Members of Nevada's delegation have joined Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Cal., in calling for a temporary emergency declaration to override the regulations established by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
The declaration would "temporarily override the regulations that hinder the fire districts and forest service from doing the proper fuels management."
Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and John Ensign, R-Nev., along with Feinstein made the statement while on a tour of Glenbrook with the Nevada Fire Safe Council on Friday afternoon.
"TRPA needs to love the forest enough to help it," Ensign said. "I don't care about the bureaucrats. I want them to get out of the way."
"The number one issue facing the basin is fire." Reid said. "It's time to cut through the red tape."
Feinstein proposed a meeting in September between herself, Ensign, Reid and the secretaries of Interior and Agriculture.
The tour was to show the senators a fuels management project before the Lake Tahoe Summit, taking place Friday afternoon at Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village.