Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Gibbons to form a commission to determine if rules preventing residents from raking up dry pine needles and cutting trees on their property left too much combustible fuel near homes. The rules are designed to limit erosion that can muddy the lake and reduce its famed clarity. "We need to look at where the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency has gone too far and where they haven't gone far enough," said Cox, whose district includes South Lake Tahoe.
The planning agency has emerged as a favorite target for those seeking to assign blame for the devastating fire. The agency's director was booed off stage in the first town hall meeting following the blaze. Critics said the agency's single-minded approach to preserving lake clarity allowed more homes to burn than necessary.
Forest Service also has come under fire for not aggressively thinning large tracks of federal land adjacent to the dense housing developments along the lake. A spokeswoman for Gibbons, Melissa Subbotin, say he supports a commission. Subbotin did not specifically said whether Gibbons wants the planning agency's policies reviewed.
"We look forward to partnering with both Nevada and California to help determine steps that will reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires and improve fire preparedness," she said. Adam Mendelsohn, Schwarzenegger's communications director, said the governor's office is concerned about thinning of brush and trees at Lake Tahoe and around the state and has begun to examine whether changes are needed to expedite clearing. In an e-mail exchange, he said the governor has not yet discussed whether to support a commission.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Gibbons to form a commission to determine if rules preventing residents from raking up dry pine needles and cutting trees on their property left too much combustible fuel near homes.
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