The demonstration is part of a new initiative, called Tahoe Wood, which aims to boost local wood utilization to bolster forest health, reduce wildfire risk and support the local community. The initiative, which started earlier this year, is a collaboration between the Tahoe Earth Institute, Tahoe Prosperity Center, and Berkeley Wood Lab. Other demonstration organizers include the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), Lake Tahoe Community College, South Tahoe High School, Cody’s Tree Service, Sierra Business Council, and Tahoe Resource Conservation District.
In one of four demonstrations throughout the day, a crescent moon of high schoolers, college students and other participants surrounded the portable sawmill and watched as its operator from Cody’s Tree Service transformed trees into two-by-six-inch boards.
