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Why this matters
Overgrown forests increase risks of catastrophic wildfire across the Tahoe region. A local wood economy turns this challenge into opportunity by connecting forest restoration with small-scale manufacturing, local entrepreneurship, and regional supply chains that keep value rooted in place. A collaboration between the Tahoe Earth Institute, Tahoe Prosperity Center, and Berkeley Wood Lab, Tahoe Wood is mapping and catalyzing pathways for the trees felled in our backyards to be turned into local products.
2-4x denser
forests today compared to
historically healthy conditions
100k+ acres
of Tahoe forests prioritized for
thinning for wildfire resilience
70-100+ miles
to closest wood processing facilities, upping forest restoration costs
80% of lumber
across California is imported from out of state
PHOTO CREDIT: MERITT THOMAS, UNSPLASH
Our approach
Research & strategy
Identify opportunities, map local wood supply, and develop market strategies rooted in place
Collaboration & action
Build partnerships across the wood supply chain to pilot and scale solutions and support existing initiatives
Training & engagement
Support workforce development and entrepreneurship through hands-on learning
Partners
This project is supported by the North Tahoe Community Alliance's TOT-TBID Dollars at Work, which funds programs and projects that promote community vitality, environmental stewardship, and economic health in North Lake Tahoe.
News & updates
Key resources
External reports, references, and guides focused on forest resilience, wood utilization, and economic opportunity – in Tahoe in beyond
Mayencourt & Swagemakers (2025)
Berkeley Wood Lab
Sierra Institute for Community & Environment (2021)
Placer County Water Agency (2025)
RDH Building Science Inc. (2026)
Binational Softwood Lumber Council (2017)
WoodWorks
Woodpreneur
Tahoe Prosperity Center (2022)
Sierra Small Business Development Center (SBDC); hosted by Sierra Business Council
Sierra Business Council & Sierra Commons
Sierra Business Council (2024)
16 Tahoe Basin agencies (2025)
Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (2025)
US Forest Service, National Forest Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Truckee Meadows Water Authority, Truckee River Watershed Council (2023)
Truckee Fire Protection District (2024)
California Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force (2026)
Sierra Business Council & Watershed Research and Training Center (2025)
Regional forest & wood coordination
A range of regional and statewide efforts exist to strengthen forest product supply chains. Foresters, wood suppliers, landowners, and anyone using wood products: explore these networks →
California's wood sourcing partner, coordinating qualified suppliers and providing a single point of contact for project sourcing, supplier coordination, logistics, and transaction facilitation
Statewide pilot program on regional biomass coordination and supply chain development
Searchable online map of forest industry partners, including contractors, small mills, haulers, and more
Join us
Do you supply, mill, or work with local wood? Reach out to join our growing network: info@tahoeearthinstitute.org
Stay tuned
Engage in an upcoming event and sign up for other updates.
PHOTO CREDIT: SPENCER DEMERA, UNSPLASH
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