TRUCKEE, Calif. – In a groundbreaking move that could reshape wildfire insurance nationwide, the Tahoe Donner Association has secured a first-of-its-kind policy that links premium pricing directly to decades of active forest management.
The innovative agreement—developed in collaboration with former California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, The Nature Conservancy, UC Berkeley and Willis, a business of WTW—marks the first time an insurance company has factored large-scale fuel reduction work into wildfire risk assessments and policy pricing. Structured by Willis, the $2.5 million wildfire resilience insurance coverage has been developed for Tahoe Donner.
The policy covers over 1,300 acres of high-risk open space within Tahoe Donner, one of the largest landowners in the region behind the U.S. Forest Service and a major land trust. These zones—selected using fire modeling, proximity to ignition sources like Interstate 80, and the potential for human-caused fires—have seen direct threats from wildfire…