Truckee council adopts resolutions opposing federal Forest Service staffing and funding cuts, urges regional coordination

The Town Council of Truckee unanimously adopted two resolutions opposing federal staffing and funding cuts that staff and residents said are already affecting forest-health work, wildfire mitigation and the local economy.

Staff presented two linked draft measures: one focused on impacts to forest health and wildfire mitigation and the other on economic and social impacts to the town and local organizations. Hillary Hodge, assistant to the town manager, told council the drafts were prepared with input from the council’s legislative committee and were intentionally written so regional partners could adopt one or both measures. “As of 4 p.m. I counted 34 written public comments, all of which were in support of council taking action to adopt these resolutions,” Hodge said.

The measures were the subject of a lengthy public-comment period in which representatives of local landowners, nonprofit partners and residents urged swift action. Benjamin Levine, president of the Tahoe Donner Association, said a stalled master stewardship agreement with the U.S. Forest Service was already delaying cross‑border fuel‑reduction projects: “The staff report and resolution before the council state that the Forest Service cuts and freezes…