much larger projects that provide increased benefits to Truckee and Donner Summit residents.
Three major projects that demonstrate the partnership model in action:
Town of Truckee 2025 Roadway Vegetation Management Project
Truckee Fire Protection District invested $20,000 in Measure T funds, while the Town of Truckee is using Measure V funds for right-of-way treatments along South Shore Drive along the west end of Donner Lake. The project extends the town’s right-of-way vegetation treatments onto adjacent private parcels and creates a continuous fuel break along key evacuation routes in communities that have limited egress and ingress.
Nevada County Resource Conservation District Serene Lakes Egress Roadside Fuel Reduction Project
TFPD invested $35,000 in Measure T funds, while Pacific Gas & Electric Company provided a $114,000 grant. Bids for the project covering 25 acres of land along Soda Springs Road were higher than anticipated, but Measure T funding filled the gap to implement this long-awaited and high-priority project that was identified in the Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
California State Lands Commission Prosser Dam Road Forest Management and Fuels Reduction
TFPD invested $145,000 in Measure T funds after SLC expends its allocation of $250,000. The project will thin and manage heavy fuel loads on a 109-acre SLCowned parcel near Prosser Dam Road and Pannonia Ranchos neighborhoods.
A key aspect of each project is the creation of strategic operations areas where firefighters and other emergency responders can safely set up and operate while defending local communities in the event of a wildfire.
In June of this year, Truckee Fire Protection District Fire Chief Kevin McKechnie was authorized to enter the district into limited-term partner reimbursement agreements, which allow key partners to expand the scope of their work by filling in gaps in funding or providing additional funding.
Combining partnership agreement programs with Measure T funds gets more acres treated in meaningful areas.
“When we invest $200,000 into projects with our partners, the local taxpayer investment is greatly magnified for increased impact,” said Eric Horntvedt, TFPD wildfire prevention manager. “We always get a baseline level of work done every year, but when we enter into these agreements, it increases the pace and scale of meaningful wildfire prevention work in strategic, high-priority areas.”
“We are focused on spending Measure T funds from the inside-out starting at the community level and working outward. When these projects are in line with the Community Wildfire Protection Plan, it is a way for us to get so much more meaningful work done.”
The ability to quickly put Measure T funds to work allows Truckee Fire Protection District to be more nimble, get projects implemented much faster, and advance its ultimate goal of achieving long-term community resiliency.
About Truckee Fire:
Truckee Fire Protection District was established in 1894 and is overseen by a locallyelected board of directors. TFPD protects the lives, property and environment of residents and visitors to its 125 square-mile fire district in and around Truckee through fire suppression, emergency medical services, fire prevention and wildfire preparedness. For more information about TFPD, call 530-582-7850 or visit truckeefire.org.
About Measure T
Passed overwhelmingly in 2021 by residents of Truckee and Donner Summit communities, Measure T established a dedicated local funding stream of $3.6 million annually for Truckee Fire Protection District. TFPD has used Measure T funds to implement and sustain a comprehensive suite of programs designed to reduce the threat and intensity of wildfire, including:
Large land and fuels reduction projects
Home Hardening Rebate Program
Free defensible space inspections
Free green waste grapple pick-up
Community wildfire prevention grant funding
Reflective Address Sign Program
Residential Dead Tree Fund
Critical infrastructure fuels reduction
For more information on the implementation and impact of Measure T funds, visit: TruckeeFire.org/wildfireprevention
Suggested Captions: Images 6 Before and Photo 6 After: Project restores forest back to a healthy state.
IMG_7738: Wildfire prevention work in progress near Truckee.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of TFPD