Another year with little rain or snow has left folks in the Lake Tahoe region understanding that fire danger is more of an issue than usual. One region – Tahoe Donner – has implanted plans to hopefully offset the fire issue.
Tahoe Donner Association is reducing fire danger this summer and fall through the implementation of a smoking ban on all Tahoe Donner-owned property. This fire safety stance prohibits smoking at all amenities, common areas, and other association-owned properties as a result of extreme fire danger effective through the end of the year.
The Tahoe Donner ban includes such facilities as the golf course, parking lots, open space and trails.
“As a leader in outdoor recreation, it is our responsibility to our guests, members and community to ensure Tahoe Donner is a safe place to play and visit,” General Manager Robb Etnyre said. “We believe this new policy, combined with our current defensible space practices aligns well with our fire prevention goals.”
Tahoe Donner, located 25 minutes from Lake Tahoe in Truckee, is one of America’s largest homeowner’s associations, with nearly 6,500 properties and 25,000 members enjoying over 7,000 acres in the Sierra Nevada. Tahoe Donner is a community with a passion for outdoor recreation and a celebration of the Tahoe lifestyle.
Aimed at reducing the risks of extreme fire danger, Tahoe Donner’s smoke-free regulation applies to all individuals, including employees. To accommodate anyone with an interest in quitting smoking, information on local free programs is available on Tahoe Donner’s website at www.tahoedonner.com.
Fines for violation of the smoking rule start at $50 and may be assessed, per incident, on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis according to the nature and severity of the infraction. The ban does not apply to homeowners’ properties or e-cigarettes, and employees may smoke within their cars
Smoke-free is becoming a trend in the industry, with businesses such as Tahoe Donner paving the way locally; Whistler Blackcomb introduced a smoke-free policy last month.
“We are proud to be smoke-free,” Etnyre said. “And we’ll continue to look for additional ways to improve our fire safety procedures within our community.”
For more information on Tahoe Donner’s new smoke free policy, www.tahoedonner.com/tahoe-donner-turns-smoke-free-for-fire-safety/ or call 530 587-9400.
Jeffrey Weidel can be reached at skiweidel@gmail.com. Thanks for visiting his winter website at www.tahoeskiworld.com
